By: Paula Bindrich, Canine Massage Practitioner
The benefits of massage for your dog are countless. No matter what the age of your dog, keeping his muscles and joints as fluid as possible helps your dog move more easily and keeps him more balanced throughout his life. Easier movement means more fun for dogs.
Massage helps release endorphins and enhances circulation. Endorphins are the “feel good” chemicals in our bodies. They help with general well being and can help with pain management. Enhancing the circulation both moves out “stagnant” build-ups of toxins and brings good flow of oxygen to the tissues. This helps keep tissue healthy and rebuilds damaged areas, even helping sick dogs recover faster.
Massage also brings balance. If one part of your dog’s body is injured, he will compensate by shifting weight to another part of their body. This puts undue pressure on healthy joints and muscles, which could cause further problems down the road.
As a Canine Massage Practitioner, I’ve worked on dogs of all ages. Show dogs and other competitive dogs look in better conformation and perform more easily when balanced. With massage, older dogs are better able to move because muscles are looser, less painful and joint health is improved. Even pups benefit from the socialization and relief of pains that they can experience as they grow. Finally, massage can help abused or neglected dogs rebuild trust with humans, so they can become happy companion animals again.
Massage therapy can help dogs in many ways. Whether alone or in conjunction with other complimentary practices, massage can truly enhances your dog’s health and well- being.