WHAT TO EXPECT
Before I can masage your dog I will need to obtain
Veterinary consent. Dogs Body Canine Massage Therapy acknowledges the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 and Exemption Order 2015 by NEVER working upon a dog without gaining prior Veterinary approval.
You can download a Veterinary Consent Form by clicking on the
Vet Consent Form tab on the left hand side of this page.
Once you have obtained consent, you will need to bring the signed form to your first appointment. Please note that without consent, I am unable to massage your dog.
FIRST APPOINTMENT
The first session lasts around 90 minutes and includes:
FULL CONSULTATION
I will ask you various questions regarding your dog's diet, exercise, lifestyle, Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) medical history and why you are bringing them for massage.
GAIT & POSTURAL ANALYSIS
I will analyse the way your dog walks, trots and canters and from this I will see areas of pain and discomfort as well as stiffness, gait irregularities and areas where they may be over compensating. I will also look at your dog's posture to check that they are weight bearing evenly on all four limbs. You may have noticed irregularities yourself such as lameness, reluctance to jump on to the sofa, bunny-hopping and this will all be taken into account.
PALPATION
This is a good way of getting your dog used to being handled by me as I feel for areas of Tenderness, Texture, Temperature and Tone (known as the 4Ts). I will be able to identify injury, scarring, trigger points, temperature changes as well as any issues with muscle tone. I will perform this whilst your dog is standing up and just prior to the massage. However this can also be done when your dog is lying down if they prefer.
FULL BODY MASSAGE
I will give your dog a full body massage and not just massage the areas of concern. Each dog is individual so no session is ever the same as I will adapt the massage to suit the needs of your dog and the situation. Throughout the session I will reassure your dog to make the massage as comfortable as possible. (I tend to play soothing background music which I find really helps to relax both dog and owner).
Each massage session lasts between 45 - 50 minutes and I will be assessing your dog throughout checking how they respond both physically and mentally.
Your dogs wellbeing is of utmost importance.
POST MASSAGE SESSION
I will explain what I have found with diagrammatic feedback showing where there are areas of issue. I will also provide you with aftercare instructions so that you can continue with their care between appointments. I will also give you every opportunity to ask me any questions about the session or anything you may be unsure of.
Dogs Body Canine Massage Therapy is totally results driven, aiming to improve your dog in 1-3 treatments. Subsequent visits are between 50-60 minutes and I usually work on 3 sessions over 3 weeks as this produces the best results. If your dog has a course of 3 massages I will then write a report and sent it to your Vet so that they are aware of what issues I have found. We work best practice and so in the unlikely event that there are no improvements after the 3rd session, I will not continue to massage but will refer you back to your Vet for further investigation.
