Relieving Pet Stress with Massage

Are you feeling the stress of the holidays? Do you come home frazzled and cranky? Believe it or not, our pets feel stress, too. Most of it comes from picking up on our emotions, but there are other stressers in our pets' lives, including being home alone all day, artificial lights, lack of natural sunshine, poor nutrition, etc. Some of these things you cannot change, even if you want to, but one thing you can do is massage your pet to better health.

Massage works wonders on many animals and it is very easy to do. Five to ten minutes is all that is required, along with some quiet time. If your pet fits on your lap, that is perfect. If not, offer him a soft spot to lay down, and start rubbin'. Remember, this supposed to be fun and relaxing, so if your pet is not in the mood, try again later.

Start at the top and work down

Using the pads of your ring fingers, gently rub along the face and chin area. Work your way up the jaw line to the base of the ears, being careful to not poke your fingers into their ear canals. Very gently, rub the ear itself between your thumb and forefinger. When you get to the tip of the ear, rub in a slow, gentle circular motion for approximately three to four seconds. Animal ears are very sensitive to pressure and temperature, so don't rub too hard or too long. In acupressure, the tip of the ear holds anxiety which can lead to destructive behaviours, such as excessive barking and inappropriate chewing and rubbing that spot can help alleviate some of that pent-up energy.

With most animals, you can massage the neck with one hand, much the way you would rub a human's neck. Work down the neck slowly and gently to the shoulders and then down the front legs. The motion for the front legs is a two-handed "sweep". With your hands on the shoulders, sweep down the shoulders and chest, with a long stroke down the front legs.

The back's where it's at

The spine is just as important to your pet's life and well-being as yours is, so give it some extra attention. Most animals prefer a little extra pressure here, so go ahead and use your thumb pads if your animal can take it. They will let you know if they don't like it! With you hands on each side of the animals rib cage, use your thumbs to rotate along the spine, working out little knots and kinks. When you get to the hips, use the same sweeping motion as the front legs, pulling gently down the legs to the feet. Some animals love to have their feet very gently manipulated, some hate it. Again, they will let you know. And tails are generally off limits. It seems to be an area where rubbing causes concern, not relaxation.

You benefit, too

All of this sounds great, you may be thinking, but I'm the one who needs the massage. Well, I for one strongly advocate that you go get one. However, sitting quietly with your beloved baby for a few moments and massaging away some of their stress will have some very positive health benefits for you, too. It's a great way to bond with your animal. It will lower your blood pressure and increase immuno function. It will cause you to breathe deeper and slower and make you smile. And that's all good, for both of you.