BelMar Clinical Canine Massage Therapy

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BelMar Clinical Canine Massage Therapy

I am trained and working as a Clinical Canine Massage Therapist and this is a place for clients and prospective clients to chat and share experiences.
(9)

27/08/2024

What a lovely day we had on Sunday at Edition Dog Live with the Canine Massage Guild. Its nice when we can get together at shows to spread to word on the great work we all do and how we can help.

It was lovely to see lots of lovely doggies for their free muscular health checks and great to chat to so many owners about their dogs and how we can help them with massage therapy.

11/08/2024

The gorgeous Jarvis enjoying his massage with me last week and again today.

I am treating Jarvis for some hind limb irritations that he recently showed one of the guild therapists at a show we were attending. When we palpate the dog their reaction to touch can often give us an idea on how they are feeling in certain areas and how their body responds to touch.

During his treatments i have worked through his whole body and focused on the areas where he has presented and i have identified some irritations and dysfunction in the muscles, which is what leads to reduced mobiliity in flexbility with our dogs and leads them to have some discomfort and irritation when trying to go about their daily activities.

Ill write another post in a few days regarding his specific irritations and how they effect the body.

11/08/2024

It was lovely to see little Lily for her massage session a week or so ago. She is such a lovely little lady and its nice to see her for her sessions as she is so good for it and loves relaxing with some gentle music on and loves the relaxing sessions.

12/07/2024

Lilly had her second session with me this afternoon and she did such a great job.

She relaxed almost immediately and as this was her second massage session she knew the process and now she trusts the massage and trusts me to make sure that i am working with her muscles in a way that keeps her comfy and relaxed but also helps them start to relax themsevles and give her back some mobility and flexbility.

I worked through her back today a little more and worked using a couple of different techniques to give her chance to ease into the more direct myofascial releases by beginning with the indirect. This gives her body time to respond to the new techniques and to process it and trust the next steps to easing her discomfort.

07/07/2024

I had a lovely meet and greet yesterday with Lilly the Miniature Schnauzer. It was her first massage session with me and she did well for a little one suffering from an injury which is preventing her from having great mobility.

Not long ago she seemed to twinge her back when she was getting down from bed, and since then she has had trouble with going up and down stiars and generally moving about with comfort.

i focused the first session with her on assessment and introduction to touch and treatment so that she could learn to accept therapy and to give her muscles a chance to see and experience what myofascial release and massage therapy is like for her. She did great and we made some progress throughout her neck and her forelimbs.

I look forward to seeing her again and continuing to make her more comfortable.

01/06/2024

Yesterday i had the great pleasure of visiting Poppy and Ellie to work with them on their first massage therapy session.

They are both Labradors and both are trials dogs. They love their exercise and their structured learning and love to show their skills when working. They are both in super great condition and their sessions are to help keep them at peak flexibility and mobility so that they can perform to the highest standard.

They are very lovely dogs and each have their own lovely personalities. Ellie is very energetic and loves cuddles and has a lot of affection. Poppy is a little older than Ellie so she has a great energy level but enjoys the finer more gentle cuddles and affection. Both have a lot of love to give and they dont miond sharing it with you.

14/04/2024

CPD - Manual Lymphatic Drainage

This week we had a great time doing some CPD, which is so important to me and to the other therapists in our guild as our continued development is how we manage and maintain the top level of care for your doggies, making sure you have the most comprehensive and up to date treatment that we can offer.

This CPD was all about manual lymphatic drainage. This is a technique which is used to move the lymphatic fluid around the body and help to unblock the lymphatic system to stimulate and promote a great immune system.

The benefits are:
- helps restore function to the lymphatic system and balance the body
- Reduces oedema and swelling around the body
- helps to rehabilitate the immune system after injury or surgery
- retrains the lymphatic system to work better to increase long term health
- helps to reduce pain and discomfort as a result of an overload of toxins and chemicals

What is lynphatic drainage good for?
- doggies in their twilight years
- Palliative care
- Reduction in swelling
- Reduction in oedemas
- Post operative care and recovery

If you are interested in manual lymphatic drainage for your doggie please let me know and we can have a chat about it and how effective it could be for your doggie.

03/04/2024

Thank you to the gorgeous Cookie for coming for your last session with me for the time being. You did great, just like last time, and you will feel loads better after all the work on your back and hamstrings.

Cookie gets a very tight back, which reduces his flexibility through his spine, ribcage and his neck. It can be quite uncomfrtable for a doggie who has dysfunctional muscles throughout the back but as a massage therapist i can use various techniques to help reduce this "tightness" to the epaxial muscles and to help soften them, reduce dysfunation and increase flexibility right through the body.

His hamstring muscles, being that he uses them a lot with running and jumping as much as he can, get a lot of work, and as a result they have developed some trigger points, which are like knots, in them, which can be a little uncomfortable when the muscle around them becomes activated. This can make the doggies reluctant to use them as much as they want, or cause the doggies to kind of hesitate when they want to do something they would normally be totally happy to do. When we work on the areas of the muscle with the trigger points in them we aim to reduce the size and effect of these points to increase the function of the muscle, and increase the comfort level of the muscle when being used too.

Thank you to Michelle for bringing him in to see me and i look forward to seeing him again. He is a very lovely boy and i really enjoyed the time with him. As you can see from the pics and the video he is a very relaxed boy.
The video was taken when i was working along his back in gentle but deep movements to help the muscles relax and to help relieve some of the tension that has built up over time.

28/03/2024

I popped to see Molly today for her second massage session. She did absolutely amazingly and we worked through a lot of her little muscles today 🙂

About 2 months ago she became lame on her rear right leg and began non weight bearing. She went to the vets and they diagnosed a cruciate ligament issue that was causing her to non weight bear and that they may need to operate in the future to help.

Her mum spoke to me about it and then she decided that as she had began weight bearing again after a few weeks that we would do some massage therapy for her to see if we could aid with her recovery and help her to become more comfy and confidemnt on her limb, as well as promote the healing process and help all of the muscles around the area become more supportive of the area.

After her second session she is doing great and so far she hasnt had any hint of limping or lameness and her muscles are improving with each session. She is also on crate rest betewen sessions so that we can make sure that we give her the best chance for a great recovery without risking an injury during the therapy 🙂

She is such a lovely littel lady and i enjoy spending time with her. I look forward to seeing her next week for her last session.

26/03/2024

Today i saw the lovely Cookie in for his first massage session with me. Usually he comes for his teeth cleaning with me but today was new for him.

Cookie loves to adventure around the countryside and as a result he gets quite stiff in certain areas. HIs back has been quite tight recently and felt very hard to the touch, which can be an indication of a protection response to protect the body underneath the muscles. When the muscle become hard, something thats called hypertonicity, it can mean that the muscle doesnt have the same response rate for both input and output of signals. By working with the muscles we can reduce the dysfunctional aspec tof the muscle, remove some of the toxins that build inside of the tissue, increase the sensory input and motor output of the muscle and increase mobility and flexibility of the area too.

He did such a greta job and he is a very loving little bean. You can see from the pics how comfy he is with me here and how relaxed he was both during and after his massage session today.

26/03/2024

This morning i had the lovely and bubbly Socks in for his second massage with me.

Socks had an accident when he was a pup and got his leg trapped in his crate door and broke it :( :( :( He had it repaired and has pins in his elbow and as a result he had a littel bout of lameness recently. Once his mum saw this she contacted me to book him in for a few massage sessions to help get reduce some of the discomfort that he has in and around the limb and return him back to great working order.

He is such a lovely doggie and i enjoy his company lots. He loves company and loved cuddles, and he did a great job with his second visit and relaxed really quickly into the session. You can see from the pics that he had a lovely lay down and chill.

I look forward to seeing him next week for his last of his initial sessions.

01/02/2024

Such a great evening with 100 other therapists gaining a lot of information about luxating patella. All of our great CPD aids me to become a more effective therapist, catering for all your doggies needs.

Such a great organisation to be part of.

22/01/2024

Chester came to see me last Friday for his second massage session. He settled really quickly for his session and you can see how relaxed he is for it.

I have reduced some of the muscular dysfunction that i felt with him during the first session and i have contonued to work with him to reduce the more deep rooted muscular strains that he has in his hamstriong group.

His owners have monitored his changes and we will keep monitoring them while we are treating him to make sure that we have all his changes logged.

12/01/2024

What a lovely and calm and relaxing session I had yesterday with Chester.

Chester is a Cockapoo who has quite a lot of general anxiety about the world. He is a very friendly boy but he finds it hard to relax and not worry about what's going on around him.

He has come to see me to see if we can help with his anxiety generally, as massage therapy helps to balance the bodies energy flow and helps to reduce the amount of negative energy and negative toxins that are having an effect on the body. We aim to balance the body back up so it can all work a little more harmoniously with itself and help him learn to stay relaxed when out and about.
Whilst we are massaging i will also be assessing his muscles too to see if there could be anything also causing a bit of anxiety around contact with certain parts of his body. For instance, he has a couple of trigger points (which are like knots) in his hamstring group. This would cause him to be a little reulctant to have another dog sniffing his back end as he wont be certain as to wether the dog is going to nudge him etc. Once we have alleviated some of the points in his back legs he should be a little more relaxed in that area.

I look forward to seeing him again next week and contonuing his treatments 🙂

09/01/2024

SPOTLIGHT - Arthritis

WHAT IS OSTEOARTHRITIS?

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common chronic conditions affecting dogs. It causes pain, is incurable and progressive and it can severely affect the quality of your dogs life. Osteoarthritis will most commonly affect older dogs and also larger breeds of dog. It is also referred to as degenerate joint disease (DJD) and is a progressively worsening inflammation of a joint which is caused by the deterioration of the cartilage in the joint. Cartilage acts as a cushion in the joint, allowing the joint to move freely and through its full range of motion, whilst protecting the bones from contacting each other and working as a shock absorber upon impact. In Osteoarthritis the cartilage starts to break down which causes problems with the joint and will cause boney spurs to develop, which can limit the ease and fluid motion of the joint. Osteoarthritis most commonly affects the limbs and the lower spine.

HOW DOES IT PROGRESS?

The first stages of osteoarthritis are evident as the cartilage begins to thin in the joint. Cartilage has no nerves but as the friction begins to affect the bone the first symptoms occur (will cause pain after using the joint and also stiffness). The middle stages of osteoarthritis includes the thickening of bones and growth of a reactive tissue, known as osteophytes (bony spurs), begins to develop along joint margins. In the late stages of the disease lubricating fluid is lost and the joint may fill with inflammatory fluids that stretch the joint capsule causing increased levels of pain, even when not using the joint, including pain though the night, severe swelling and joint stiffness, leading to decreased range of movement. Muscle guarding may also occur at the joint, which can then lead to trigger points and further damage.

WHAT CAUSES OSTEOARTHRITIS?

There are many causes for the development of osteoarthritis. Here is a list of the most common causes:
- Obesity
- Age - middle to older ages dogs are most at risk of development of OA.
- Repetitive stress from activities such as agility and flyball
- Injuries such as fractures or ligament tears
- Pre-existing medical conditions such as hip dysplasia or elbow dysplasia
- Infections and diseases that affect the joints, such as Lyme disease
- Improper nutrition
- Poor conformation
- Genetics
- Breed Predisposition - some breeds of dog are more susceptible to osteoarthritis. These are the most common breeds that are effected by osteoarthritis and the areas you are most likely to see this degenartive condition to effect…
- Labradors (hips and elbows)
- German Shepherd (spine, hips and elbows)
- Golden Retrievers (hips)
- Rottweilers (hips and elbows)

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF OA?

The onset of osteoarthritis is pain in the joint after the joint has been used, as well as some stiffness in the joint. Other symptoms include:
- Varying degrees of stiffness, lameness, limping
- Difficulty and/or stiffness getting up and down from a laying or sitting postion
- Lethargy
- Reluctance to jump or play
- Weight gain
- Irritability or changes in physical behaviour
- Pain when petted or touched
- Difficulty posturing to urinate or defecate
- Loss of muscle mass over the spine or limbs
- Crepitus or creaking at the joints
- Licking or nibbling the area affected
- Reduced range of motion
- Reluctant to jump in/out of car
- Slowing down on walks
- Pain/Inflammation of the joint
- Restless/irritable
- Grumpy

HOW CAN MASSAGE HELP WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS?

Massage therapy can help with OA and aid to reduce its effects on your best friend. As a therapist i will take a full body approach to treatment and i aim to reduce the dysfunction around the body to increase the way that the muscles and the skeleton interact with eachother, which will aid in keeping your dogs health and wellbeing in the best condition we can. Clinical canine massage therapy aids in the following ways:

- Help to reduce, decrease or manage the muscle guarding that will develop over the limb being affected
- It will aid with ensuring that the soft tissue in and around the joint remains free from trigger points, myofascial pain and other muscle dysfunctions
- It will also aid reducing the affects of overcompensation in the muscles due to the condition.
- Giving them a sense of relaxation and overall wellbeing
- Reducing muscle spasms, swelling and joint stiffness
- Helps to increase mobility
- Flushes out toxic inflammatory waste substances that is built up in the area
- Improving tissue relaxation, muscle flexibility and blood flow to the muscles
- Helps to maintain muscle mass
- Decreases pain associated with the condition
- Relaxes hypertonic muscles
- Helps to loosen and lengthen muscles that have become more rigid as a result of the OA

For more information on other common conditions please head to my website for more info on massage therapy and the types of things i can help with....

www.belmarpetservices.co.uk/conditions

24/12/2023

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone!!!!

I’ve had a great year treating lots of lovely doggies, albeit not being the best with social media due to house renovations and business building, but 2024 will be more like my usual presence and availability for everyone for their doggies.

Have the best Christmas and a happy new year too! Xx

05/11/2023

I popped to see Darcy this week for his third massage session and as soon as we settled onto the vet bed to get comfy for the session he was laying down and ready for the massage. He did such a great job for this visit again and we have made amazing progress since his first session.

This session we checked through the work that we had done last visit and we did some more work on his rear limbs and the trigger points that we found last visit. It was great to have further access to his muscles and get deeper into the tissue to reach the more deep rooted points to work on.

It was great to see him today and i am so pleased both at the progress of the sessions and also how quickly he settled to have the massage. HIs mobility and flexibility have increased and he seems a lot more comfy when changing position, especially from laying down to standing.

Massage therapy can help with many conditions, and can a*o be used for relaxtion, stress and anxiety and many many more rea*ons! For a more comprehensive, but still nowhere near the full list, please head to www.belmarpetservices.com/conditions

24/10/2023

Today was my second visit to see Darcy for his massage session and as soon as we settled onto the vet bed to get comfy for the session he was laying down and ready for the massage.

This session we checked through the work that we had done last week so that i could note down the progress that his muscles had made since last weeks session. He has had a reduction in the strains in his back which has made him a lot more comfortable to move around and exercise. His mum noted that he has been a lot more free with his movements both on and after his walks and seems to have a lot more go about him since his first session. This is great news 🙂

Today we worked mainly through the rear limbs, after checking and releasing hsi forelimbs and neck, and I worked on a few issues that i identified in his rear limbs. We should see an improvement on his strength when standing after long perioids of resting and we should see some strength increase to his rear limbs too.

It was great to see him today and i am so pleased both at the progress of the sessions and also how quickly he settled to have the massage. Once a doggie knows and has felt the benefits of that therapy they are often very willing to get to working together and have their lovely massage.

Massage therapy can help with many conditions, and can a*o be used for relaxtion, stress and anxiety and many many more rea*ons! For a more comprehensive, but still nowhere near the full list, please head to www.belmarpetservices.com/conditions

17/10/2023

This morning i went to visit Darcy to have our first canine massage session. Darcy is a 10 year old Cocker Spaniel.

I had seen Darcy last week for a teeth cleaning visit in my studio and after talking with hid owner we decided that massage therapy would be great for him.

When i saw Darcy last week i noted that his front elbows were slightly out of shape, compared to the normal shape of the front leg. This could be due to an abnormaltity of the joint and would potentially be elbow dysplasia, which in turn can lead to other issues further down the line. This will also have an effect on all of the muscles in that area, which in turn will effect the muscles that also share a connection with them too.

I also noted that Darcy was a little stiff when moving around. This can be due to the natural ageing process and the natural effect that ageing can have on the body, but it can also be down to muscle dysfunction or orthopaedic conditions such as hip dysplasia or osteoarthritis. Massage therapy can help many conditions and can help the body cope better with many common orthopaedic conditions, as well as help to alleviate discomfort if the muscels are dysfunctional.

Massage therapy can help with many conditions, and can a*o be used for relaxtion, stress and anxiety and many many more rea*ons! For a more comprehensive, but still nowhere near the full list, please head to www.belmarpetservices.com/conditions

15/10/2023

Thank you so much to Foxy the little Pom for seeing me and being great yesterday for your massage top up visit.

She has some abnormalities in her cervical spine, which is in her neck, that prevent her fromhaving full mobility throughout her next and her spine. This can also lead to some discomfort as a result of the muscles around this area working harder to protect the area. This causes the muscles to become harder (causing hypertonicity) which further reduces her mobility.

Our massage sessions are structured so that we can increase mobility and flexibility through her spine in both her neck and her back, which in turn will reduce the negative effects on the muscles and make her a lot happier when moving around on her adventures.

Thank you Cassie for booking her in and i will see her again at Christmas.

01/10/2023

Continual Professional Development (CPD) is such an important part of any career path and its always lovely when i get to go and learn some new techniqiues and skills to add to my skillset. This week we did some more learning on DEEP TISSUE MASSAGE and how it can benefit our doggies in all aspects of their wellbeing.

It was great to go and learn this with my friends in tow, and also with lots of other therapists in the same field and guild as me. Thank you to the Canine Massage Therapy Centre for passing us your skills and for being so lovely to learn from.

Thank you to Rach and LIz for bring such wonderful friends too and thank you to all of the other therapists who are always some welcoming. Thank you to the Canine Massage Guild for providing us these CPD opportunities too.

So much learned and so much more to learn 🙂

01/09/2023

Amazing day at the weekend with the Canine Massage Guild Team. 😁

29/08/2023

This is a great visual representation of what some breeds body shape should be if they were their ideal weight.

Maintaining a healthy weight for your dog is so important for their overall health. A dog that is overweight will have unecessary and negative effects to their health, their vital organs, their internal systems and it increases the risk of them suffering from health conditions.

From a massage therapists approach to overweight animals, being overweight puts extra pressure on joints thet can lead to the worsening, or development, of orthopaedic conditions, such as arthritis, cruciate ligament injury and spinal issues to name a few.

If your dog is at the right weight for their breed you will help them to live a much happier and healthier lifestyle, where their movement and internal workings are in a much better position to help them life a long and full life. ❤️

27/08/2023

Such an amazing day today Edition Dog Live with the Canine Massage Guild today.

We spoke to hundreds of people and met hundreds of little doggies about the benefits of canine massage therapy and how we can help their doggies health and well-being.

If you are interested please go to my website or the guild website to find more info and your local therapist.

Me - www.belmarpetservices.com
Guild - https://www.k9-massageguild.co.uk

15/07/2023

I’m at Crofts in Banbury this weekend, come and see me for your free muscular health check this weekend between 10am and 3pm

Address

BelMar Pet Services, Unit 28, BSS House
Swindon
SN22PJ

Telephone

+447764720260

Website

http://www.belmarcaninemassage.com/

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