Do you have an animal friend that just loves petting and stroking? Your touch conveys love, special attention, and feels great. If you’re interested in another way of touching that’s sure to delight, try massage.
Petting and stoking is a crucial part of the human-animal relationship. Massage takes your relationship to a deeper level through this hands-on bodywork, which enhances total well-being. It’s a deliberate way of touching that is methodical and specific to areas of the body for a response of relaxation and comfort.
Whether your pet is an athlete or a couch potato, massage promotes the body’s well-being. For the athlete, a sports massage can be either invigorating before an event, or soothing and rebuilding after the event. It’s a way of attaining top performance, while protecting your pet’s level of fitness to avoid injury during competitive events. For the less active animal, revitalized blood circulation from massage gives a terrific energy boost.
Massage is a wonderful heath-enhancer for all animals and all ages. For the older, it’s excellent for soothing achy or stiff muscles while stimulating internal body functions. It helps with ease of movement, instills a sense of peacefulness, and helps towards restful sleep. What a special way to show our seniors that we care and appreciate their many years of friendship!
And last but not least, what about the most endearing creatures on earth – the baby animal companions? Touch is an essential element in a young animal’s life, and massage on a regular basis builds a strong bond between you and your animal friend. During growth time, young animals can experience joint and muscle stress as their bones are developing, and massage helps to ease the discomfort of growing pains.
Massage is a nurturing, preventative, natural approach to animal health that can be safely added to most any animal’s care regimen. However, it is not a substitute for veterinary care. It’s a good idea to check with your veterinarian before beginning a massage program.
Here’s what massage can do:
- Improve blood and lymph circulation
- Reduce anxiety and build trust
- Reduce tight muscles, spasms, and improve muscle tone
- Speed healing time
- Improve skin and coat
- Increase flexibility, gait and movement
- Refresh after traveling or crating
- Aid the respiratory function
- Improve energy
- Lessen discomfort hip dysplasia and arthritis.
If you want to incorporate massage into your animal’s care, there are many educational resources to learn the art of animal massage. For your pet’s safety, it’s best to be trained by a certified pet massage provider.
I hope all animals lovers find this article informative and are encouraged to bring massage into their animals friend’s life.
Linda is an animal massage therapist from the Bancroft School of Massage.