Dysplasia means improper growth and in the dog’s hip this tends to mean the hip socket becomes too shallow and doesn’t hold the head of the femur (thigh bone) firmly in place. This then means there is too much movement in the joint which can wear away the cartilage and cause arthritis and pain and […]
Archive | Massage
Arthritis in Dogs – 10 ways to help
Yes dogs get arthritis too, in fact it is estimated that 4 out of 5 dogs over the age of 6 have some degree of arthritis. Here are 10 ways to make life easier for them. Give your dog a soft bed. Memory foam mats are particularly good for dogs with arthritis as they are […]
Arthritis in Dogs
The word arthritis comes from the Greek – arthro meaning joint and itis meaning inflammation. Studies show up 4 out of 5 dogs over 6 years of age have arthritis. This means over 1 million dogs in the UK have arthritis. Arthritis in dogs is a progressive disease – i.e. it gets worse over time […]
Elbow Dysplasia
Dysplasia is the term used when something doesn’t grow properly – in this case the elbow joint. The elbow is the coming together of 3 bones – the humerus in the upper leg, and the ulna and radius in the lower leg. If any of these grow incorrectly the joint will not be able to […]
Stress and Anxiety – Ways to Reduce it.
Massage Therapy Massage is well recognised as a way of reducing the effects of stress. It can help remove tension from muscles by lengthening and straightening out the muscle fibres. It can open up the blood vessels which brings more oxygen and nutrients to all the organs of the body helping them to work […]
Cruciate Ligament Damage – Signs and Treatment
Cruciate ligament damage in dogs has become more common in recent years. It used to be an injury seen almost exclusively in working and sporting dogs but is now seen very frequently in the general pet population. The cruciate ligaments are 2 ligaments which cross over in the knee or stifle joint and when they […]
Puppy Growth
Puppies aren’t puppies for long which means as owners we only have a short time to give them the best start. Of course it depends on the breed of dog you have how long the puppy stage lasts. The general rule is to allow one month for every inch (2.5cm) of growth until your dog […]
Athletes Need a Warm Up
I’ve referred to dogs before as athletes and as all good athletes know a warm up routine is vital. A good warm up will put heat into the muscles which makes them more pliable and allows them to stretch as joint movements are increased. This helps prevent injury. Human participants in any sport will spend […]
Arthritis, Body Weight and Massage
Arthritis is a painful joint condition caused when a joint gets damaged, sometimes just through everyday activities. All parts of the joint can be affected and it tends to get worse over time. There is no cure for arthritis so managing it is key. Joints are part of the skeleton which supports the body so […]