Thursday, December 8, 2011

Massage Therapy for Dogs?

I'm not exactly sold, but the folks at petplace.com seem to be. Here's what they have to say about massage therapy for your canine companion:

The aging processes take a toll on your pet. Arthritis, joint problems, torn or over- extended muscles and ligaments, injury and surgery are some of the more common ailments that can benefit from increased flexibility and reduced physical and mental stress. The massage itself will promote socialization of your pet, enhance the human-animal bond and help maintain the health of a pet that is kenneled. During a period of confinement or restricted movement, the body is at rest and the muscles are inactive or stiff when activities are resumed. Massage improves the flexibility of these muscles and aids to prevent injury. Many of the healthy pets we have are part of a competition, whether in the show ring or performing agility, tracking, herding, flyball, ... or playing chase or Frisbee. They use and abuse muscles frequently. Massage relaxes the muscle, reduces strain and helps avoid injury.


My guess is that it probably is a rewarding experience for both people and puppies. I just don't think it's an adequate substitute for genuine veterinary care. And as dogs age, they become prone to arthritis and start to snap if the massage gets deep enough.

You can read the rest here.

The fact of the matter is that I wouldn't know where to begin. I wrestle with my dogs a lot. I pet them. I hug them. I scratch behind their ears. Isn't that enough?

Well, I admit, if a masseuse did that to me, I'd probably ask for my money back.

No comments:

Post a Comment