|
Ever wonder if your dog could benefit from a massage? The likely answer is "yes". Similar to human benefits, massage therapy can have relaxing, healing and therapeutic effects on your dog.  Benefits of Massage for Your Dog:
Signs that Your Dog Could Be in Need of a Massage:
 Warning:It is important to have your dog examined by a veterinarian before having him or her massaged to rule out more serious causes of disease and discomfort. Ask your veterinarian if your dog is a candidate for massage therapy before scheduled a massage. Since there are specific ways to correctly massage a dog and contraindications to massage (circumstances where massage could make the condition worse), it is important to utilize a certificated canine massage therapist or receive the proper training yourself before massaging your dog.
8 Comments
Interested in learning more about becoming a certified equine massage therapist?
A study that was recently published in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science demonstrated a reduction in swelling in horses that were taped using kinesiology tape (the inflammation reduction taping) following arthroscopic tibia-patellofemoral surgery.  Abstract:
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of therapeutic bandages, the Kinesio Taping Method (KTM), in controlling swelling following arthroscopic tibio-patellofemoral surgery in horses. In vivo experimental study was studied. Twelve horses undergoing experimental tibio-patellofemoral arthroscopy were divided into two groups: six animals in the control group (CG) (without tape) and six animals in the treatment group (TG) that received therapeutic bandages based on the KTM. All of the horses were evaluated by thermography of the lateral and cranial aspect of the joint as well as by a perimeter assessment of the tibio-patellofemoral joint. The TG showed greater control of postoperative swelling with a significant reduction in swelling after 24 hours of treatment compared to the CG staying up to 72 hours, but there were no significant differences in temperature based on the thermography. In this study, which was unprecedented in horses, the use of therapeutic bandages resulted in a significant reduction in postoperative swelling of tibio-patellofemoral arthroscopy in horses compared with CG. Although often employed in human rehabilitation, this therapy is potentially beneficial for veterinary rehabilitation, specifically in horses. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate a reduction in the perimeter of the tibio-patellofemoral joint after the application of therapeutic bandages using a cutting "FAN" technique, which is derived from the Kinesio Taping Method. Furthermore, there was a demonstrated edema reduction in post patellofemoral arthroscopy in horses. However, additional studies are necessary to confirm the effects of Kinesio Tape in animals due to the absence of studies related to veterinary medicine. de Mattos LHL, Yamada ALM, dos Santos VH, Hussni CA, Rodrigues CA, Watanabe MJ, Alves ALG, Treatment with Therapeutic bandages to control equine post- Arthroscopic Tibio-Patellofemoral Swelling, Journal of Equine Veterinary Science (2017), doi: 10.1016/ j.jevs.2017.02.001 Whole body vibration therapy (WBVT) has been utilized and researched in humans since the late 1800’s. Astronauts have been using vibrating platforms since the 60’s to decrease muscle atrophy and bone density loss in space. This therapy has recently become popular in physical therapy settings to help patients increase bone density without the use of drugs and improve neuro-muscular response in patients with injuries. I first became familiar with WBVT as a human chiropractic student. I witnessed first hand the benefits of WBVT and continued to utilize it and recommend it to patients after I graduated and went into a private practice. Before attending chiropractic school, I earned a couple veterinary degrees (BS Veterinary Science and MS Veterinary Pathobiology), so like other therapies I learned in chiropractic school, I began wondering if WBVT could also be applied to animals. I later found out about EquiVibe and was pleasantly surprised to find out that horses could in fact benefit from this therapy just as much as humans.  As an equine chiropractor, EquiVibe allows me to provide my client’s horses with an additional modality, allowing me to increase the overall benefit of a bodywork session. These platforms are portable, which allows the practitioner to easily bring them from barn to barn. As an equine bodywork instructor, I highly recommend that my students incorporate WBVT into their practices. This additional modality can speed up healing and recovery and is especially useful for horses on stall rest. Since every horse responds differently to various types of treatments, I highly recommend that my students have several modalities available so that they are able to find the best therapies for each particular horse. WBVT is always one of those modalities in the highly successful equine bodywork practices and I highly recommend incorporating it into yours! What to purchase one? Use the coupon code angelsanimals for 5% off your EquiVibe!Equivibe offers 0% financing with no credit checks or hassle. Contact info@equivibe.com and don't forget to mention your angelsanimals coupon code to get 5% off!
All horses will experience some degree of pain in their lifetime. While some horses tend to be stoic and work through the pain without giving many indications, other horses are more expressive when any kind of discomfort is present. Are you able to tell if your horse is in pain?...and if so, what do you do about it? Pain in a horse can be caused by many different issues. The most common causes are ill fitting saddles, soreness from use/exercise, unbalanced rider, injury or hoof ailment.  Common signs that pain is present include:
 Now that you have learned how to recognize signs of pain in your horse, you are probably wondering what you can do help decrease pain in your horse. You should always contact your veterinarian when pain is present to rule out any serious conditions. If the pain is found to be musculoskeletal in nature, there are many soft tissue techniques available to help alleviate your horse’s pain. Kinesiology tape is an athletic tape that was originally developed for humans but has recently become very popular with horses. This revolutionary tape can naturally decrease a horse’s pain sensation by blocking the pain receptors. The great thing about this tape is that, unlike other athletic tapes, it does not restrict the horse’s normal range of motion and it also promotes healing! Equine massage is another great way to reduce any soft tissue pain. There are numerous massage techniques available for use on horses to treat specific issues. Horses tend to respond extremely well to massage and other forms of bodywork.
As a horse owner, you can learn how to use these techniques to alleviate your horse’s pain by taking a comprehensive online course. Angel’s Animals Holistic Courses offer online Equine Kinesiology Taping and Equine Massage Courses. These courses are easy to follow and take you step by step to teach you how to properly apply the techniques. They also offer certification courses for professionals or those who would like to pursue a career in the equine therapy industry. Kinesiology tape is becoming extremely popular with both equine health professionals and equestrians in general. This revolutionary tape can decrease muscle spasms, decrease pain sensation, increase agility, decrease inflammation and decrease the chance of injury in both horses and riders with out the use of medications! Attend this workshop to gain hands on experience and learn how to utilize this amazing technique!
Choose a date that works for you!Saturday September 9th 9 am - 12 pm Saturday October 8th 1 - 5 pm Saturday November 5th 1 - 5 pm Sunday December 16th 1 - 5 pm This course has an online component that must be completed before attending the workshop. If you have not completed the online course yet, you can register for both the course and workshop together below: Already took our online course? No problem, register for the workshop alone below:
The majority of horses experience some form of back pain and often times this pain is due to an ill fitting saddle. Horse back conformation can vary significantly amongst horses making it difficult to find a saddle that fits one particular horse perfectly. Signs that your saddle may be causing your horse pain and impending movement are ears pinned back when saddling or riding, inability to collect properly under saddle, lack of forward motion under saddle, dry spots when you remove your saddle pad (your horse should sweat uniformly under the saddle pad if the saddle and pad fit correctly), development of sores, tender spots and white hairs under the saddle.
Obviously if your saddle does not fit your horse, the best solution is to find a saddle that does and I recommend consulting with a certified saddle fitter to find the best saddle for you horse. However, if your saddle is a good match for your horse and your horse is still experiencing pain, here is a solution to your problem!
The Shoulder Relief Girth and Cinch
These girths and cinches actually change the position and angle of the billets to prevent the saddle from interfering with the shoulder, which decreases pain and frees up movement.
Learn More About the Shoulder Relief Western CinchLearn More About the Shoulder Relief English GirthMy Personal Experience:
"I purchased a horse about 6 months ago who came to me with back issues due to having to work in ill fitting saddles his whole life. "Rio" has large white spots on either side of his back from the saddle cutting off circulation and impinging the nerves. I wanted to make sure that I didn't make the situation worse, so I went on the hunt to find a saddle that fits him correctly. I was able to find a saddle that fits him well, but due to his large shoulders, I was still having trouble getting him to move freely under saddle. Finally I found the shoulder relief cinch! This cinch allows his large shoulders the room they need to move while under saddle and I am happy to report that he has been pain free ever since! I loved this cinch so much, that I purchased a second one for my other horse. I wouldn't ride with any other cinch now!" ~ Dr. Angelique Barbara
Autoimmune diseases, cancer, allergies and other ailments are becoming more and more common in dogs. I recently saw a poster in a veterinary office stating that 1 in 4 dogs will develop cancer. That is an insanely high number! Many of these diseases develop when a dog's immune system is not able to cope with the toxins they are exposed to on a daily basis. This article will list the most common types of toxins your dog has to deal with and ways to help reduce them. Causes:
Solutions:
Which Supplement Should You Give Your Dog?
Interested in ordering NuVet Plus for your dog? Use the referral code 90024 when ordering online or over the phone. 1-800-474-7044 or www.nuvet.com
Kinesiology tape is a stretchy, sticky athletic tape that was developed for humans over 30 years ago. This tape has recently gained popularity with animal bodywork practitioners after it was discovered that the same benefits humans experience when wearing the tape can be experienced by animals. To many people’s surprise, this revolutionary tape can be applied over an animal’s hair instead of directly to the skin to achieve the same decompression effect seen in humans. Kinesiology taping is a modality that every animal bodywork practice can benefit from. This tape allows the practitioner to enhance their other therapies by leaving the animal with prolonged blood and lymph flow improvement, decreased pain sensation and support of joints and muscles that are suffering from instability or hyper and hypotonicity.
Some conditions that can benefit from kinesiology tape are: ACL and other knee related injuries in dogs, back pain in dogs and horses, hind end weakness in dogs due to IVDD, spina bifida, arthritis, or DM, suspensory ligament injuries in horses, post surgical swelling in all animals and stocking up in horses. A recent study in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science showed a significant reduction in swelling after 24 hours of kinesiology taping in horses with arthroscopic tibio-patellofemoral surgery. (http://www.j-evs.com/article/S0737-0806(16)30525-1/abstract) While kinesiology taping is a very safe and effective technique, there are specific ways to cut and apply the tape for the condition being treated and there are contraindications to utilizing this tape as well. Proper training is required to be able to adequately add kinesiology taping to your practice. Angel’s Animals - Holistic Online Courses, offers kinesiology taping certification courses for both Equine and Canine practitioners. These courses can be completed from anywhere in the world and do not have time limitations. The courses are taught by Dr. Angelique Barbara who is a Doctor of Chiropractic with a BS in Veterinary Science and a MS in Veterinary Pathobiology. Dr. Barbara was one of the first practitioners to start using kinesiology tape on animals and she developed these comprehensive courses to share her applications and experience with other practitioners.  Whole body vibration therapy has been utilized and researched in humans since the late 1800's. Astronauts have been using vibrating platforms since the 60's to decrease muscle atrophy and bone density loss in space. This therapy has recently become popular in physical therapy settings to help patients increase bone density without the use of the drugs and improve neuro-muscular response in patients with injuries.  This therapy is now available for horses through EquiVibe! These platforms can be placed in an equine rehab center or brought to barns you are working at (they are portable!) to provide horses in your care with an additional therapeutic service. What are the Benefits?
There are protocols available for the following conditions: abscess, arthritsi, joint stiffnesss, soreness, bone density, bowed tendon, bucked shins, cellulitis, check ligament injuries, colic, bushings, EMP, equine bleeders, fetlock, sesamoid and pastern injuries, hip injuries, hocks, hoof issues including navicular disease, bruised feet, heel pain, thin soles, hoof growth, underrun heels, pedal osteitis, knee injuries, laminitis, muscle atrophy, navicular region pain, deep digital tendon injury, post performance, nervous, hard to manage, pre performance, scar tissue, adhesions, shoulder joint injury, sore backs and overall muscle soreness, splints, stifle joint injuries, suspensory ligament injuries, travel stress and wound healing What to purchase one? Use the coupon code angelsanimals for 5% off your EquiVibe!Equivibe offers 0% financing with no credit checks or hassle. Contact info@equivibe.com and don't forget to mention your angelsanimals coupon code to get 5% off! Learn more about whole body vibration therapy and other therapies in our Equine Myo-manipulative Functional Therapy Course!
Most horses experience some degree of back pain either from a saddle that doesn't fit perfectly, a rider who isn't completely balanced or just sore muscles from exercise. This back pain reduction taping is a very easy way to decrease your horse's pain and support the muscles along your horse's back during exercise!
What do you need?
How To Apply It:
What To Do Now?
Want to learn more? Check out our online course for horse owners or our certification course for equine professionals!The likely answer is "YES"! The majority of horses can benefit from massage therapy, especially if they are routinely ridden or used for driving. Mares and stallions who are being used for breeding can also greatly benefit from soft tissue work.  What is Equine Massage?Equine massage is the use of hands, arms, elbows and/or tools to rub and knead the muscles of the horse's body to decrease tension and/or pain. Equine massage utilizes modified human massage techniques on horses to help them perform better and decrease pain associated with training, an ill fitting saddle, an unbalanced rider or injury. Benefits of Massage Therapy
Signs that a Horse Needs a Massage:
If your horse is experiencing any of the above symptoms, they can likely benefit from equine massage therapy. It is important when providing your horse with massage therapy to either gain proper training before applying the techniques or hiring a certified equine massage therapist. There are times when massage therapy can make a condition worse, so all contraindications will need to be ruled out before massage therapy is performed. Also, remember that massage therapy is not a substitute for veterinary care and you should also consult with your veterinarian before trying a new therapy with your horse!
There are many reasons why you would want to tape your dog. I have listed a few of them for you below:
Common Conditions That Can Benefit From Kinesiology Tape:
Caution!While there is no doubt that your dog can likely benefit from kinesiology tape, it is important to use caution when applying the tape. Each condition listed above has a specific tape application associated with it and there are certain times kinesiology tape can make the situation worse and you should refrain from taping. Be sure to gain adequate training or consult with a canine kinesiology taping professional before taping your dog! Want to learn how to apply kinesiology tape to your dog? Check out our online course! Canine Kinesiology Tape On-Line NON-Certification CourseThis course was developed to teach dog owners how to apply kinesiology tape to their dog(s) to decrease pain, provide support and aid with numerous conditions such as hind end weakness, muscle spasms, joint instability and more! THIS COURSE DOES NOT INCLUDE A CERTIFICATION OPTION! Kinesiology tape is gaining popularity in both the human and equine world. As more people are becoming exposed to it, horse owners are beginning to wonder if this tape can help their horse. One of the more common questions I am asked from a horse owner is "Why would I want to tape my horse?". My answer is that there are MANY reasons why you would want to use kinesiology tape on your horse. I have listed some of those answers below
While there are MANY reasons your horse can benefit from kinesiology tape, it is also important to receive proper training before applying tape to your horse. There are specific ways of cutting and applying the tape to achieve the appropriate goals. There are also some circumstances when kinesiology tape can make a situation worse, so it is important to be familiar with these before taping your horse! Be sure to receive proper training or seek guidance from a trained practitioner. Learn How to Tape Your Horse with Our OnLine Course!Non-certification course available for horse owners. Certification Course available for equine professionals. Equine Kinesiology Taping On-Line Certification Course
$300.00
You are registering for the Angel's Animals Online Equine Kinesiology Taping Course. THIS IS A CERTIFICATION COURSE FOR EQUINE PROFESSIONALS!
*Be sure to check your state laws before practicing animal massage or bodywork! *This registration fee does not include a $25 certification processing fee that is due when you submit your case studies. Equine Kinesiology Taping On-Line NON-Certification Course
$200.00
You are registering for the Angel's Animals Online Equine Kinesiology Taping Course. This course was developed to teach horse owners how to apply kinesiology tape to their horses to decrease inflammation, support muscles and joints, improve function and more!
THIS IS NOT A CERTIFICATION COURSE! Is Your Horse In Pain?The likely answer is YES. Most horses will experience some degree of neck, back or hip (SI joint) pain during their lives and a surprising number of horses suffer from some form of chronic pain. Pain can be caused by intense training, ill fitting saddles and tack, imbalanced or inexperienced riders or injury (injury can occur in the stall, turnout or while riding). If the pain is not addressed, it can lead to long lasting postural and gait abnormalities causing chronic pain for the horse. How do you know if your horse is in pain?
What Can You Do?To help your horse achieve optimal wellness, it is important to have a team of reliable equine health care providers including a veterinarian, certified equine chiropractor, dentist, massage therapist and saddle fitter. To personally help your horse in between visits, you can provide your horse with massage, stretches and kinesiology tape. Equine Massage
Stretches
Kinesiology Tape
 Providing your horse with routine bodywork can ensure that he or she is able to live a happy and pain free life for many years to come! Courses for ProfessionalsWe also offer courses for Equine Professionals including certifications in Massage Therapy, Craniosacral Therapy and Body Alignment. Visit our website for more details!  |
AuthorDr. Angelique Barbara is the founder of Angel's Animals LLC, a company that has developed online animal bodywork courses for both owners and professionals. Dr. Barbara's unique teaching style along with the dynamic layout of the courses allows people of different educational backgrounds from all over the world to benefit from her knowledge. Archives
April 2020
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed