How to massage your dog's back. How to properly massage the hind legs of a dog. Types of massage for dogs

Massage has a preventive and therapeutic effect on the human body. But, not only people have noticed a positive effect. Massage for animals also has a beneficial effect on the body system and the condition of internal organs. Today we will talk about massage for dogs. This procedure is an excellent addition to the main treatment, which contributes to a more rapid recovery of a weakened body.

Even in ancient Greece, they began to practice massage procedures for animals. The philosopher Arrianus claimed that the animal becomes much healthier and more resilient to the development of various diseases.

Today, many pet salons offer this service. And this is not at all surprising, since in many health situations it is massage that can become an additional, and sometimes the main treatment for various diseases.

Massage will help the dog to calm down and feel the care of the owner

Benefits of massage for dogs

One of the main obvious advantages can be called relaxation and removal of feelings of anxiety. In the process of massage, the dog produces endorphins - hormones of joy, which cause pleasure and calmness. The dog feels love and care from his owner.

What other clear positives can be identified:

massage is effective in diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
with injuries;
with diseases of the joints;
the procedure improves blood circulation;
soft massage techniques will calm the dog and help overcome fear;
control over the health of the dog increases several times, the likelihood of a rhinestone to detect an increase in temperature or pain points increases;
the procedure is an excellent stimulant for a faster recovery of a sick dog;
effective for problems with the digestive system.

Physical contact with an animal has a beneficial effect on its nervous system. With each subsequent session, the dog will behave more calmly and peacefully. As the animal grows older, it will be much more effective in resisting various diseases.

In some dogs, you can find many behavioral problems: anger, aggression, unreasonable barking, and so on. In fact, behavioral problems may be the result of back or neck pain. Having eliminated these pains, the character of the animal also changes, its behavior is normalized. Therefore, general body massage is a great way to eliminate your pet's bad habits.

Contraindications:

infectious diseases;
feverish state;
acute fractures and wounds;
inflammatory processes;
kidney failure;
epilepsy.

Massage can help with back pain

How to massage a dog

Of course, professional massage is only possible for specialists in this field. We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the performance of a conventional massage, which every dog breeder can do.

So, the simplest and most affordable massage is stroking the sides, belly and back.
Next, you need to grab the tail with your palm and stroke it from the root of the tail to the tip.
Then you need to perform light tapping on the skin with your fingertips.
Some dogs, and in particular the Italian greyhound, love to be touched with a silk scarf.
Having finished with soft elements, you can move on to more intense ones. With rake-like movements of the fingers, you need to stroke from the abdomen to the back. The dog must be standing.
Next, the dog should take a supine position. You must perform circular movements with your palm, moving relative to the muscles.
After you need to gently rub the dog's paws, as well as the area between the pads.
You need to finish the procedure with a general stroking of the entire dog.

Relaxing dog massage

Before starting the procedure, you need to prepare yourself and your pet. Take a few slow breaths, shake your hands. Gently stroke your animal, talk to him in a low voice.

With your fingertips, gently move in a circular motion along the muscles of the spine. Perform circular movements, first clockwise, then counterclockwise. During movements, the fingers should not come off the skin of the animal.
Then, in the same circular motion, walk at the base of the skull. As soon as you feel that the animal is relaxing, you can slowly move to the front of the neck. The trachea and muscles on both sides of the throat should be avoided.
Slowly move to the bases of the ears. The area under the ears should be massaged very carefully, as the lymphatic glands are located there.

Such joint massage procedures will be useful for a pet and its owner: a person will lose stress, aggression, nervousness, pressure will decrease, and the dog will feel care and love from his owner.

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How is life for those who cannot walk? Raise your head, smile, say something? Immeasurable sympathy directed towards people with disabilities is often broken by the impotence of medicine. Dogs, our faithful friends and companions, but unfortunately also suffer from ailments that paralyze the limbs. Most veterinarians do not even undertake to treat paralysis in dogs, pat the owner on the shoulder consolingly and advise to act humanely.

The topic is sensitive and complex, it is impossible to fully understand it based on theory alone, however, true friends do not give up when faced with difficulties. Many owners nurse their "special" dogs for years and their perseverance is rewarded.

Muscles that do not receive "orders" from the brain are constantly in a relaxed state and the dog cannot control the limbs. The causes of disorders are always associated with the central nervous system, but are divided by origin - damage to the brain or spinal cord. Most often, the disease is acquired and can be expressed:

Monoplegia- paralysis of one limb.

Paraplegic- paired paralysis of the paws in a dog, the front or hind limbs are affected. The most common type, caused by spinal cord injury, sciatica, hip dysplasia.

Tetraplegia- defeat of all limbs.

hemiplegia- damage to the left or right paws and / or side of the body.

Trigeminal nerve palsy- The dog cannot raise its jaw.

The prognosis of treatment and its appropriateness depend on the type of disorders of the nervous system:

functional paralysis- occur with the harmful influence of external factors or mental disorders (). The phenomenon can be temporary and stop without intervention. The most common example is the so-called nervous distemper, a pet temporarily abandoned by the owner is so worried that it “falls on its paws”.

organic paralysis- disruption of the work of neurons associated with physical effects on the spinal cord or brain - trauma, neoplasm or infection, most often - tick paralysis,.

Central paralysis- a gradually developing disease that affects different muscle groups. Due to irreversible changes, the affected smooth muscles are modified and lose their normal physiological properties, while reflexes and muscle tone are often preserved during the course of the disease.

peripheral paralysis- the "classic" picture, called the "failure" of the limbs. It occurs as a result of damage or death of neurons responsible for muscle tone. The disease proceeds quickly, the dog loses sensitivity and "falls on its paws" in a matter of days.

Read also: Campylobacteriosis - the main culprit of intestinal disorders in dogs and cats

All types of paralysis are a consequence, and not an independent disease, the reason for the complication may be:

Neoplasm (tumors, cysts) of the brain, spinal cord. Heart attack or cerebral hemorrhage.

Injuries of the spine, head. Fractures.

Infections - meningitis, meningoencephalitis, distemper, rabies.

Acute inflammation of the ears, teeth, gums and other mucous membranes.

Important! The success of treatment directly depends on the promptness of the assistance provided and the ability to stop the root cause of the development of paralysis. Time plays a very important role, paralyzed or weakened brain neurons die without stimulation, after which the damage is considered irreversible.

Paralysis Treatment in Dogs

A dangerous, borderline, often painful condition is not a sentence for most patients. Leg paralysis in dogs is treated when the underlying cause is corrected. If you notice early symptoms - weakness of the legs, a "crouching" gait, general malaise - do not pull, immediately show the dog to the doctor. You can't do it on your own! Eliminate the symptoms, but it is unrealistic to stop the causes without examination. Believe me, you have enough work, and leave the diagnosis to a professional. After taking x-rays and taking tests, the general recommendations are as follows:

At the time of the examination, the dog is prescribed complex vitamin and immunostimulating agents, antispasmodics, painkillers and hormonal drugs (glucocorticoids). The main goal is to relieve pain and stimulate the body.

Paralysis of the hind limbs in dogs is complicated by rapid muscle atrophy. Even if cured, the dog's limbs are so weak that it cannot stand up. As a preventive measure, it is necessary to massage the dog with paralysis. Warming, rubbing and other physiotherapy procedures will not interfere.

If an infectious or allergic nature of the disease is suspected, antihistamines are introduced into the course of treatment.

Damage to the spine or skull is associated with pain, which can significantly complicate diagnosis and treatment. For temporary relief of pain, novocaine blockades are used. An anesthetic drug is injected into the spinal canal, which is quite risky. Firstly, choose a veterinarian very responsibly, and secondly, get ready, you can’t leave a dog with novocaine blockade even for a minute, a pet can injure itself without feeling “restraining” pain.

Read also: Gingivitis in dogs - in detail about inflammation of the gums

You will have to act according to the situation, if you find a tumor - to operate, to eliminate the infection, to exclude allergies, to heal fractures, and further down the list. It can take months for a complete cure, and the consequences can be “stretched out” for years. A strong pet also needs special care and rehabilitation.

Well, about the sad, yes, it happens that the treatment does not give results or injuries do not leave a chance for treatment. It is worth thinking deeply about the honesty of a doctor who offers spinal surgery without "beating the disease in absentia." Unfortunately, for some "doctors", treating animals is just a business, taking advantage of the emotionality of the owners, pseudo-veterinarians offer expensive, but ineffective treatment.

Restoration of dogs after paralysis

Strengthening exercises should be started as soon as the disease goes into a "flaccid" form, that is, the pet will be able to move his fingers, partially control the flexion - extension of the paws. It takes a lot of patience to teach a dog to walk after paralysis, short sessions (5-15 minutes) are held daily, as many times as the dog can stand. Strengthen the dog's diet with calcium, continue massages and warming up, strictly monitor hygiene.

Support the dog under the belly by stroking the sip around the croup. Just put your pet on its hind legs, reflexively, it will rest on the floor. The main thing is to learn to stand again, albeit staggering and not for long, but this is the first and most important step. Based on practice, the restoration of psychomotor functions (the ability to walk) passes quickly, but at first, watch and support the pet, he will definitely stumble and fall.

Important! Tested on people! Swimming in warm water reduces pain, speeds up the process of activating muscles and neurons.

Such physiotherapy as massage is widely used in veterinary practice for the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of four-legged pets. It can be performed by a professional specialist, but the owner can also master the basic techniques and pamper his pet with a relaxing complex. Also, knowledge will be useful in the presence of certain diseases.

Read in this article

Benefits for dogs

The animal receives the first massage in life immediately after birth, when the mother licks the newborn with massaging movements, thereby stimulating independent breathing. In infancy, puppies use their mother's affection to empty their intestines and bladder.

Massage movements help, first of all, to improve blood circulation in an organ or part of the body. Due to the flow of blood to the sore spot, tissues are better supplied with oxygen, and their trophism improves. A regular procedure ensures the activation of metabolic processes, promotes the regeneration of damaged integuments.

Under the influence of therapeutic mechanical action on the skin, there is an increase in skin-muscle tone, the ligamentous apparatus is strengthened, and muscle atrophy slows down. During the procedure, the production of histamine, which has vasodilating and analgesic effects, increases in the subcutaneous tissue.

In connection with this mechanism of action, massage is often prescribed as a therapeutic procedure for degenerative diseases of the spine, hip joint, arthrosis. Its influence is also invaluable for accelerating the recovery of a pet after a dislocation, sprain, fracture.

Manual movements have an effect on the peripheral nervous system, which improves the conduction of nerve endings, has an analgesic effect. It is no coincidence that regular therapeutic massage is able to restore the pet's former mobility and is used in the rehabilitation period after paresis and paralysis of the limbs.

The restorative, relaxing effect of the procedure allows it to be successfully used to calm a nervous animal, relieve muscle spasm caused by stress.

The impact on the abdomen has a laxative effect in chronic constipation in a pet. Massage promotes the promotion of stool, increases peristalsis and facilitates bowel movements.

Another positive side of the procedure is the early diagnosis of various pathologies - neoplasms, inflammatory processes (by increasing the local temperature of the body area), pain points.

Types of procedure

In veterinary practice, the following types of manual procedures in dogs are distinguished:

Prophylactic. Massage allows you to relax the muscles, increase the tone of the muscular apparatus, and has a warming effect.
Therapeutic. It is an integral part of the therapeutic course. It is prescribed, as a rule, for arthrosis, degenerative pathologies of the vertebrae, sprains, bone fractures.
Aquamassage. It is a type of medicine. It is carried out in a specialized clinic. The animal is placed in a container with bubbling warm water. Such hydromassage improves blood supply, tissue nutrition, has a tonic and restorative effect on the pet's body.

Wellness. Regular procedures during the rehabilitation period are designed to return the pet to normal life as soon as possible. Restorative massage is used after paresis and paralysis in dogs, operations on the musculoskeletal system.
Cosmetic. The procedure is carried out in beauty salons for animals in order to improve the aesthetic appearance of the coat. During the manipulation, special means are used - aroma oils, fortified powders, etc.

Contraindications

As with any medical procedure, massage has contraindications. First of all, it is unacceptable to carry out a medical complex if the animal has open injuries, purulent infection, eczema, and inflammatory processes. Such manipulations are prohibited for neoplasms of any kind.

The presence of a high temperature in a pet, bleeding is a contraindication to massage. It is impossible to carry out the procedure in a state of shock and epilepsy, with fresh injuries and fractures, accompanied by pain.

Procedure techniques

As a rule, manual therapy for an animal is carried out in a specialized salon, veterinary clinic or at home. The preparatory stage includes the organization of the venue for the procedure. It is best to place the pet on a hard, flat surface, first covering it with a soft cloth. An aggressive patient is required to wear a muzzle.

The technique is based on the following basic movements: stroking (light and flat), kneading, shaking, vibrating movements, rubbing and tapping. Stroking begins and ends each session.

It is best to manipulate with your fingertips or all the width of your palm. Stroking movements contribute to relaxation, muscle relaxation, calming the animal. With their help, contact is established with the four-legged patient.

Kneading involves first calming movements, and then stimulating. On a small surface, kneading should be done with the thumbs, and when massaging large parts of the body, with the palmar surface of the tips of the index, middle and ring fingers. Reception involves moving the fingers in a circle.

Shaking is used to activate blood circulation in any medical complex. In order to influence the deeply located muscles and ligamentous apparatus, the massage therapist performs a vibration technique. Oscillatory movements are performed in a calm rhythm.

Enhances blood flow, eliminates adhesions in tissues, rubbing. This massage technique is most effective in diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Tapping is used to eliminate stress, supply tissues with oxygen, to stimulate large muscles and parts of the body.

Massage of the front and hind legs for paralysis

With paralysis of the limbs in a pet, massage is prescribed, as a rule, in the rehabilitation phase of the disease. During the procedure, well-known techniques are used. Kneading and vibration reception should be the main elements in this case.

Hind and front paws are massaged from top to bottom. The effectiveness of manual therapy depends not only on competent technique, but also on the frequency. It is important to regularly carry out a wellness complex on sick limbs.

The duration of the procedure is at least 15 - 20 minutes. The course consists of 15 - 20 sessions. After that, the animal is given a break of 10-14 days and the treatment is resumed.

Relaxing for back, ears, head

The relaxation complex should begin with stroking the entire body of the pet. After the dog relaxes, you can start circular movements in the neck. Given the direction of the lymphatic vessels, the movements of the hands should be directed downward - from the head to the chest. With manual impact on the neck and head of the pet, care should be taken - do not press on the trachea and pharynx, reduce pressure under the ears to avoid injury to the lymph nodes.

Circular movements affect the neck, shoulders and sides of the animal, gradually moving towards the tail. They carefully make clockwise and counterclockwise movements (three times).

Experienced specialists perform tail stretching manipulation, which has a strong relaxing effect on the pet. It is not recommended for an inexperienced owner to independently perform such a technique. At the end of the relaxing procedure, the dog's body is stroked with long strokes - from the head to the croup and back.

Massage to relax and calm the pet can be carried out not only with the hand. It is convenient for short-haired pets to do a manual procedure with a suede glove worn on the hand. For bald breeds, a silk scarf is more suitable in order to prevent the electrification of wool.

How to do with constipation

With such a nuisance as constipation in a dog, in addition to dieting, abdominal massage has a good effect. Most often, the owner resorts to such a procedure in puppies and young animals. Massaging circular movements are carried out near the navel.

If manipulation is to be performed on an adult dog, it must be remembered that intrusion into the groin area may not be to the liking of the animal. In this regard, it is better to first do a 5-minute relaxing complex and only then gradually move on to the impact on the abdomen.

For information on how to massage dogs with problems with the spine, see this video:

Salvation Massage - Indirect Heart

In emergency situations, a pet's life can be saved by an indirect heart massage, which is performed as follows:

The dog is laid on the right side. The head of the animal is placed so that it is lower than the body.
The palms of the hands are placed crosswise (one on one at a right angle) on the chest behind the elbow of the animal on the right side.
Short and strong jerky movements massage the chest.
100 shocks are carried out per minute.
Every 15-20 seconds, they resort to ventilation of the lungs by artificial respiration (air is blown into the nose of the animal with force).

This information will help dog owners figure out how to properly massage their pet. And also to find out the reasons that lead to the weakening of the hind legs of animals.

Symptoms of problems with the hind legs

Sometimes it happens that your pet cannot move normally as before. You notice that his limbs are weakened. There are breed and age predispositions to specific pathologies.

The first symptom is pain when walking. Your pet starts to moan suddenly. Neurological disorders begin to occur in the thoracic and lumbar spine of the dog.
Then there is weakness. The animal stops moving its paws.
Then the sensitivity of the paws disappears.

It can happen suddenly when you are walking your dog, or at rest for no apparent reason. Physical activity can cause pain. But it is not the main cause of the disease itself. This disease can appear suddenly.

Only in the morning everything was fine, and by the evening the dog cannot move normally. And it can develop gradually, starting with the first symptom, it may take some time to the last.

Many animal lovers think that this disease depends on the length of the dog's spinal column and plays a role in the onset of the disease. This opinion is wrong. Here are some reasons why this disease can develop.

Causes of weak paws

Limb damage. Diseases of the hind legs can occur due to injuries: fractures, sprains, tendon ruptures, damage to peripheral nerves. Bites of other dogs can also be the cause, in a fight, bruises and falls, the dog can (slip on the ice).
If the animal suffers from arthrosis, arthritis, tumor, as well as herniated intervertebral discs. A spinal pathology may develop in which there is a violation of the innervation of the limbs, when negative factors affect the spinal cord.
Vertebral degenerative diseases. These diseases begin due to improper functioning of the metabolic processes of spinal tissues. This can lead to pathologies of the constituent links of the spinal column.
Spondylosis in dogs. Leg failure is associated with "local aging" of certain segments of the spine. Usually the disease itself has a slow pace of development. The first stage is invisible and almost impossible to detect.
Osteochondrosis. There are degenerative stages in the development of intervertebral discs.

The reasons for the development of this disease can be - the instability of the vertebrae, which developed at the genetic level. Rheumatic deviations, previous back injuries, impaired nutrition of the disc, due to microcirculation disorders, autoimmune phenomena.

Massage for Weak Hind Legs

The sooner the owner of the dog pays attention to the condition of his pet and takes him to the veterinarian, the higher the recovery rate. The doctor will conduct an examination and prescribe the treatment necessary in this case. And he will also appoint a massage for his pet.

Massage can be done in the clinic, or you can learn it yourself. The doctor will show and tell about the procedure. And your pet will be much more pleasant if it is you who will carry out this procedure, devoting your time and taking care of him.

So where to start:

Prepare a place where you will do the massage. Cover it with a warm blanket. The warmth makes it possible to relax.
Lay the dog down and say a few kind words.
Start the massage with light, stroking movements of the whole body, without taking your hands off. This will relax the animal.
After massaging and stretching the entire body of the dog, smoothly move to the hind limbs.
Gently take one paw in your hands and do a few strokes from top to bottom.
Then stroke in the same way, only from the bottom up.
Next, taking the paw, carefully perform several flexions and extensions.
After that, make circular movements inward, and then outward, then forward and backward. These exercises should be repeated 2-3 times.
Using three fingers (index, thumb, middle) rub the muscles on the limbs.
After that, start massaging the ball of your pet's foot and toes with your fingers. Start with minimal pressure, then increase a little. You don't need to press hard.
Finish the procedure by stroking the paws and pads, pay attention to the places between them.
All this must be repeated with the second paw.
After all that has been done, conduct a general stroking of the entire body of the dog.

All these massage movements over time will help restore the dog's paws and she will regain strength in them. If the disease is not associated with a more serious cause.

Take care of your pets and be happy!