After a strenuous week, a sweaty sports session or perhaps as part of rehabilitation with a physiotherapist: A massage is very versatile and provides pure relaxation and well-being. This applies not only to us humans, but also to our four-legged friends.
Animal masseurs also use special grips and techniques to stimulate, among other things, the blood circulation in regions of the body through which (e.g. due to an injury or the process of aging) less blood is transported. Better blood circulation promotes the faster removal of toxins that accumulate in the body. Toxins that are not removed properly can cause inflammation or chronic illness over time.
Massage as part of pain treatment
Many dogs and cats that are reluctant to be touched or have a problem with physical proximity often actually suffer from pain. So if your sweetheart does not like to be touched, it is always advisable to check if there is a hidden pain somewhere. This can usually be found out with a gait analysis. The masseur/exercise trainer can detect even the smallest changes in the animal’s movements and can tell you exactly where the pain is. The subsequent massage promotes the healing of the affected area. In this way, animals learn that not every touch is automatically associated with pain and that even intense “kneading” will ultimately lead to pain relief. If the pain has been treated successfully, your pet will also change its behavior and will be happy to be touched again.
Massage should always be used as a complementary treatment method. Especially the combination of massage and movement training/physiotherapy makes sense. The physiotherapy helps your darling to activate, mobilize and build up muscles. The additional massage ensures that the affected area does not harden or that the so-called “opponents” of the strained muscles do not become stiff, so that a normal weight bearing remains possible.
Advantages of a massage
- Wellness massage provides relaxation and contributes to general well-being
- Muscles, joints and tendons remain healthy
- Tensions, connective tissue and also the fascia can be loosened and adhesions can be avoided
- Improves mobility, body perception, reaction and coordination
- Promotes the joy of movement and thus contributes significantly to the quality of life
- Metabolism and blood circulation are stimulated
- Increase of condition and performance
- Faster recovery after injuries and pain
- Removal of toxins and metabolic slags
- Vitality is increased
- Pain spots can be detected and eliminated early
Who is allowed to massage animals?
In Austria, anyone is allowed to massage a healthy animal. Sick animals can only be massaged under the agreement of a veterinarian.
Among the numerous masseurs, which this permission brings out, unfortunately there are also some black sheeps. Although Massage on-line cannot be obtained correctly mediated (it must be taught among other things feeling bodily tensions and the like) online training offer in this subject rises continuously and does unfortunately not only give rise to good animal masseurs.
If your beloved animals is in pain, you should always turn to well-trained experts. If you want to do something good for your darling from time to time, you can also slip into the role of a masseur yourself and carefully stroke the ears. But be careful and pay attention to the reaction of your treasure. If you do your job well, your sweetheart will be happy to let you massage her more often.
Summary
Besides the beneficial effect of massage to support pain, pure wellness massage for humans and animals is also welcome. In any case it is worthwhile to give your darling once the pleasure to be indulged by an animal masseur.