Canine Massage and Myofunctional Therapy - More Than A Firm Pat
If you’ve ever enjoyed a deep tissue massage or myofascial release therapy for yourself you appreciate the benefits that this very specific type of treatment has. This treatment works directly on both muscle and connective tissue surrounding it to help free dogs of tense or sticky muscles.
Every dog is different and the goal of treatment is specific to both the needs and the tolerance of each dog for the treatment. We take into account activity levels, age and condition of your dog and adjust the treatment to suit.
The physical benefits of this type of massage for dogs include:
Decrease in pain
Relief of muscle tension
Improved mobility and activity levels
Reduce stiffness, limps and lameness
Reduce inflammation around joints
Improve joint health, flexibility and range of motion
Rehabilitate soft tissue injuries
Performance enhancement for working or sport dogs e.g. hunting, sled-racing, agility, dock diving
In addition to physical benefits this massage can be effective in helping dogs that suffer from stress and anxiety that might manifest in behaviours such as leash reactivity, excessive pacing or panting and persistent barking. The link between a stressed mind and discomfort in the body is well known and massage that relieves pain and stiffness associated with stress is as beneficial for our dogs as it is for people.
Massage FAQ
How hard do you massage? I don’t want to put my dog off being touched.
We get it. Some of the deep tissue work you might have had can feel very uncomfortable. While we work firmly enough to be effective we are very considerate of your dog’s individual thresholds and do not go beyond these. Our goal is a relaxed dog, not a tense one so we work carefully to ensure that our treatments are effective without being unduly uncomfortable.
Is massage just a glorified pat?
Absolutely not. To perform this kind of massage we are looking at the anatomy of your dog and working into problem areas below the skin and fur. This treatment is quite different to even a firm pat and we use different techniques during the massage to get visible results.
Can I do this myself?
As part of this process we encourage people to learn how to massage their dogs at home. This ongoing practise helps dogs immensely in living a more comfortable active life and we actively encourage you to be a part of providing that at home.
How much does a session cost?
Initial consultation session is 90 minutes, $180. Follow up appointments are 60 minutes, $100.
“We totally recommend Diana and appreciate everything she did for Tika who had a concerning limp. We feel so lucky to have found Diana and her treatment instantly loosened up Tika and allowed her to move more freely. Diana took us at short notice and we were amazed at how effective her deep massage and acupuncture is. We would highly recommend Diana. Wanaka is lucky to have such a high quality specialist”.