Massage | safehands

Clinical Massage - As a member of the Canine Massage Guild you can be sure of the quality of my training and my practice methods.

I tailor every therapy session to your dog and clinical research confirms that for 95% of dogs an improvement is seen within 3 treatments.

Clinical massage can help your dog if they:

are over 8 years old
are noticeably slowing down
have recently been injured or had surgery
are limping or their movement or posture has changed
are living with an orthopaedic condition such as hip or elbow dysplasia, osteo-arthritis, spondylosis, luxating patella or OCD

Massage is also an excellent option if you are worried that your dog may be in pain. Click for some of the signs of pain to look for

Massage is also excellent for:

Vet consent is required for massage therapy - find out more

The Canine Massage Guild has produced a free tool - the 5 Principles of Pain to help you check your dog for pain. It is also an excellent document to support any conversation you have with your vet. Download it here.

I can complete Muscular Health Checks (MOT) and Body Conditioning assessments at my Hemel and Aylesbury clinics for a minimum £10 donation. All assessments completed at my Hemel clinic go to the NAWT Watford Centre. Assessments donations at my Aylesbury clinic are donated to the shops charity of choice, please ask them at the time of the assessment if you would like to know what amazing work your donation will support as this varies over time.

I also complete these for free at local shows.

If massage therapy can help your dog, you will see improvements in 1 - 3 sessions. Here's how it works:

Your dogs first massage session lasts up to 90 minutes and you will need to bring a signed vet consent form with you. The session includes:

an analysis of your dog standing, sitting and on the move
a few lifestyle and medical history questions
a full body palpation to assess your dogs superficial musculature
a full body massage (as appropriate to your dogs needs and comfort level)
advice to take home with you.

This initial consultation costs £60

All sessions after this cost £50 (or £55 in my Aylesbury clinic) and usually take 50-60 minutes. It is recommended that your dog has three initial treatments within a 3-4 week period. At the start of every session we chat about any changes you have noticed, any concerns you have and tackle any of your questions.

After three sessions we discuss next steps and I will produce a report for your vet on my findings.

If you are not sure whether massage will benefit your dog, whether I am the right therapist for you or whether your dog will accept my touch you can always book them in for a Muscular Health Check (MOT) first. This is provided for a minimum £10 donation to the NAWT Watford Centre.

Remember I need vet consent to treat. If I am treating an injury or a diagnosed condition you may be able to claim the costs of treatment back from your pet insurance and a call to them to check this option would be recommended.

"Karen is outstanding. She's utterly passionate about the health and wellbeing of dogs . I can't recommend her highly enough"

Anna, Aylesbury

What my massage clients say

Frequently asked questions

Would my dog benefit from massage therapy?

I believe that if a dog can tolerate touch they can benefit from massage. Your dogs body is complex and regular maintenance helps keep them moving as efficiently and as free of aches and pains as possible. I also believe that dogs benefit more from massage than humans - this is because most dogs I treat go home and sleep for hours after a session. This allows the body and brain to integrate the changes I have started with the massage. Most humans I know have a massage and either go straight back to work or return to their normal activity for that time of day which stops the integration at the end of the massage treatment.

However, from a wellbeing perspective dogs recovering from injury, that regularly limp, are slowing down and looking stiff and those with an joint problems such as dysplasia and arthritis see the greatest improvements in their quality of life with regular massage.

My dog won't lie still for a massage, does that matter?

Lying down and particularly lying quietly on their side is not necessary to get benefit. I have treated arthritic dogs who struggle to stay still for any length of time and are very restless in clinic. However, their owners report the same improvement as those that can lie down and enjoy their session.

How would I know if my dog is benefiting from massage therapy?

Your dog will show you in so many ways that they are happier, more comfortable and less stressed. The main ones reported to me include:

showing more interest in what is going on around them again
playing with their toys again
sleeping less and moving more and with greater ease
being more stable on their feet at a stand and on the move
the back leg shake that is reduced or gone
a spark back in their eyes and mischief back in the heart.

I think my dog is in pain but I don't want them to be on pain medication as they are still so young, can you help?

Most of my clients are in some discomfort and many are on pain medications. If your dog has a chronic condition it may be possible to delay the introduction of pain medications in some circumstances. However, being in pain causes physiological and phycological changes in your dog as well as causing them to move and sleep differently which can cause secondary problems in the medium to longer term.

A dog in pain is often difficult to treat, so I often recommend that if you suspect your dog is in pain that you speak to your vet about pain medication at the start of any treatment simply to ensure the therapy is as comfortable as possible. This means sessions are more productive but importantly your dog is as relaxed and feels as safe as possible.

I have had many clients come off or reduce the amount of pain medications over time as a result of massage. But this has to be done in active dialogue between you and your vet. But pain medication absolutely has its place and I would rather care for a dog on pain medications long term than have a dog living with me in pain.

Can you show me how to massage my own dog?

No, and then again yes. Let me explain.

Massage is not a risk free treatment and some of the techniques I will use on your dog require experience and training to perform safely. There are one day workshops that can teach you a very gentle, full body massage routine using Swedish techniques and you can find a list of providers here. I also have a blog on how to massage your dog which gives some general pointers for you to be aware of should you wish to try massage yourself as a relaxing interaction with your dog. You can find that here.

I do not offer these workshops myself. But if, during the treatment, I identify a specific area that may benefit from some gentle Swedish style treatment between sessions I will show you where these areas are and demonstrate the technique I want you to work with. Doing this in session allows you to practice with me guiding you to ensure you are addressing the right area and using an appropriate technique, speed and pressure.

I see many anxious or touch shy dogs in my clinic and if this is your dog I may also give you some techniques to help you manage any anxiety or to help acclimatise your dog to being handled so that our sessions are more comfortable for your dog.