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Four Borders Canine Massage Therapy, Ringwood, Ringwood (2025)

17/12/2024

🩷 Leaving the clinic earlier today before my exciting appointment with a local Canine Acupuncturist, based at a Veterinary Surgery, who invited me to go along and learn a little more about how acupuncture works, and how it can help dogs.

We share a mutual client, and it has been so interesting from my perspective and Amy’s, how in this particular dog’s case, both modalities of canine massage and acupuncture have absolutely complimented the other, both therapies having many physiological and pschological benefits. Some benefits do cross over, but most just truly compliment the other.

This combination has allowed our canine client to enjoy life to the full again. He is a much happier, content dog, with improved behaviour, improved overall comfort and mobility, increased range of movement,and, he is really enjoying his walks again!

I feel so proud that as Therapists specialising in different areas, we can both understand that sometimes a multi-modal approach may be beneficial for the dog.

Ultimately, we want whatever works best for the canine client, helping them feel more comfortable and living their best life to the full 🥰

I’m really looking forward to the future! 🩷

15/11/2024

I’m not ‘lion’ - this boy is super special ☺️

🦁 Dave the Leonberger, visited the Clinic recently. His owners had noticed that Dave seemed uncomfortable in his neck, but weren’t certain they could pinpoint the exact area.

🧡 We decided to do a Muscular Health Check. This allows the Therapist to check 40 pairs of muscles from head to tail. There were actually other sore areas present, which weren’t obvious before the check.

🦁 Referred pain is a term used when there is an injury in one area, however pain is felt elsewhere. Common areas can be neck, shoulders and back, however it can affect any part of the body.

🧡 The main reason? This is because nerves are connected via a huge and intricate network of fibres called the ‘Fascia’.

🦁 Fascia is a connective tissue that covers every single muscle, bone, nerve fibre, organ, blood vessel and ligaments. It is made up of nerve fibres and is as sensitive as skin. When stressed, or restricted, it can cause discomfort and play a part in referred pain.

🧡 The client will now ask her Vet to sign the Consent Form for a full massage session.

🦁 I can’t wait to see you soon Dave. And I’m so happy that you felt relaxed enough afterwards, to fall asleep! 🥹🧡

Images used with kind permission of owner.

07/11/2024

…. Not just another day at the office! 🩷

04/11/2024

❤️ It was time for a First Aid course renewal and to refresh my First Aid knowledge!

Super interesting, I thoroughly enjoyed this 10 module Canine First Aid Diploma course.

Not all of the subjects covered will apply to canine massage of course, but it’s incredibly beneficial and important to have this knowledge, in terms of working with dogs, being a dog owner, and being around dogs in sports such as dog agility.

📣 Did you know, that it’s been estimated, that 92 per cent of pets will experience an emergency situation and require immediate or very short term First Aid! That is nearly ALL pets!!

🩺 Up to 60 per cent of veterinary visits are of an emergency nature!

🫀Do you know how to take a dog’s pulse? You may be interested to know that a normal pulse will vary from the size of dog, (small, or medium or large breed) - and it’s different again for puppies!

💦 Would you recognise the signs of a dog that is de-hydrated?

🫀 Did you know that there is an easy acronym for emergency CPR…

A = Airways
B = Breathing
C = Circulation

🪴 Plants, both house and garden can be toxic to dogs. So many common varieties are poisonous if ingested, such as the Rhododendrum, Tulip Bulbs, Sweet Peas, Lily of the Valley, Foxgloves, Rhubarb Leaves, Daffodil Bulbs and Azaleas - and there are many, many more!

⚠️ It would be a natural instinct to want to hold and comfort your dog or puppy following an electrical shock if they have chewed through cables. But the animal should NOT be touched. The electrical source should be disconnected FIRST.

True Example of an emergency first aid situation with my own dog :

🐍 One of my border collies suffered a severe adder bite (tag) on his nose, and I was told that my quick actions played a big part in his full recovery. I had learnt from my previous First Aid course, what to do in the case of a venomous bite.

So, how about looking into an Animal First Aid Course? Perhaps a gift idea for your Christmas list! You never know when you may be forever grateful for that bit of insight….and you may just save that precious life 🐾 ❤️❤️

01/11/2024

Just like us, every dog has their individual character, preferences and likes and dislikes.

Some of our Four Borders clients like a certain routine when they come to visit and I try to adapt the clinic and pre-massage set up process as much as I can to help them relax.

This gorgeous Whippet/Saluki, who can be a little anxious with certain triggers, really likes the pink vetbed to ruck up, (not the grey!!) and also loves blankets so she can make a ‘nest’. Then she is ready for her relaxing massage.

For this girl, massage is especially beneficial not only from a Physiological angle, but also, just as importantly from a Psycological perspective! Did you know that massage can help with both?

🩷 Psychological - ‘relays to the mental or emotional state of the mind’

Massage can :

🩷 Help to sooth

🩷 Help to relax

🩷 Have a calming effect

🩷 Give a strong feeling of touch

🩷Allow warmth to flow through the dogs muscles

🩷 Relax the nervous system

🩷 Have a mechanical soothing effect

Canine Massage could be something to consider for your dog, during this busy and more noisy season, with the many social events on, such as Halloween, Bonfire Night and Christmas.

Thank you Lottie, and thank you to her owner for giving permission to share. (Second image post-session, where she was kept warm with the blanket whilst her owner got ready to take her home)

30/10/2024

Spot lovely Logan the Dalmation 🖤

Logan’s owner was looking for some alternative therapy to help aid Logan’s recent mobility issues.

He’s a long ranging dog which can mean he will run out quite some distance, and after noticing Logan was displaying some intermittant lameness, and seeming a little ‘depressed’, the family considered he may have hurt himself on a recent wet and muddy walk.

After three canine massage sessions, he’s already showing improvement, both in mood, and gait and posture. He does love to ‘chat’ through his massage though, which can be a common trait of Dalmations. I wonder if we’ll end up covering 101 reasons why massage is beneficial. Is that possible?! 🖤

See you soon gorgeous boy.

Image taken by owner and used with their kind permission.

08/10/2024

🧡 The gorgeous Bronwyn having just had her monthly maintenance massage, and the adorable Morwenna 🧡

They live in the same household. Morwenna has had a lot of invasive therapy due to injury, and to help Morwenna understand that this is a nice place where she can relax, her owner brought her along too, and she stayed for Bronwyn’s session.

They both seem so content in the environment ☺️ This means as much to me, as the huge benefits of canine massage therapy.

I’m really looking forward to helping Morwenna feel much more comfortable using the many techniques and specific protocols taught so carefully, amd thoroughly by the Canine Massage Therapy Centre, and used only by Canine Massage Guild Therapists. ☺️🧡🧡

30/09/2024

🍀 Just checking in with little Ske straight after his recent massage session before I moved position.

As I completed hands on passive touch, slowly lifting my hands, he opened his eyes. He gave me his paw, and went back to sleep 🥹 What a boy. What a perfect role I have, as a Canine Massage Therapist 🥰

🍀 Wishing Skedaddle ALL the luck, and to your amazing handler Steph, and to the rest of TEAM GB, for the:

✨ Agility World Championships in Belgium ✨

Wake up though! That spotlight is waiting for you! 😌

24/09/2024

🧡 Knots, Nails, and Muscles! 🩷

Thank you, Barkgate, for taking such stirling care of both Lunar and Solar during their recent groom. Not only do they look beautiful and smell divine, there are other benefits of grooming.

The key reasons for my decision to have them both groomed was:

🩷 COMFORT : to make them feel more comfortable overall. Both of the girls’ fur gets very long, and can get matted. I do my best to keep them brushed, but you need an expert with the correct tools, when the fur gets matted too close to the skin.

🩷 PADS : Another key reason was for their fur to be trimmed inbetween their pads in readiness for the winter. Mud clots and ice balls can be painful. Did you know that ice balls can stretch your dogs toes apart, which can pull at the fur, and at worse cause cracking and bleeding?

🩷 NAILS : If the nails are too long, issues can arise such as splitting, which could cause open wounds. Also, longer nails may push into the soft tissue under the paw, leading to pain and possible infection.

🩷 Long nails prevent the paw pads touching the ground…this can lead to a reduction in floor/ground grip, and dogs can easily slip, causing muscle or tendon strains. Or for example, in agility sporting dogs, a difficulty in gripping the contact equipment, therefore a potential for injury.

🩷 Dog’s struggling to balance naturally because their nails are too long, could develop postural issues. This can lead to musculoskeletal discomfort such as trigger points and strains, myofascial pain and overcompensation.

I know Lunar and Solar are feeling so much better! And we will be back for maintenance sessions. I will also be booking my young boy Mars in too, before winter sets in ☺️

18/09/2024

💙 Very proud to have recently completed this course.

Although it’s not directly linked to massage, as Guild Therapists we are required to complete at least 25 hours a year for CPD. This helps us to continue to grow our knowledge.

I felt this particular course was not only really interesting, but would allow me even more insight as to how to understand a dog’s reaction and the potential meaning behind it.

Did you know that it’s considered there are actually four key types of canine communication?!

Eight modules were covered and studied - including subjects such as a dog’s Facial Expressions, their Calming Signals and Body Language, and how as humans, we can adapt our own behaviour to help them.

All of these factors and so many more, will be hugely beneficial in helping my dog clients to feel at ease when visiting for Massage sessions. 💙

06/09/2024

💕 So you may be wondering why there’s a blanket hanging up at the window, and the blinds closed?

This is the wonderful little Poppy.

Poppy is an extremely anxious girl, and it has taken a number of familiarisation sessions in the clinic before she felt comfortable enough for me to work with her.

Poppy doesn’t generally like things with sudden movement - and shadows are a very big issue for her. Hence my rather stylish effort to ensure there were no shadows in the clinic ☺️

Even reflections on glass (windows or a drinking glass, or laptop screen) can cause her to feel fearful, increasing her anxiety levels.

We slowly built on her confidence, with each visit, allowing her choice, and in the third photo, she’d just raised her head as she heard her owner take the photo. But she’d been sleepy enough to close her eyes just beforehand, relaxing enough to enjoy touch.

Poppy will require a number of sessions as she has fascial restriction specifically across her Thorax, and Lumbar area, but also in other key areas.

Tight fascia and Myofascial Pain (MFP) can be caused by life stressors, anxiety and depression, amongst many other factors. Fascia can become dysfunctional and in dogs, MFP can present as stiffness, tight skin, a reduced range of movement, pain, a reluctance to be groomed or petted, and a ‘tickly spot’ on, or along the dog’s back.

Massage can benefit dogs greatly with restricted fascia and MFP. As Guild Therapists, we are taught specific protocols to aid in releasing the restricted fascia.

If you would like to know more about the intricasies of how amazing Fascia is, and what it does, please visit the Canine Massage Guild website.

I can’t wait to see this girl again and help her to feel better 💕

Images taken by and used with kind permission of her owner

28/08/2024

🩵 Look at Duke! 🩵

This adorable little 4.5 month old cockerpoo visited me this week.

He’s recently presented intermittant lameness in his fore limb, and his super vigilant owner has done her due diligence in getting him thoroughly checked, and has been careful to keep him as quiet as possible over the last two weeks.

As therapists we are always researching and checking our ‘toolbox’ so that the dogs we work with are getting full benefit from their canine massage. Because Duke is a mix of breeds, it was useful to look at both breed dispositions. Often a breed can be more susceptible to certain injuries than others, for reasons such as historical breeding purposes, and also, their conformation.

The next step was to consider a potential soft tissue injury, so this gorgeous boy came along for a muscular health check. He was a true star. It’s a big ask to expect such a young pup to be still for too long, so his owner helped to keep him distracted whilst I worked with him, feeling for changes such as inflammation and warmth, muscle
tone and muscle texture, and if there was any tenderness to touch.

They will continue to keep this wonderful little guy as quiet as possible and avoid things like him jumping on to and off furniture, and avoiding stairs. They already always lift him into their vehicle which is fantastic. They have already put mats down to cover their laminate flooring to prevent Duke slipping. How good is that?!

I so look forward to seeing Duke again soon.

Image used with kind permission of owner.

21/08/2024

🩷 Sweet-natured Nancy! 🩷

This little girl visited the Clinic for her first massage session recently. She was so, so good, but was very aware that it was a new environment, and although fairly happy for me to work with her, she didn’t fully relax and was protecting her more sore areas by switching positions.

Then she had her second appointment this week, and you can see in the second image, she is already starting to put her trust in me - at the end of the session she was enjoying a little snooze!

We still have some areas to concentrate on, and will build on this at Nancy’s pace, but to see her so content, just melts my heart.

It may be considered that massage is just about ‘stroking dogs’ but it is so much more than that. As Canine Massage Guild Therapists, apart from being taught Anatomy, and Swedish Massage Techniques, Protocols, and learning about Myofascial Pain and the complex structures within the dogs body, and so much more, we are also trained on how to work ‘with’, the dog, and to listen to what they are telling us through their posture, gait, and behaviour. This all helps us to identify musculoskeletal changes - always working at the dog’s pace.

It is possible that a dog may just lay down straight away for their session, and relax, but it really can sometimes take longer. So if you do book a canine massage, don’t be surprised if it takes more than one visit for your dog to fully settle. ☺️

Images used with kind permission of Nancy’s owner.

05/08/2024

‘Gotcha Notch!

This lovely, funny, sweet-natured boy came to visit again today for his second session as his owner had noticed some lameness a few weeks ago.

The first session last week was a little chaotic - he’s young, keen and super clever and just wanted to explore and know exactly what was going on!

The second visit this week was so much better for him and he was such a very good boy. Some treats helped (of course!) but he really understood what he was here for, sitting nicely and allowing me to work with him. We gave him a break every so often and the choice to return to me.

A few little ‘niggles’ were identified in the first week, and his owner has been following the advice of resting him from agility, with only steady exercise at home, and already there were clear improvements today.

Good boy Notch! 💙

Image used with owner’s permission.

02/08/2024

You know? I used to work in an office in a results and target driven role, forever chasing the clock. Now I get to do this every day….working with so many breeds and characters, helping them to feel better through massage 🥰 Just perfect.

Thank you Bonnie 🩷 See you again
soon, special girl xx

Image used with kind permission of owner.

26/07/2024

It’s been a busy few months, but I’ll always find time for a new client to visit, and familiarise themselves with the Clinic if their owner feels it would help their dog to feel comfortable and be able to relax within a new environment.

This is Morwenna 🥰 A gorgeous Wire-Haired Vizsla who explored her surroundings with a little trepidation initially, but within a few minutes settled beautifully next to me.

I’m so looking forward to working with this wonderful girl once we have her signed vet consent form to allow me to proceed with her massage sessions.

Images with kind permission of her owner

18/07/2024

I was delighted to be invited to offer free muscular health checks at a recent agility camp by Stephanie Best.

These are just a handful of the dogs who came to see me.

🩷A muscular health check is an Advanced Palpation for your dog. As Canine Massage Guild Therapists, we are given in-depth and targeted training on the art of feeling for deviations within the muscles, using a developed sense of touch. We work carefully from your dog’s head to tail, identifying changes in 40 pairs of muscles, such as muscle tone, temperature, texture and tenderness.

🩷 Images taken with kind permission of their owners ☺️

26/05/2024

Very, very proud to sponsor these absolutely incredibly talented young dogs who have recently returned from the Netherlands!

🥳 🏆 Best & Bee 🏆 🥳

GOLD MEDAL at THE FITPAWS OPEN AGILITY CHAMPIONSHIPS , for Snooker.

…..and…..

🥳 🏆 Cox & Fidget 🏆 🥳

World Agility Open 250 Height JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPION

Huge Congratulations to these two superb handlers, who are committed not only to the sport, but also in keeping their dogs in top condition, ensuring they are feeling their best, so that they can proudly represent GB up there on the world stage!

🤩 Four Borders are very much looking forward to seeing you all again soon for both Bee and Fidget’s maintenance massages 🤩

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

Four Borders Canine Massage Therapy

17/12/2024

15/11/2024

07/11/2024

04/11/2024

01/11/2024

30/10/2024

08/10/2024

30/09/2024

24/09/2024

18/09/2024

06/09/2024

28/08/2024

21/08/2024

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