Courses teach dog owners about therapeutic touch.
When Alexis, a six-year-old husky-lab mix, suffered a stroke that left her back legs paralysed, her owner turned to an unconventional form of therapy to help her recover.
“I massaged her back legs every night, and it seemed to do wonders,” says Alexis’ owner, Barb Vincent, who works in Finance and Administration Services at Ottawa’s Algonquin College.
She was therefore interested when the college’s School of Health and Community Studies offered a one-day workshop called Massage for Pets. There she learned how massage could benefit any dog by improving blood circulation and muscle tone, as well as minimizing discomfort caused by joint ailments such as arthritis. She was also taught the basic techniques of providing this kind of massage.
Her teacher was a certified canine masseuse, Sandy Benoit, who has embraced a personal mission to help dogs and cats by integrating massage into their lives and the lives of their owners.
“I can’t get enough of it,” says Benoit, who did not let a daytime job stop her from offering pet massage to clients on evenings and weekends. The work has since become her full time occupation, under the company name Canine Touch and Tell. Over the years, her passion for this healing practice has continued to grow.
“Dogs have unseen stresses and they carry them quietly,” she explains. “Only through massage can you find out what ails the dog, because the dog can’t tell you.”
Benoit learned this lesson first hand more than a decade ago. That was when Carleton, a yellow lab she required as a guide dog, developed some physical problems that were highlighted by stiffness in his legs. While researching the best way to help him, she discovered massage, which significantly improved his quality of life.
Although even veteran dog owners might regard pet massage as something of a novelty, it keeps Benoit busy. Depending on the individual case, she may treat clients as often as once a week, while others come once a month.
“We send them home with homework,” she says. “The more they can do between sessions, the more they get out of it.”
Barb Vincent enjoyed her formal introduction to the subject. “It’s a good workshop because they are doing not only theory but also hands-on,” she notes.
She adds that while Alexis will never be in the same shape she was before the stroke, the dog is now walking, running, and doing much better than Vincent had expected. Meanwhile, Benoit’s dog Carleton has fared just as well, eventually retiring from his guide dog duties to lead a happy life in her home.
Benoit’s current guide dog, Jet, enjoys daily massage and is the picture of perfect health.
Note from Liz: Paddington has been going to Sandy Benoit of Canine Touch and Tell for almost a year now to work on her knee that still has the luxating patella. Canine Massage has done wonders for her and she is more mobile than ever. We make sure to work on the muscles so she won’t have to have the other leg operated on. She is very vocal and loves her massages!
If you are interested in having Canine Massage on your dog, call Sandy at 613-762-8869
Liz Bradley is a dog lover who lives in Ottawa, Ontario with her husband,