Isle of Man K9 Caring Hands Massage Clinic

14/08/2024

An amazing demonstration and explanation of fascia 🙂

18/08/2022

Do I actually possibly have the best job in the whole wide world?! Adorable Flo saying 'thanks' for her massage this morning and telling me how much better she feels after it! 🥰

15/05/2022

This is a great brief explanation of Trigger Points, which most of us refer to as “knots”, that we all get especially around our shoulders and neck, but can form anywhere, and can be really uncomfortable, painful and restrictive.
Dogs get just the same and is one of many issues that massage treatments such as I give help to ease very effectively.

This first video is a short explanation and introduction to the trigger point. Many health and pain problems, like frozen shoulder, chronic neck stiffness an...

12/05/2022

Wishing Sally and Ian McMullen a very happy 1st Gotcha Day for beautiful Dottie! She is a joy to treat to her regular massages that have helped her massively with her mobility and ability to enjoy her long walks both on- and off-island! X

🐾💗⭐️Dottie's 1st Gotcha Day⭐️💗🐾
Dottie recently celebrated her first Gotcha Day. She is a dainty little hound who joined our family as a 'tripaw'. She has settled in really well with Biddy and Ellie. (She is a bit over enthusiastic about the chickens who reside safely on the other side of a fence - I am sure they are pulling faces at her) She has adapted to life on 3 legs (with the help of some massage therapy from marvellous Mary at K9 Massage) and hurtles around the garden without a care. She loves going on adventurous walks and paddling in the sea on hot days.
Very soon, she will experience her first TT fortnight - the course is just over our garden wall.

27/11/2021

I just love hearing such fabulous feedback as this! Superstar tripawd Greyhound, Dottie on her recent adventurous walking holiday 🥰😍

16/10/2021

A lovely write-up from this beautiful girl's owner. Dottie sadly lost a front leg a few months back but is managing really well on her remaining 3 legs. There will inevitably be knock-on effects to other areas of Dottie's body due to over-compensation and an altered gait, as well as the injuries she sustained when she sadly lost the leg. Just getting used to balancing and functioning on only 1 front leg is a challenge in itself, especially when she is caught unawares, on slippery surfaces such as wet leaves, a sudden gust of wind, simply 'forgetting' she needs to be a little more careful now, or any number of other scenarios, which has resulted in a couple of further minor knocks and bumps. Dottie has been coming to me for a few weeks now for a weekly massage and is doing amazingly well. She is going to continue to receive weekly massages for a while longer to prepare her for the family's forthcoming walking holiday in the UK, and will receive regular maintenance massages thereafter to help her keep in as good a condition as she possibly can be to cope with her new way of living. She is the most sweet natured and co-operative poppet when she's being massaged, she almost 'melts' into the couch and she is a joy to treat, it is a shame to have to end each massage session! The improvements she is clearly feeling have helped her to walk in a more balanced and efficient way, this results in saved energy and a more comfortable gait meaning greater stamina, and a better quality and more enjoyable walk for everyone. She previously needed to be carried back to the car mid-walk on some occasions prior to her starting her massage treatments, but a recent staycation break meant a number of quite lengthy walks which she apparently managed without a problem and took them all totally in her stride (pun completely intended!) - well done Dottie and family, keep up the great work!

🐾💗Dottie💗🐾
Here is Dottie enjoying the benefits of Mary's magic hands! Dottie is our happy little 'tripaw' - She always loved her walks, but tired quickly with the exertion of hop, step, hop etc and needed rest stops.
She has only had a few massage therapy sessions so far, but already her mobility has improved and she is able to enjoy longer walks. Not only that, but she looks positively blissful with little sighs of pleasure during her massage and clearly doesn't want it to end. It's a new lease of life for Dottie and soon she will be going on her first walking holiday in the Peak District - taking it easy to see how she gets on.
http://k9massage.im/

19/11/2020

Massive congratulations to this incredible girly, Purdey, and her equally incredible owner Gill Young, who have only gone and qualified to represent the Isle of Man in the International Invitational Agility event at Crufts 2021!
Gill and Purdey did some amazing agility and jumping runs last Sunday at the event to decide who should represent the Island next year, which is doubly-fabulous because only a matter of a few weeks ago, Purdey was lame on her front leg and came for three sessions of massage to see if the problem could be resolved.
Following these treatments, this was Gill's feedback :-
“At the age of 7½ Purdey, a very active and crazy agility dog, started to show signs of slowing down with no obvious signs of lameness. However, at 8½, she developed a limp on her front left leg. A trip to the vet, with Metacam and short lead walks prescribed, I requested a visit to Mary, a canine massage therapist. Thinking competition days were over, anything to help Purdey’s discomfort was a bonus. Three sessions later I had a completely new dog. Purdey returned to agility training and everyone was amazed at the change - she was described as “on fire!”. I was ecstatic to be able to run Purdey again, who was behaving more like a 5-year-old, and 2 months later nothing has changed.”
Huge congratulations, and enjoy every moment of your Crufts experience :-)

28/08/2020

Beautiful Flo here comes to see me once a month for her routine maintenance massage. Flo is currently only 3 years old, but these routine treatments keep on top of any niggles that may crop up from just day-to-day knocks and bumps, any more significant mishaps that Flo may have got herself into (she is a crazy Collie, remember!), and also keeps on top of issues that can arise just from ‘living’ and slowly but surely manifest themselves as the body ages. This might be from just living on slippy flooring, jumping in and out of the car, playing with other dogs, chasing a ball, or any number of seemingly ‘harmless’ simple and innocuous everyday activities. Over time, these things can form the equivalent of what we would class as Repetitive Strain Injuries, or postural muscular issues, which slowly worsen and engrain themselves more, becoming niggly and a little uncomfortable at first, developing to the dog experiencing downright discomfort and pain as the body ages further and these ‘injuries’ become more and more established. The continual pain cycle makes them self-perpetuate. If these things are kept on top of from an early age, any issues ‘nipped in the bud’, and the musculoskeletal system kept in as tip-top condition as possible, the comfort levels, activity levels, quality of life and most likely quantity of life will all be greatly enhanced for an all round happier and healthier dog. Once ingrained and if left to manifest themselves, these issues can be extremely difficult, if not sometimes impossible, to fully rectify.

Flo is an extremely active young collie who does agility and is VERY focussed on her Mum! Whilst many dogs are more settled and happier when their owner stays with them during their clinical canine massage, in Flo’s case, we have discovered that she is far too ‘clingy’ to her Mum, whom she adores, and is really not very interested or co-operative with regards to receiving any massage treatment. Consequently, her Mum has left her with me for the past two sessions, and what a difference it has made! Within a couple of minutes, Flo has relaxed and settled, her adrenaline “let’s go do something Mum” button has de-activated and the pictures say it all! Excessive adrenaline and cortisol levels for long periods, which are the stress hormones, are not good for the dog’s overall physical and mental health, and a clinical massage can do wonders to keep these levels in check. Flo becomes extremely compliant and relaxed and I am able to achieve a fabulous massage for Flo, who clearly enjoys it and feels the benefits.

Flo’s Mum, Caroline, messaged me a couple of days after her most recent massage saying “Just wanted to say the massage has done some magic. Flo is lying on my knee and she feels so soft and totally relaxed, no fidgeting.”! This makes my heart sing! 🥰 Thank you Caroline for entrusting me with your precious girly, and well done Flo, you superstar! 😊❤️🐾

16/07/2020

Looking forward to having a stand promoting Clinical Canine Massage and offering FREE muscular health checks for all dogs at the show at this weekend's Paws of Man Open Agility Show at Douglas Rugby Club, Port-E-Chee Meadows, Douglas - pop along for a chat to see how massage can help relieve your beloved dog's aches and pains for any muscular injuries or soft tissue issues they may be carrying, and support any orthopaedic conditions. Hope to see you there all day Saturday and Sunday this coming weekend 18th/19th July! :-)

03/07/2020

27/06/2020

I'm delighted to say that we can now return to 'normality' and are happily welcoming clients back, both old and new! Look forward to seeing you and your fury friend soon! :-)

14/01/2020

Beautiful old girlie Peaches came to see me recently, she is such a delight to treat and REALLY enjoys her massage - she clearly gets great relief from her aging aches and pains. I received some lovely feedback from owner, Sarah, the following day, which makes it all so very worth while! Sarah said "Peaches has just run from the top of the field to the bottom and where she had lately been collapsing on her back legs half way she had no collapsing issues. touch Mary 😊. Peaches says thank you x It really does make a difference ###" Hearing things like this makes my heart sing! Thanks Sarah X 🥰🥰

12/12/2019

Wishing all past, present and future clients, both canine and human, the happiest and most peaceful Christmas ever, thanking you all for coming to see me over the past year, and hoping to see you all again in 2020 🥰

14/11/2019

Beautiful! 💚

08/10/2019

Almost every dog as it matures in years will have arthritis in its joints to a greater or lesser extent - this is a great read for anyone with a dog affected by this extremely common condition by the Chairman of the Canine Massage Guild, Natalie Lenton.

Arthritis, Fascia and Pain What is fascia? Fascia is the cling film like substance that wraps every muscle fibre, organ, bone, nerve and blood vessel – it’s everywhere. Sometimes referred to as connective tissue, this dynamic system is made up of elastin and collagen fibres. It is lubricated by ...

08/10/2019

This is lovely Pip, straight after her massage treatment, having a chat with her Dad about the options of a drink down the pub, or going to see Auntie Mary for a massage! Apparently she gets rather excited when she's told she's going to see Auntie Mary, but even more excited at the prospect of the pub!! How adorable! ❤️❤️❤️

08/10/2019

This is Pip having a chat with her Dad about this options of a drink down the pub or going to see Auntie Mary for a massage!? She gets pretty excited about both, so it would seem, but I think the pub option has the edge!!

26/09/2019

It’s so great, and I can achieve so much more, when the dog really relaxes and allows me to easily feel the muscles and soft tissues to assess what’s going on. Digger was packing in the Zzzzs 😴 on his 3rd massage session today, he was so relaxed, his issues have improved loads over his 3 sessions as the tissues steadily “let down” to reach the deeper muscles and release tension and “knots”, but it’s pushing it a bit far when the human client falls asleep on you too!! To be fair, Sammy was full of a cold, so I’m glad she could catch a power nap too! Hope you’re feeling better soon Sammy! X