Hands On Care For Your Canine

A few months ago, our black dog (of Border & Black fame) Rosie began to have trouble walking. She was getting up there in years, so it was no surprise that she'd become a bit slower, but this was a dramatic, wake-up-one-day-much-worse kind of turn.

We wondered what to do for her and of course, our first stop was our vet. We've been with our vet for a long time and trust his advice. He took a look at Rosie (whom he affectionately calls Rosie-roo) and said he could check a few things to see if anything was seriously wrong. We agreed since she could not stand on her own at that point. Diagnostics of various sorts were performed but showed nothing out of the ordinary for an aging but otherwise healthy dog.

We didn't know if we'd be making end-of-life kinds of choices for her and we went home to ponder our options. I don't recall how it came up but somehow canine massage came to mind. I know how helpful massage can be to humans, so it makes sense that other animals, especially of the domesticated variety, would benefit as well. I wondered if Rosie's problem was related to a slip (our tile floors are not particularly friendly to aging puppy paw pads) or a twist of some sort.

With the help of our friendly Internet search engine, we located a certified canine massage therapist right here in Tucson. We immediately sent her an email, googled her (for good measure) and she responded almost immediately. After a brief phone call, we agreed to have her come over for an evaluation within days.

Kate showed up at our door with a big smile and a warm, assuring manner. The dogs took to her instantly but they weren't sure what all this was about. Kate's first visit was simply to meet and greet the dogs, talk with us about what to expect and what we expected and to answer any questions.

We agreed to set up a series of 8 massages to see how Rosie would fare under this regimen. The first few sessions Rosie was a bit nervous about the whole process and didn't settle down immediately, but starting on the third session, she sat patiently and allowed herself to be gently rubbed and stretched.

It was clear from the start Kate was an expert in canine anatomy as she explained what she was doing and why. She gave us suggestions for follow-up stretching for in-between massage dates. After about two weeks, we noticed an improvement in Rosie, though we weren't sure if it was just our wishful thinking or a genuine change. We persisted, we welcomed Kate into our home and the dogs began looking forward to these sessions that I'm sure they viewed as a bit of a play date.

Four weeks into it, it was clear Rosie was more mobile, more relaxed and had more stability. She was able to resume her daily walks, stand on her own and generally get around better. As the 8 weeks came to a close, it was clear that Rosie was better. Whether it was just her getting attention for a concentrated period of time each week or whether it was the massage (I suspect a bit of both), she was improved.

We decided to allow the 8 sessions to 'settle in' a bit to see how Rosie fared. We've stayed in touch with Kate and we're happy to report that now, about two months later, Rosie continues to improve. She runs, she stands, she happily goes for her walks.

I don't know what happened to Rosie to cause the problem but I do know that it was working with Kate that fixed what ailed my precious pup.

You might think canine massage is a bit la-de-dah but having seen it with my own eyes, I am convinced that it's a great option to have available. If you have a dog with any muscular or skeletal issues or if your dog takes a sudden (or gradual) turn for the worse, certainly seek professional veterinary advice to make sure it's not something major. But if it's inconclusive, give some serious thought to canine massage. Your best friend on four legs may not be able to tell you where it hurts, but a great canine massage therapist like Kate Titus can - and she can fix it too.

Looking for the perfect holiday gift for a dog lover? How about the gift of a canine massage? There are certified canine massage therapists throughout the U.S. and if you're lucky enough to live in Tucson, Arizona, you can contact Kate Titus at A Loyal Companion.

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