White Oak Clinical Canine Massage

06/12/2024

🌟 Beautiful Red came in for his first massage appointment yesterday and right away he made himself at home. The bond & trust between him and his guardian, Trudi from Maximus, was wonderful to witness and be a part of.

This was Red's first ever massage treatment, not that you would have known. He came in, led down, and even slept whilst I worked through fascial releases. This boy is so very special ❤️.

Trudi is a canine & human body conditioning coach. Working with both dog and owner, she will help tone and strengthen you both, whether that's to enhance interconnecting performance in sport between the two of you, or making the most out of your daily walks together.

02/12/2024

💚❤️ Fantastic day yesterday at Santa Paws Grotto.!
So many wonderful dogs and their guardians.

28/11/2024

💬 A question I get asked a lot is "what can I do to help my dog?". One of my absolute staples is 'weight management '. And it's free..😃.

🔑 Regardless of whether your dog has an issue or not, keeping your dog at a correct weight is one key way in improving quality of life, promoting longevity, and staving off ongoing healthcare bills.!!

✅️ In terms of musculoskeletal health, correct weight significantly reduces stress placed on joints.

🫣 Unfortunately, the heavier we are, the more weight/pressure is placed on our joints - joints work harder and are subjected more quickly to wear & tear - joint inflammation arises bringing in diseases of the joint - local muscles work harder to support the joint, leaving them open to injury - joint enters chronic cycle of inflammation, degradation, & pain - joint function is compromised thus leaving other joints/muscles to overcompensate in movement & load - the cycle continues systemically.

🐾 This one simple step can signicantly reduce the above 👆, & bring about such a positive change in the life of our dogs ❤️.

25/11/2024

I am so happy to be sponsoring & attending Santa Paws Grotto and Christmas Market in Poole this Sunday (1st December), offering free muscular health checks to all canine Santa Paws attendees, in aid of Merlin's Pet Food Banks CIC. If you're free, we'd love you to join us 💖.

This wonderful community initiative now has 12 pet food donation points across Dorset, supporting pets to stay with their owners & families rather than be surrendered to rescues/kennels because of unstable financial situations that some owners may be experiencing in the present financial climate.

As animal rescues in general are overwhelmed with the current number of animals being surrendered & desperate for rehoming, any way to keep our beautiful pets in their own homes with loving owners who have just had the misfortune of falling on hard times, must be worthwhile for the sake of both pet & owner wellbeing and happiness 💞.

21/11/2024

💝Happy Dogs - Happy Owners.
Makes me so happy to read wonderful comments such as these in a facebook group. Our dogs are a precious & intergral part of our lives. When they feel better, we feel better 🐾🐾

17/11/2024

Absolutely Over the Moon with my new embroidered work wear ❤️

I can't recommend Ceeflair in Wincanton highly enough for their quality, efficiency, speed, & professionalism. Nothing was too much trouble.

They even let me try on their stock clothing first to see what felt most comfortable, and what sizes worked best for me (which can be a minefield when buying online).

Highly recommend ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

14/11/2024

As the weather cools down, joint and muscle aches often worsen. If your dog seems to be slowing down or struggling, there is a way to help. Schedule a massage with one of our therapists and experience results in as few as 1–3 sessions. Using advanced clinical massage and the only clinically trialed canine massage technique, "The Lenton Method," we see 95% of dogs respond positively within just a few sessions!

Find a therapist near you today: www.k9massageguild.co.uk

10/11/2024

Remembering the fallen comrades who walked into hell together for our freedom ✨️ 11/11/24

05/11/2024

Thank you so much for the review Nicky. Cannot tell you how much it means to know how well client dogs are benefiting from massage therapy & how happy their owners are to see it 🧡

23/10/2024

💘 I would like to introduce you to Webber, a client & neighbour of mine. This boy is an absolute beauty, not just in looks, but in temperament too.

A month ago Webber fractured his elbow joint in a completely random accident whilst out walking. It was a nasty and complicated break that required specialist surgery at his local vet practice.

I began working with Webber and his beautiful owner a couple of weeks after his surgery, with the aim of reducing stress and rehabilitating overcompensatory muscles that were working immensely hard because Webber was using only 'three legs' to move & weightbear. The concern in those initial days was to ease tension, restriction, and pain that these overcompensatory muscles were under. Overcompensatory issues that could go on to significantly impact joints in other areas such as the hips, stifles (knees), and opposite forelimb. It was essential to treat Webbers whole body, not just the affected limb.

5 weeks on and Webber is doing great. A physio is working to restore strength in his foreleg, his mama completes daily exercises with Webber to strengthen & re-sensitise the shoulder, and I see Webber every week to make sure his muscles & fascia are in the best place for comfort and function. A combined approach to get him back to his best ❤️.

22/10/2024

💛 A big thank you to Coffee and Canines Shop in Gillingham for hosting a fantastic evening with Trudi Carter of Maximus. The coffee and company were both fantastic, as was Trudi, a Canine Conditioning & Sports Coach based in Marnhull. It was great to learn how Trudi approaches canine conditioning through individually tailored core exercises, excellent for canine muscle strength & sport performance. However, it's not just dogs that Trudi works with. She also works with owners/handlers to improve their own core strength & performance, enabling handlers to keep up with their dogs in the ring. A fabulous approach.!!

I am truly impressed with how Coffee and Canines Shop is pulling local canine businesses together and offering them a space to share what they do. Next week they host an evening with an independent canine nutrionist which I very much look forward to. They also sell great natural dog treats which my dogs love. Highly recommend a visit and a coffee. Your dog will thank you too.!! 😊

20/10/2024

Oh my goodness...this boy is just so handsome ❤️.

Morgan is a Belgian Shepherd who competes in agility. He is absolutely magnificent. His hoomum adores him, and I have to say, so do I..!!

Morgan has just finished his 2nd massage therapy session, and what a session it was. I released 3 neighbouring muscles that had adhered together through the connective fascia that surrounds them, and it was visible to see. As these muscles were hip and stifle flexors/extensors, it was essential to remove any soft tissue restrictions in these areas to promote long term hip & stifle joint health, as well as performance.

Afterwards, I got out my book and showed Morgan's owner what muscles we had worked on and how they interconnected with each other and the surrounding joints.

Morgan was an absolute star throughout. He communicated to me when I was over an area that was uncomfortable, which allowed me to use techniques focused on deep yet gentle work. I think we both embraced the session.

Feel free to get in touch if you would like to learn more about how clinical canine massage & myofascial release can help your dog.

18/10/2024

💙 Magnetic Merlin 💙

Let me introduce you to this most impossibly gorgeous and expressive cavalier king charles who I have been fortunate enough to work with over the last 3 weeks.

Merlin began clinical canine massage therapy to help with intermittent forelimb limping, along with frequent scratching/irritation in the associated area. After muscular assessment, it was evident that the two issues were heavily linked to one another, creating & exacerbating these symptoms. Overcompensatory secondary issues were also present in the opposing hindlimb, which is very common.

✨️ I am pleased to report that Merlin's owner is very happy with the results she has seen in Merlin since massage therapy. Forelimb limping has resolved, & associated irritation has reduced. Overcompensatory issues in the hindlimb have been resolved too. Merlin is again engaging with ball play, and is living his best & active life with his mum..!!

🗨 Do contact me if you would like to find out how clinical canine massage therapy can help your dog suffering with intermittent lameness/limping or who has frequent bouts of scratching/nibbling/biting to a specific area. You'll be surprised at what this amazing therapy can do..!!

29/09/2024

🔓 6 Amazing Benefits of Canine Massage
Credit: K9 Care and Repair Massage Therapy.

27/09/2024

🤔 What is Palpation?

Palpation in essence means 'to touch'. However, there is much more to palpation in terms of reading muscle.

As a Clinical Canine Massage Practitioner, it is my job to interpret what I am feeling in the soft tissues, with what you as an owner are seeing in your dog, how your dog is standing, how he is moving, how his behaviour may relate to pain levels in his body, how he is performing in sport, what veterinary diagnoses he may have, how your dog engages and lives within his environment, and how your dog manages in daily activities.

The palpation skills a Canine Massage Guild Therapist possesses, is in it's self, an art. Being able to read the muscles takes true 'feel'. Correlating this 'feel' with what your dog presents with overall, whilst 'listening' to what you're dog is saying through even the most subtle of body language, means that successful palpation is a connection between 'touch & the mind'. Of sensation and perception. This connection takes extensive training and experience. This time should not be overlooked. Nor can it be developed in just a matter of months.

Clinical Canine Massage Therapists spend years training to develop the sensory receptors in their fingers to recognise subtle or strong changes in the muscles and fascia. Even slight changes in texture, tone, temperature, and tenderness within the muscle, tells us a story. When we palpate your dog muscles, we are reading your dogs history.

Often an owner will say 'how did you know that?' when we predict that their dog was once lame on a particular leg, that once he may have screeched in pain, ask 'does your dog pull to the left on the lead?', or 'do you have slippery flooring in your home'. How do I know, because your dog has told me through his musculature and responses.

Being able to palpate in this manner, means that I can clinically justify to you, your vet, and any other canine paraprofessionals as to where, what, why, and how I can treat your dog with massage therapy. It also allows me to identify when massage therapy might not be the best placed intervention to treat your dog at that particular moment in time.

Honest, ethical, responsible, communication. Don't settle for anything less ❤️.

I offer free muscular assessments in my treatment room. Please visit my website or contact me directly if you would like to make an appointment for your dog.

21/09/2024

Had the most wonderful day at Somerset and Dorset Animal Rescue Annual Dog Show.

I met some incredible dogs and their amazing owners.

Thank you to the organisers and everyone that helped to make it a fabulous event.!!

20/09/2024

Fantastic opportunity to get some beautiful photographs of your dog in a stunningly beautiful woodland.. @ Duncliffe Woods.

"📸✨ Calling all dog lovers! Treat your furry friend to an unforgettable woodland mini photoshoot! 🌲🐕 

Limited spots available—book your session today! 🐾