Despite our cars running well, we still take them for a regular service. During the service, our mechanics check our vehicle is operating the way it should – they check the engine, brakes, top up the oil and check the tyres. They make minor repairs and adjustments, so the car is running properly. When we pick up the car, our mechanics tell us of any “risk” areas and potentially more serious problems that we may need to addressed in the future.

Our bodies and those of our dogs are very similar to our vehicles in many respects. Without preventative and regular maintenance, our good health can deteriorate.

Along with good nutrition, daily exercise and rest, canine massage therapy is one way of maintaining your dog’s good health. Canine massage therapists can assess the risk factors in your dog’s environment to help prevent a serious injury or the onset of frailty as your dog ages.

Remedial canine massage therapists can advise you on the following:

Exercise regime

Therapists can help you ensure you are providing the dog with a good mix of strength, co-ordination and balance exercises that is appropriate for the dog’s performance requirements along with their age and health status. Canine massage therapists can also advise on the appropriateness of exercise for the dog with a particular view to preventing overuse and repetitive strain injuries. Finally, therapists can advise on exercise equipment such as collars and harnesses to make sure your dog’s neck is not being injured and the equipment allows free and unrestricted movement.

Lifestyle

As our dogs live in our homes and are very much part of the family, they inadvertently can be exposed to injury risks. Canine massage therapists can advise on appropriate flooring to provide your dog with sufficient friction to prevent falls and slips. Therapists can also advise on ways of protecting your dog from injury from negotiating furniture, vehicles, and stairs.

Prevent injury and illness

During a massage treatment, canine massage therapists can identify muscle strain and “silent” trigger points that are not yet causing the dog pain but left untreated can activate, becoming painful and resulting in a more serious injury.

During a massage treatment, therapists can also identify changes in the dog’s body including detection of lumps, changes in coat or skin quality or sensitivities unrelated to musculature. Detecting these minor changes allows you to get an early vet diagnosis of potential illness.

So even though your dog may not be injured, preventative medicine is always preferable to rehabilitating a dog from a serious injury, particularly as your dog ages.

Full Stride provides canine massage treatments and remedial exercise programmes to keep dogs active and healthy. Leave me a comment with your tips on maintaining your dog’s good health and mobility.

Until next time, enjoy your dogs.