Massages
Massage is a set of techniques (kneading, pressure, vibrations, etc.) using the hands and applied to various parts of the body for therapeutic and well-being purposes. It affects the skin, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. More broadly, it impacts the nervous, skeletal, circulatory, muscular, respiratory, digestive, urinary, endocrine, reproductive, and immune systems.
Numerous studies have shown that touch reduces the risk of illness. It lowers blood pressure and heart rate. It alleviates pain and stress. It contributes to physical, psychological, and emotional well-being.
Why Animal Massage?
Our dogs and cats share our homes, our daily lives, and sometimes our chaotic routines. They are emotional sponges. They feel our joy, but also our sadness, stress, and discomfort.
Many of them spend their time waiting for their human for long hours. Some get bored, become nervous, and destroy everything in the house, while others become apathetic or even depressed.
Some dogs work to assist humans, such as guide dogs, herding dogs, detection dogs, therapy dogs… Not to mention racehorses, draft horses, and all the other animals that help with human tasks.
It is therefore essential to actively care for their physical, mental, and emotional well-being to provide them with a good inner balance and a positive relationship with humans.
The Benefits
The benefits of animal massage are similar to those of human massage and are unquestionably recognized.
- It stimulates and activates blood, lymphatic, and energy circulation.
- It improves digestive issues and intestinal transit.
- It relieves muscular problems and strengthens the muscles.
- It maintains and improves muscle, joint, and bone mobility, especially in cases of arthritis, elbow, and hip dysplasia
- It accelerates muscle recovery after exercise or injury.
- It reduces the formation of fibrous adhesions following an injury or surgery.
- It promotes the healing and recovery process.
- It contributes to better sleep and well-being through the release of endorphins.
- It reduces stress and anxiety.
- It relaxes the body and helps relieve nervous, aggressive, and hyperactive behaviors.
- It contributes to both psychological and physical well-being.
- It strengthens the immune system.
- It supports the animal in the natural aging process
The Different Types of Massages
The relaxing massage helps soothe our animals’ stress by calming the nervous system, reducing tension, and alleviating nervous blockages.
It is also performed on a relaxed animal to bring them comfort and serenity.
The maintenance massage helps preserve and strengthen the muscular structure. It reduces joint stiffness, stimulates blood and lymphatic circulation, and thus enhances the elimination of toxins.
The maintenance massage also helps detect muscle tension, contractions, knots, and joint pain, and provides treatment for them.
The energy massage is a combination of relaxing massage, maintenance massage, and lithotherapy.
The energy massage removes energetic blockages, harmonizes the body and mind, reduces pain and tension, and revitalizes the body by allowing universal energy to flow freely.
The sports massage has two main objectives:
- Warm up the animal before intense physical activity (Warm-up phase)
- Aid in recovery after exercise (Recovery phase)
Warm-up Phase
Just like humans, animals need to warm up before intense physical activity. Exercising cold increases the risk of injuries and poor performance. The massage raises the temperature of the muscles and the body, thus improving performance and reducing the risk of injury.
Recovery Phase
The recovery massage helps relax the muscles and enhances blood and lymphatic circulation. This allows toxins to be eliminated and lymphatic glands to be decongested. The risk of muscle contractions is thus reduced.
Contraindications
The main contraindication is stress. If the animal does not want to be massaged, it is important to respect that and offer it again at another time. Forcing an animal to be touched against its will can lead to aggression, stress, and is not suitable for the trust-building and positive reinforcement approach sought. The animal must always have the freedom to decide.
It is also strongly contraindicated to massage an animal that has:
- An open wound
- Acute pain
- An infection (temperature above 39°C)
- Inflammation
- A significant skin issue
- Early-stage cancer
- A severe neurological condition
- Diarrhea, colitis, hernia
- Gestation
- Nerve damage
- An acute arthritis or rheumatism flare-up
However, it is often possible to perform a light massage on the part of the body that is not affected and/or a laying of hands. However, it is essential to obtain the veterinarian’s consent before performing the massage. The massage stimulates blood and lymphatic circulation, which could potentially accelerate certain conditions.