How to Give a Wonderful Pet Massage

Pet massage is a rapidly growing field, and rightly so.  What better way to show our canine and feline friends that we love them than to treat them to a massage?  Massage for an animal enhances blood flow, reduces stress, and promotes relaxation.  There are many avenues to providing this calming experience for your pets.  You can learn the basics for a home massage, take your pet to a professional, or become certified yourself.

If you choose to do a pet massage at home, even if you are already a certified (human) massage therapist, you should stick with light stokes.  Deep tissue massage should only be performed by a professional who is familiar with the anatomy of the specific animal that is being worked on. 

 The most common home technique that is used is the Tellington Touch.  This requires circular movements of the fingers and hands all over the body.  The technique was developed by Linda Tellington-Jones and is very popular all over the world.  If you would like more information or a training video using this excellent technique, visit www.ttouch.com.

If you would rather not watch a training video, you can start immediately by using light strokes from head to tail.  Make sure your pet is lying down and comfortable.  And of course, if your pet ever seems uneasy, stop or switch to a different area.  Let them be the boss.  Scratch their ears gently and lightly massage their face.  Make sure to get their ears, as many pets like this a lot.  Grip the ear between the thumb and forefinger and gently rub.  Work over the neck, shoulders, and chest using gentle circular patterns.  It is easiest to do this by straddling your pet from behind. (But don’t sit on them!)  Gently squeeze their legs, working up and down several times to release tension.  Massage the feet as well, but only if your pet is comfortable with this.  Take your time and give your pet a long, loving rubdown. Even a simple body massage such as this can release stress and result in a happier, healthier, better-behaved pet.

 If you would like to take your pet to a certified massage therapist for deeper body work, they are available in most every city.  They can be found in the phone book and online.  Make sure that you ask for credentials and references, just like you would any medical professional.  If your pet has any health issues, you should ask your vet before getting them a massage.  In fact, it is a good idea to ask your vet anyway.  They may be able to provide you with some respectable references.

 If you are, in fact, interested in becoming a certified animal massage therapist, there are also many options.  There are many distance learning programs online, where you can learn at your own pace.  You could work with larger animals (such as horses), or pets (dogs and cats).  There are also physical classes offered in a large variety of locations if you learn better that way.  Offering pet massage is a great way to expand your clientele!  You can offer both pet and owner a massage at a discounted price and make sure they come back again and again!