So you like to pamper yourself with a massage. You even let your kids enjoy the benefits of a massage. But how about a massage for man’s best friend or other pet pals? Welcome to the world of animal massage.
Which of My Pets Can Be Massaged?
Household favorites like dogs and cats are the prime candidates for being massaged. Both love being petted and both respond very positively to the soft touch of massage. If you enjoy riding horses, they too can enjoy all the benefits of a massage for better performance and more.
But Why Should I Massage My Pet?
Much like how massage provides countless health benefits for you and your family, getting a massage for a canine companion or feline friend also has many health benefits. Dogs and cats can develop tight joints from inactivity, injury, or plain old age. A massage can help remedy that pain. This is vital as without visual signs, animals cannot verbalize that they are in pain. A pet massage will also stimulate their lymphatic and circulatory systems for increased health. Finally, massaging your pet at a young age will get them familiar with touch which is vital as they will need grooming services and even medical care as they age.
Equine massage has been a growing trend for the last 25 years. If you have a horse, a massage is able to help with longer performance by draining toxins from the muscles. An equine masseuse will use a variety of instruments including vibrations tools and even a tennis ball, while combining massage with joint mobilization, and acupressure.
So With All These Health Benefits, Can I Say Goodbye To My Vet?
Not so fast. While pet massage has a number of benefits, it cannot completely replace the medical knowledge and insight that a vet can bring. Use massage to comfort and reward and animal, not as a full time substitute for a veterinarian.
What About Massaging My Pet Elephant?
First of all, we’re surprised that you even have a pet elephant. But if you have your own elephant like Stampy, you might have noticed giving it a massage is a bit hard. And by a bit hard, we mean extremely hard! However, while it might not be physically possible to massage your elephant, your elephant might be able to massage you. In Thailand there is a practice where people actually get massaged by an elephant. The elephant will use its trunk or will “gently” step on a person’s back. It’s not advised for the faint of heart or for those that have looked into the exploitative elephant industry in Thailand.
Closing Remarks
Giving your pet a massage isn’t as weird as it might sound. It’s a popular practice to improve the health and happiness of your housebound friend. If your cat or dog loves to be touched, consider learning how to massage them and watch how happy they get.
