Massage is a wonderful way to aid the health of your furry pet without the need for medication or chemicals. It positively affects the muscles, joints, and blood circulation of dogs of any breed, and it’s desirable for every owner to know how to do it.
Why Dogs Need Massage
We can identify at least three reasons why massage is beneficial:
- It promotes the mobility of beneficial substances in the body, helping to eliminate toxins;
- Massage is also a kind of diagnosis. By touching your pet, you can observe its reaction. A change in reaction to usual movements is a reason to show the animal to a vet;
- Dogs love their owners’ touch; it has a calming effect on your pets, and during illnesses, they even tolerate symptoms better.
Types of Animal Massages
There are two main types of massages for pets:
- Therapeutic – carried out in the presence of health problems, such as ligament strains, paralysis of the legs for recovery after fractures. Such a massage is performed only by a specialist;
- Relaxing – for the animal’s relaxation, with the same purpose as a human massage, namely, to relieve tension and restore muscle tone.
Are There Contraindications to Dog Massage?
Yes, most often these are certain injuries and diseases. In such cases, a massage by the owner can only worsen the situation. Massage is also contraindicated if the dog has an open wound, severe bruises, fever, or skin problems. Additionally, massage procedures are not recommended if the animal resists – not all dogs like it, and maybe your pet will get used to it over time, but forcing a massage is clearly not necessary.
How to Properly Massage a Dog
In this section, we will describe how to do a relaxing massage – we will leave therapeutic massages to professional doctors. For relaxation procedures, three fingers are sufficient to master the basic technique.
Calm the Animal
A good time for a massage is after a walk, when the dog doesn’t have much energy. Before starting the massage, stroke your pet in the direction of fur growth. Instead of stroking, you can also use combing. Stroke/comb the entire length of the body, from the top to the tail tip. The stage we’ll call “calming” can last up to five minutes. If the animal resists and clearly demonstrates unwillingness, it’s better to postpone the massage to another time.
Massage the Back
After stroking/combing, you can move to the back – massage the muscles, but don’t press on the spine. Use only three fingers, as mentioned above, namely the thumb, index, and middle finger. While one hand massages the back with circular movements and light pinching, the other gently rests on the animal, calming it.
Move to the Head
Start at the base of the skull, making circular movements with your fingers. If the animal accepts it well, you can apply stronger pressure – this will only be better for your pet’s health. Also, don’t forget about the ears and jaws, but these are very delicate areas, so it’s undesirable to press too hard there.
Finish with the Thighs and Tail
Massage the sacrum (end of the spine, base of the legs). The tail also needs “processing,” but never pull on it – it can only be gently stroked. Then pay attention to the abdomen – the same gentle stroking. You can also try rubbing the fingers of the paws, but keep in mind that not all dogs like this, so watch for the reaction.
Massage at the Groomer
A groomer is a specialist who takes comprehensive care of your pet. This includes dog trimming, washing, drying, cleaning ears, paws, teeth, eyes, and much more. Some animals, not accustomed to the groomer, can behave restlessly during procedures, for example, during trimming. Therefore, you can use the above tips for massage during procedures in the grooming salon – this will help the dog to undergo procedures with less stress. Then visiting the “hairdresser” will become routine, but initially, you will still need to calm down.
How to Book an Appointment with a Groomer
It’s very easy to do this – on this website, you need to leave a request, choosing the V.O.G DOG salon: our branches are located throughout Kyiv, so you will easily find us near your home. Also, for professional grooming, you can call +38 (073) 606 74 43. We guarantee care for your pet and attractive prices for services for your best dog!
