Acupressure Massage for Canine Arthritis and Dysplasia
Acupressure points on a dog’s body (just like canine acupuncture points) are usually located as small depressions between the muscles, or between the muscles and bones. When you find such an area by your touch, you may apply a steady rotating pressure -- with your fingertip -- to that particular acupressure location.
According to Chinese acupressure teachings, when you want to relax the massage point, gently massage counterclockwise over the point. Conversely, if you want to stimulate an area and increase the energy to the region, rub the acupressure point clockwise.
In other words, if your pet is generally weak then rubbing in a clockwise direction over the limbs and back will tend to energize them and perk them up. If they tend to be a bit sore, nervous, or hyperactive when you touch an area, rubbing the surrounding points in that region a counterclockwise rotation will usually relax the sore muscles and calm the dog down.
When your dog has arthritis in a particular joint, or stiffness in the neck or back, your therapeutic massage can help them relax and relieve the pain for a short while. Let’s take the example of a dog suffering from arthritis in their hip to understand how this is done.
The hip joint is surrounded by three acupressure points: One just in front of the hip joint, one above it and one behind it. To massage your dog with therapeutic touch, simply massage those three points -- with just one or two fingers -- with a gentle counterclockwise rotation of the fingers. To massage your animal’s spine, you will find that there are small depressions on each side of the backbone that you can also massage, and sometimes this will send your dog into ecstasy.
Let’s say your dog suffers from elbow arthritis on their front leg. To help, you can gently massage the acupressure points around the joint as well as the surrounding muscles in the shoulder and the neck. Once again, you must first feel for and find the small depressions that correspond to the acupressure points and then gently rub those areas while observing your dog’s response. That’s all that’s really involved. You find a sore area, locate the acupressure points, and then gently massage them with your fingertips.
Remember that when a dog has arthritis or dysplasia, they will often shift their weight to favor other limbs and hunch their backs to compensate for the pain. You should not just work on the limbs that have arthritis or dysplasia, but should work on those limbs that are receiving the extra load and tension. You should also massage the dog’s back, which will have become sore from the “scrunching up” effort.
The point is not to make the mistake of limiting your massage to just a tiny region.
After working on specific locations, be sure enlarge the radius of your attentions and finish up with a general full body massage to help your dog balance its energies and feel comfortable all over. Don’t forget rubbing the inside and outside of each ear.
The cardinal rule in giving your pet a massage is to not to push it, but to listen to your pet when they feel pain or discomfort. If your dog doesn’t like what you are doing, then stop it immediately.
The general rules for therapeutic massage for arthritis or dysplasia are to find an affected limb or spinal location, locate the relevant acupressure points, and massage your dog gently at those points in an appropriate rotation. Don’t just restrict your attention to a small area, but give your animal the pleasure of relaxation by being symmetrical in your efforts. Remember that even a small location like an elbow is connected to shoulder muscles and the back, so try to extend your efforts so that you relax everything connected with an affected limb.
Dogs usually love massage when you do it right, and this is a great way to help relieve your animal of pain and suffering. Most pets love it, and now you know how to do it to help them with their arthritis or dysplasia.
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