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Massage hands dogs many benefits

Headshot of Angie Tomlinson
Angie TomlinsonThe West Australian
Julie Edwards with her beagle Gemma.
Camera IconJulie Edwards with her beagle Gemma. Credit: The West Australian

Exercise physiologist Julie Edwards has found demand for her skills is highest in the canine world.

In fact 70 per cent of her work is now taken up by her Wellness Centre for Dogs and Their Humans, where among her services is a Canine Basic Massage Workshop.

Edwards says massage done properly and safely has many benefits for older dogs, particularly those suffering arthritis, as well as reactive or anxious dogs, and those with injuries such as cruciate ligaments.

Massage can be a great bonding experience, especially for rescue dogs. It is also a solid foundation for puppies who may experience soreness due to growth plates (soft areas at the ends of the long bones that contain rapidly dividing cells that allow bones to become longer until the end of puberty).

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“Prevention in a big thing,” Edwards says.

“If you can get a dog to 15, 16 or 17, depending on breed of course, who is able-bodied and who has less degeneration through their joints and tissue, that is great.”

She offers mainly private workshops but plans to reintroduce public classes where owners can bring in their dogs for the two-hour session, or come as an observer if their dog is reactive.

While massage is a technical skill that can’t be learnt overnight, she says the workshop teaches the basics.

“The big thing is to teach how to use your hands with tissue appropriately so you know it is safe,” she says, warning simply googling it can lead to unsafe practice.

Workshops cover basic physiology of how the dog’s lymphatic and nervous systems work; how to effectively work with connective tissue and muscle tissue and correct positioning and use of your hands.

She also uses it as a platform to educate owners about their pet from a physiology and biomechanics point of view.

Edwards has run massage classes from Fur Kidz Resort in Canning Vale and The Morley Vet Centre, as well as prearranged venues for private groups.

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