Canine massage

Canine massage is a branch of massage therapy that promotes health in dogs. Specifically, canine massage therapy is a form of alternative therapy the benefits of which may include relaxation, increased oxygenation, relief from pain, improved joint flexibility, as well as miscellaneous benefits to the immune system. It uses touch to maintain or improve both physical and emotional well-being.

The history of canine massage dates back to ancient times. In India during the development of varmalogy, not only human but animal bodies were charted, resulting in what we refer to as trigger points. Julius Caesar travelled with a personal massage therapist. This masseuse also worked on Caeser's war dogs. The first known documentation of massage was in 2700 BC in China. Massage techniques continued to develop throughout history and are mentioned in the early writings of the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Turks, Persians, and Japanese. Early Egyptian hieroglyphics even depicted “animal healers” using massage techniques, and horse massage was practiced in ancient China and Rome.

The most common form of massage used in the west is known as Swedish massage which was first developed by Per Henrik Ling. The practice of Swedish massage was first brought to the U.S. by Dr. Weir Mitchell in 1877. However, it was not until World War I and World War II that the benefits were truly recognized in that country. With the formation of the American Massage Therapy Association, state-by-state efforts were made to pass laws that licensed and, thereby, legitimized massage as a medical treatment.

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