Jaco the Samoyed
by Linda Gould

When I entered the boarding kennel where Jaco was staying, he barely lifted his head from the thick pile of blankets he was laying on in the far corner to acknowledge me. His owner had called me the evening before and told me that the just turned 12-year old Samoyed was having “stability issues” with his hind end and asked that I visit him at the kennels while she was on holiday to see if I could do anything to stimulate the muscles to provide more support. She was concerned that if he continued to decline, she would face a difficult decision very soon.

Though lethargic and clearly not comfortable despite his thick bed, Jaco was friendly and showed a bit more interest as I approached him and he raised his head to sniff at my hands. When Sonia, an animal massage skeptic and the owner of the boarding kennels, joined us, she explained her and Jaco’s daily routine as I gently began working on the extraordinarily tight muscles at the base of his skull and around his jaws. I quickly learned he was in worse condition than I had been lead to believe. She told me that Jaco was diabetic and she had to give him insulin shots at regular times before he was allowed to eat. His meals consisted of smooth pâté-like food mixed and yogurt basically smeared into the top of his mouth with a spatula as he could not open his jaws or chew well.

Several times per day Jaco was taken out to “do his business” while wearing a harness which was used to hold him up and support him while walking as well as when squatting to prevent him from falling back into the “business” he had just completed. He would walk the short path to the dog play field slowly, often stopping to balance himself or trying to remember where he was heading to. He also had a tendency to place his hind foot incorrectly; knuckling over and walking on the top of the foot before resetting it in the correct position. While other dogs would energetically bark at those having their turn into the dog field, Jaco would spend most of his days quietly resting in the corner of his kennel, or “singing” to himself. Sonia told me she always made sure he had enough blankets to be comfortable laying on the ground, but not too many as to cause him to trip when returning from his duties as he could not lift his hind legs high enough to step over anything more than an inch or so high.

I was listening to this play-by-play while continuing to work on Jaco’s head and neck. Suddenly Sonia stopped talking and stared at Jaco. The change was so abrupt it made me worry that something had happened that my hands had not noticed. Then Sonia smiled widely and exclaimed, “My goodness! His eyes are the same size now!” Sure enough, the release of tension and pain at the base of Jaco’s skull was already showing benefits, and it was just the beginning of what massage would do for him. On top of that, the self-proclaimed animal massage skeptic had been converted and became one of my strongest supporters.

I continued to work with Jaco regularly until, at 13 ½ years old, he moved to Canada. During that time he went from requiring the harness for nearly constant support when standing and moving to wearing only a collar and actually trotting up and down hills around his home unassisted to greet me for his bi-weekly massage. Gone were the days of knuckling over or worrying that his legs would fail him and he would stumble backwards into his own “business”. On the contrary, his 10-minute morning and evening toddles had now been increased to three true 30-minute walks! He was still fed his meals using a spatula but, considering how quickly and easily he took and devoured the treats I offered him, this was probably more down to the taste of the “special” diabetic food than the previous tension in his jaws. The last I heard, Jaco’s owner had found a new animal massage therapist in their area in Canada and he was still going strong…at 15!

Archie the PBGV
by Linda Gould

I have another great tale, of a Petite Basset Griffon Vendeen (or PBGV) dog named Archie with severe epilepsy who was having 1-2 minute seizures 2-3 times per week and was getting “doggy valium” suppositories to break him out of them.

It actually started as an experiment by the same boarding kennels owner mentioned in the first case study. She wanted to see if I could relax him when he first came into the kennels, if it would keep him from having a seizure while he was there (which also helped HER stress level). Sure enough it worked. I started massaging him regularly, I showed the owner some acupressure points to use when she saw a seizure coming on as well as techniques to keep him from tightening up, and Sonia called me for a “tune up” whenever Archie came to see her. It worked like a dream. With massage his seizures were reduced to once every 4-6 months and even then they were so brief that by the time the owner got up off the couch to calm him, the seizure was over.

One really funny thing was when I first worked on him at his home, the owner told me that during a seizure Archie would open his mouth completely and it would almost “freeze” that way during the entire seizure. So of course I worked on the TMJ to release accumulated stress there. Archie responded by gently mouthing my arm. Then he got this look on his face almost as if to say, “Hang on a minute!”, as if he realized it didn’t hurt to use his jaws anymore. He mouthed my arm a little harder, then a little harder, then a little HARDER until I had to ask the owner for a chew bone of some type since he was now using my arm as one (and I needed it to continue the massage!). The owner came back with a dental bone, but told me Archie didn’t really chew on them, that he basically just broke big pieces off and swallowed them whole. Not anymore! He spent almost the entire hour chewing on his bone, playing with it, tossing it in the air and chasing after it. It was wonderful – despite the tooth imprints he’d left in my arm!

Hydrotherapy
by Luis Carrillo, PT, CCRP

More and more pet guardians are turning to alternative health treatments in combination with traditional veterinary medicine to improve and maintain their dog’s optimal health.

Hydrotherapy is one such treatment that utilizes the buoyancy, resistance and hydrostatic pressure properties of water. Buoyancy counteracts gravity, reducing pressure and strain on the joints, limbs and spine, which allows for pain free exercise and greater freedom of movement. The dog is able to work through their full range of motion in the water, increasing flexibility and muscle tone. The uniform hydrostatic pressure across all the limbs helps to promote better circulation and blood flow to the entire body. Swimming works every muscle of the body including the heart, and cardiovascular training through resistive current and longer swims improves endurance. Dogs of all ages, especially older dogs who cannot otherwise exercise as vigorously because of various health issues, find water therapy just the right exercise.

Dogs that show signs of advancing degenerative joint disease (DJD) in their hips, knees, shoulders and elbows can benefit from hydrotherapy. It helps to reduce pain and inflammation, build strength and endurance and increase mobility and function.

Recent advances in orthopedic surgery and aquatic therapy have offered dogs with Cruciate (knee) repairs including TPLO (Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy), a chance to recover quicker and return to their former activities including agility, sports, ball playing and walks. Dogs who have had spinal surgery and spinal “strokes” have been shown to return to a better quality of life with the use of hydrotherapy as part of their recovery plan.

Our practice, Good Dog Aquatic Fitness, was inspired by our dog Saba. When Saba needed a total hip replacement, Luis, drawing from his experience as a human physical therapist, had him swimming as part of the post-op recovery and found that it dramatically shortened his recovery time. A few years later, Saba developed Degenerative Myelopathy, a neurological disorder similar to Multiple Sclerosis. Swimming and physical therapy helped Saba manage his DM and live a happy life to a ripe old age of 14.

Inspired by how beneficial hydrotherapy had been for Saba, Luis completed his Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner Certification and founded Good Dog Aquatic Fitness in 2004 with the goal to improve the overall quality of life for dogs and their guardians.

At Good Dog Aquatic Fitness, we work closely with the referring veterinarian to develop a custom program tailored to your dog’s special needs. In addition to hydrotherapy, we also use therapeutic exercise, balance training, massage therapy and laser therapy as part of our treatment. We customize a home exercise program as well, which allows owners to actively participate in their dog’s recovery and further strengthen their relationship.

To read all the wonderful Good Dog Aquatic success stories, visit their website www.gooddogaquatic.com

Supportive Treatment for Bunny Digestion
by Jodi McLaughlin

Caution: Bunny Massage is intended as a complement to regular veterinary care. If your bunny is experiencing a digestive slowdown, call your Veterinarian A.S.A.P.

While making Vet preparations you may want to wrap bunny in a towel with a warm water bottle or warm pack against his belly. Massage bun-bun between the eyes and sweep along the jaw-line, back over the face and out to the tips of the ears.

As prey animals, stress can contribute to disease in domesticated rabbits. Sharing intimate touch time with our lagomorph companions creates a blissful and thriving housemate.

Begin your bunny massage sessions on a secure table or lap. Always use a gentle and light touch. Bunny will guide you through the session.

Bloating, Digestion and General Nervousness
Belly and Sides (between last rib and hips): If bunny accepts “trance” position, use fingers to lightly massage tummy with clockwise circles. Or, with bun sitting or laying in normal position, connect fingers under belly and sweep up and over sides onto back. Make 6 or more belly passes. Next, lightly jiggle the hands as you sweep up and over bunny’s sides. Another 6 or more passes should please Bun-Bun.

Acupressure Master Point for Digestion, Stomach 36
Knee: Use thumb or index finger to make dime size circles, always clockwise, on the outside of bun’s lower legs, just below the knee caps.

General Reflexology and Spleen-Stomach points
Hind-feet and Ankles: If bun allows (perhaps when held on back or securely against your body), brush fingers down the top and underside of hind feet 3 times, then lightly squeeze all toes. Next tap thumb or index finger along the inside edge of both feet finishing with a light squeeze around each ankle. Be very gentle. If bun enjoys foot massage, work front feet and toes also.

Always begin and end bunny massage time with 3 hand sweeps from head to tail tip. Finish with dampened hands to wipe the halo of loose fur off bunny.

Massage is simply petting Bunster with a present and loving intention. As prey animals, stress is a primary reason for illness in house rabbits.

Keep Bunster’s digestive system running smoothly. Provide him with fresh water, a daily offering of greens and safe herbs, grass hay, nutritious pellets, unfiltered sunlight, comforting touch and environment, friends, and the invitation to play. Everyday will be a Blissful Bunny Day!