23/09/2024
This is Prince, he is a Golden Retriever and at a young age of only 1 year old and was in for his first massage treatment.
Prince has an orthopaedic condition called Hip Dysplasia and it is a common disease for his breed.
Prince's owner first noticed there was an issue while watching him walk and noticed the abnormalities and decided to seek veterinary advice.
I performed a gait analysis on Prince and could clearly see the signs; he bunny hops, his rear end moves back & forth in a swaying movement and enlargement of the shoulder muscles, this is due to more weight exerted on the front legs to avoid weight bearing on the hind legs.
The outcome of his first treatment was incredible and myself and Prince's owner can clearly see a huge difference. His mobility had improved, his swaying gait had decreased and he was a much happier, lively boy.
Prince accepted the treatment and clearly enjoyed it (photo's shows how much he loved it) And the main reason for the massage treatment was to help him and overall he had improved massively.
What is Hip Dysplasia?
Hip dysplasia is one of the most common skeletal diseases seen in dogs. Gender does not seem to be a factor, but some breeds are more likely to have the genetic predisposition for hip dysplasia. Large and giant breeds are most commonly affected, including the Great Dane, Saint Bernard, Labrador/Retriever, Rottweiler and German Shepherd.
Canine hip dysplasia is a disease that affects the hip joint, usually bilaterally (on both sides of the dog’s hips). In healthy dogs, the hip joint works like a ball (femoral) and socket (acetabulum) that slides smoothly when they walk or run. In the case of dogs with hip dysplasia, the joint doesn’t develop correctly during their puppy years, and the ball and socket don’t fit well together. This laxity (or looseness) of the joint means the ball moves around loosely in the socket, which can lead to painful degenerative joint disease or osteoarthritis, which is the body’s attempt to stabilise the loose hip joint.
How massage can help?
Improve mobility & flexibility
Relieve the effects of stiffness and joint discomfort
Develop and maintain muscles tone
Reduce inflammation
Relieve soreness and stiffness
Correct muscle balance and posture
Relieve tension
Assist in pain relief
Improve quality of life
Relieve tension build up
Help strengthen muscles
Help the compensating limb tension and correct muscle balance
Improve the dog’s disposition
Enable the dog to enjoy normal exercise
