Frequently Asked Questions - for massage therapy
How much does a massage treatment cost?
The initial consultation and treatment takes 1h 30m and costs £45
Consecutive treatments take 50 minutes and costs £40
What areas do you cover?
I cover Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire.
Is my dog suitable for massage therapy?
Yes, all dogs can benefit from massage therapy, whether they are old or young, a pet, performance, working or show dog. I can help your dog with massage therapy whether they have an acute injury, a chronic or degenerative condition, suffer from stress and anxiety, or are old and starting to slow down. For more information click here.
What happens during a treatment?
Please see the ‘Massage Therapy’ page and scroll down to the treatment section for more information on the sessions.
What do I need to do before and after my dogs massage treatment?
Before treatment
I will send you a vet consent form which must be completed by yourself and your dogs’ vet. I comply with the ‘Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 & Exemptions Order 2015’ and will never treat a dog without a completed vet consent form.
Make sure their massage is at least 2 weeks after your dogs vaccination, flea treatment or wormer.
Feed your dog at least 2 hours before their massage.
Let your dog go to the toilet before their massage.
After treatment
I will provide some aftercare advice for you at the end of the session for you to follow.
If your dog eats after the treatment he/she would need to have half the amount of food for that/those feeds so as to not provide undue stress on the digestive system.
Do not walk them straight after their treatment.
What if my dog won’t settle for the treatment?
If your dog wont settle then you will be pleased to know that massage can still take place whilst a dog is sitting. It is normal for a dog that has never had massage therapy before to be unsure on their first session. I have worked with animals for a long time and i am well equipped to work with all types of behaviour, and I always take it at your dogs’ pace and work with their own personal requirements. The goal is to put your dog at ease and allow them to relax into the treatment.
What if my dog is a bite risk?
It is important to listen to your dog so I can understand what their behaviour is trying to tell me. Biting can often be due to pain a dog is experiencing and massage can help to reduce this.
I always have muzzles handy and sometimes it is necessary to muzzle during massage as some aspects of treatment can cause therapeutic discomfort. I will always have a conversation with you if i feel like a muzzle is required for both the benefit of me and your dog. I have been trained to work with dogs in pain and I aim to build a relationship based on trust so that a muzzle may not be necessary in the future.
What are the 5 Principles of Pain?
The 5 Principles of Pain has been developed by the Canine Massage Guild as a useful tool for identifying symptoms of musculoskeletal conditions that can be helped by clinical canine massage. Signs of muscular pain that are listed can often be mistaken as simply signs of ageing or ‘just something they do’. However, muscular pain can be caused by anything from normal activities of daily living to chronic, orthopaedic conditions. To find out more on the Canine Massage Guild website click here.
What are ADLs (Activities of Daily Living)?
ADLs are activities of daily living that can lead to muscular injury and can cause gait issues in dogs.
Flooring - a lack of grip on wooden, laminate or tiled flooring can lead to slips which cause muscular injuries, most commonly to the elbows, hips and shoulders.
Jumping on and off of furniture - a huge pressure is placed on a dogs rear legs to propel them and the same is placed on their front legs when landing.
Chase games - a dogs front limbs is used for steering and breaking, and when coming to a sudden halt after chasing a ball a huge amount of pressure is placed on the dogs’ shoulders, wrists and elbows. Doing this repetitively can lead to muscular strains and intermittent lameness.
Standing on their back legs - this tightens the muscles of the back legs and can aggravate issues like luxating patella, arthritis and hip dysplasia.
Bedding - a soft bed that is large enough for your dog will help to ease neck, back and hip issues and allows your dogs spine full flexibility whilst sleeping. A curved, plastic bed, will put unnecessary pressure on muscles as well as cause the dog to be in an unnatural position when relaxing, causing irritations.
Jumping in and out of the car - this sudden jumping and iumpact can cause or aggravate shoulder and/or wrist problems.
Going up and down the stairs - pressure is placed on the back legs and hips going up the stairs and the gravitational pull down the stairs is soaked up by the shoulders, wrists and elbows.
Excessive tugging - when this game becomes obsessive it can lead to myofascial knots in the neck and reduce mobility.
Pulling on the lead - can lead to muscle tears of the that support the spinal column and also muscles of the neck.
Feeding height - if your dogs’ bowl is too low it can place stress on the neck and lower back and also affect digestion.