HANDS-ON HELP FOR PETS
MASSAGE THERAPY FOR DOGS IS CATCHING ON IN CONNECTICUT
Hartford Courant - Hartford, Conn.
Author:
ANN MARIE SOMMA, Courant Staff Writer
Date:
Nov 25, 2006
(Copyright The Hartford Courant 2006)
If your dog prefers getting tummy rubs more than his ears scratched, then Jamie Acevedo is the guy to call.
Acevedo, a licensed massage therapist in Bloomfield, recently completed a three-hour animal-massage workshop at the Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy in Newington.
He signed up for the workshop to learn how to professionally massage his three hyperactive dogs, but when word got out among his human clients, the phone started ringing.
"I have a lot of people who are interested," Acevedo says. "Since I took the course, people have been asking me for my business cards."
Once used exclusively on injured racing horses and as rehabilitation work on dogs, animal massage is making its way into the lives of household pets. There are dozens of websites, books, videos and schools and courses on canine massage.
Practitioners say the trend is slowly catching on in the state, unlike in California where dog massages are commonplace in kennels, grooming salons and doggie day-care centers.
Acevedo charges $30 for a 30-minute session done at the pet's home.
Some may think massage is just another luxury for pampered pets in a $35 billion pet industry that doesn't show any sign of slowing down.
But practitioners say massage is an essential part of a dog's health care.
Kim Jonah, who offers canine massage at Wellbeings in Glastonbury, says massage increases circulation, flexibility and can ease arthritic pain in older dogs.
It also helps to calm hyperactive dogs.
"It's perfect for pet owners looking for a holistic approach to health care for their dogs," Jonah says. "It's beneficial as preventative medicine, and it flushes out toxins."
And what about our feline friends?
"Some people massage cats, but it's not that common," says Jonah, "because cats are, well, they are ... cats."
June Chagnon of Enfield says massage has helped ease stiffness and increase circulation in her 11-year old carrion terrier, Bonnie Jean.
"She's much more active and limber," Chagnon says. "She's even playing with my new 16-month-old carrion terrier."
Pet owners should choose their massage therapists wisely. Although canine massage employs many of the same techniques used on humans, it requires knowledge of a dog's anatomy, behavior and bio mechanics.
Massage therapists in the state don't have to be certified in animal massage to give pets massages, Jonah says. She received her training at Bancroft School of Massage's 7-month Small Animal Massage Program in Massachusetts.
Jim Durant, a massage therapist from West Hartford who works on human and animal clients, says owners should learn how to do it.
"It's better if you do it. They trust you. It deepens the bond they have with you," Durant says.
Several places across the state, including Tails-U-Win in Manchester and Newington's Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy, offer animal-massage workshops in Swedish and relaxation massage. The three-hour workshop in Newington costs $75 and is offered in the late spring and early fall.
Acevedo says his three dogs, a pug and two labradoodles, have calmed down a little since he started massaging them.
"They are just a little hyper," he says.