Canine Massage Therapy
Hounds and Hands Clinical Canine Massage offers results-driven, effective massage therapy, treating your dog in the comfort of their own home. I use a blend of clinically tested techniques to address the entire body top to tail, ensuring both primary and secondary areas of discomfort are addressed.
Results are typically seen within 1 to 3 treatments and it is appropriate for dogs of any breed, age, size, or level of activity, from household pets to performance dogs. I provide support for dogs with a broad range of musculoskeletal issues, such as
orthopaedic conditions, soft tissue injuries, neurological disorders, myofascial pain, and post-operative rehabilitation.
Treatments
Treatments are carefully evaluated through a range of assessments that include presenting clinical symptoms and clinical history, gait and posture analysis, advanced palpation, body mapping, and owner observations. Each session is customised to your dog's unique needs and temperament, ensuring a comfortable experience and maximum benefit from each treatment.
Clinical trials have demonstrated its effectiveness in alleviating pain and symptoms associated with conditions that include arthritis, cruciate ligament degeneration, hip and elbow dysplasia, intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), luxating patella, spondylosis, canine degenerative myelopathy, post-surgical rehabilitation, and myofascial pain.
Whilst massage therapy can’t cure underlying orthopaedic or neurological conditions it can as part of a multi model approach relieve secondary symptoms/injuries these include; chronic pain and hypertonicity caused by uneven weight bearing and overcompensation and referred myofascial pain.
Results you can see, and your dog can feel.
Techniques Used
Myofascial
Release
Involves techniques that release restricted fascia restoring normal tension and elasticity.
Sports
Massage
Identification and rehabilitation of soft tissue injury. Using knowledge of muscle origin and insertions to isolate and treat specific muscle groups, and scar tissue remodelling to realign scar tissue and restore elasticity.
Deep Tissue
Massage
Targets deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue. Relieves chronic tension often sustained from injury, overcompensation, and repetitive strain.
Swedish
Massage
Gently warms up and softens soft tissue, helping to soothe, relax and release tension.
A quick intro to fascia and why myofascial release is so effective:
Fascia is a three-dimensional web of connective tissue that integrates the entire body enabling a slide and glide movement that allows the body to move in harmony. It extends from the superficial tissues through to the deeper layers including cavities and organs including the heart and lungs and it surrounds muscles, nerves and
bones. As the body’s largest sensory organ, it contains more mechanoreceptors and proprioceptors than muscles. Therefore, it's not surprising that restrictions in fascia can have a profound and debilitating effect on the whole body. Myofascial pain is often a source of chronic and long term discomfort, that may remain undiagnosed, leaving dog and horse owners puzzled about their pet’s changes in gait, posture and sensitivity to touch.
Conditions That Benefit
From Massage.
Orthopaedic conditions: Examples of these are arthritis, hip/elbow dysplasia, cruciate ligament injuries, luxating patella and spondylosis.
Soft tissue injuries: These include strains, sprains, myofascial pain, muscle splinting and trigger points. These are often caused by acute injury, over compensatory loading and postural imbalances.
Neurological Conditions: These include Canine Degenerative Myelopathy (CDRM), Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD), Cauda Equina Syndrome and Cervical spondylomyelopathy (Wobblers Syndrome).
Post-surgical rehabilitation: Common examples are spinal surgery, luxating patella and cruciate ligament surgery.
Senior Dogs
Many senior dogs experience a remarkable improvement, regaining a spring in their step and a renewed zest for life following massage therapy. Massage therapy is an excellent way of alleviating tension from general wear and tear, or compensatory loading due to underlying orthopaedic or neurological conditions. The results can be outstanding, including reduced stiffness and pain, enhanced mobility, improved
muscle tone, stimulated circulation, and overall increased comfort levels
How to tell if your dog is in discomfort or pain.
Dogs show pain in many ways, and unlike humans, they often adapt and mask their discomfort. By the time a dog displays more obvious symptoms, they may have been experiencing pain for quite some time. This is why the subtle changes matter. Early signs of discomfort are often seen in small shifts in a dog’s behaviour, posture, and movement patterns. These quiet indicators are easy to overlook in day today life, yet they are some of the most reliable clues that your dog may be struggling.
Noticing these early changes allows owners to seek support sooner, helping prevent the development of chronic compensatory patterns and reducing the risk of long term musculoskeletal issues.
Recent research carried out by the NC State University showed that out of 123 clinically healthy dogs 40% between the age of 8 months and 4 years old were found to have radiographic evidence of arthritis, and 24% of them had pain associated with the arthritic joint. Out of the dogs that had radiographic evidence of arthritis and clinical signs only 30% of owners had noticed any form of discomfort.
For Further Details On Their Research - CLICK HERE.
As dogs cannot verbalise their pain the Five Principles Of Pain was designed as a
useful guide to help assess a dog's comfort levels. It helps to detect symptoms of
musculoskeletal dysfunction that clinical canine massage can support.
For further details on The Five Principles Of Pain please click HERE to download a
PDF directly from the Canine Massage Guild website. Please contact me if you have
any queries to discuss if canine massage can help your dog
The Five Principles Of Pain
Performance
Agility dogs might knock down poles; gun dogs could show reduced stamina and
early fatigue; flyball dogs may turn widely on the box. Any alteration in their natural
performance across disciplines could suggest underlying discomfort
Activities Of Daily Living
Dogs may show reluctance to navigate stairs or furniture or slowing down on walks, and general signs of aging.
Behavioural
Changes may be seen as a reluctance to be handled, groomed, or stroked,
alongside anxiety, restlessness, snapping at other dogs, chewing/licking themselves
and skin twitches or tremors when touched
Postural Signs
Postural Signs: Kyphosis (roaching), lordosis (swayback), abnormal head and tail carriage, and rotation of the hip or stifle when the dog stands or sits with the knee
pointed outward.
Gait Issues
Lameness, stiffness, hopping, skipping, and pacing, along with crabbing and limb
abduction or adduction.
Benefits of clinical canine massage include:
Supports chronic pain management for underlying orthopaedic and neurological conditions: Specifically targeting areas of protective splinting,
tension, and overcompensation.
Improves gait, posture and performance
Resolves or significantly reduces sensitivity caused by myofascial pain and trigger points.
Improved performance in working or agility dogs.
Resolves or reduces lameness and stiffness.
Supports post operative rehabilitation, improving comfort levels and recovery time.
Enhances generally mobility and wellbeing allowing dogs to maintain their daily activities such as climbing stairs, playing with toys or other dogs, and generally moving with less stiffness and increased comfort levels.
Improved temperament
Maintains muscular health, tone, and mobility.
Detects early sings of asymmetry and muscular imbalances
An excellent therapy for dogs that are intolerant to non-steroidal anti-
inflammatory drugs (NSAID)
Reduces anxiety and stress by decreasing sympathetic levels (Stress) and inducing a parasympathetic response (relaxation)
Canine Therapy
Expertly tailored massage therapy for your beloved companion, focusing on mobility, joint health, and emotional well-being.
.png)