This article is intended to give information on the benefits of canine massage and help guide you through some useful massage techniques and mobility exercises for the working dog. It cannot be stressed enough that you should seek veterinary help if you notice anything different about your dog’s behaviour or its constant lameness. A vet can refer you to a specialist or qualified complementary therapist if he or she thinks it is necessary. The treatment of animals in the UK is covered by the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 and Exemption Order 1962 which forbid anyone other than a vet from working on an animal without gaining prior veterinary approval. 

Movement and Flexibility  

Dogs and their owners take part in so many different activities these days which put the dog’s body under some sort of stress. If the dog is not in peak physical condition and sound in its muscular skeletal system, then the athletic demands it is placed under can cause an injury. Dogs are very good at masking slight pain and discomfort, compensating for this by altering their gait. This, in turn, will increase the demands on other parts of the body which are having to work harder. Something as simple as a slight muscle injury in one leg will cause the dog to alter its balance and put more weight on to another, affecting the normal functioning of the spine and thus causing secondary problems. A tense muscle or slight injury after working can go on to develop into something more serious, causing further discomfort for your dog and a reduction in performance.  

Another problem in the athletic or working dog as a result of an injury can be a loss in psychological drive. An injured dog is not able to perform at its best and can begin to associate the discomfort with the activity. 

Movement requires as much flexibility in the body as possible. The dog’s hindquarters are its power, the movement of the legs and hips creating the push towards the pelvis and spine and onto the shoulder area and front legs. The forequarters are considered to be your dog’s power steering, with the neck acting as a counterweight to keep the dog balanced and adjust its centre of gravity. The front end takes the greatest amount of stress when jumping and there is a moment, on landing, when all the weight is supported by just one leg.  It is important that your dog’s movement is as smooth and balanced as possible. If you get to know your own dog’s usual movement and gait, you can quickly detect anything out of the ordinary.   

Much as your dog enjoys hunting, it is physically hard work. Unless he is thoroughly fit for the job you expect him to do any dog will slow down after half an hour of work and could be more prone to muscle and joint injuries. This conditioning of the working dog should consist of  the correct diet, exercise and a little time spent working on his physical fitness.  

Imagine you had spent most of the summer lying around the house with only the occasional walk in the park and when autumn arrived you were loaded into the car and expected to run a half marathon!  Would you be ready and physically fit?

You would more than likely incur an injury to your muscles or joints as well as being physically exhausted. 

Your dog will be better prepared for the work you ask him to do if he is physically equipped to handle it. This means not only should the dog carry no extra weight but its muscular system should be prepared to take on the demands of hunting and have the ability to recover efficiently after exercise.  

Skeleton and Muscular System

Dogs move through a co-ordinated effort which involves bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerve stimulations, to give him smooth and efficient movement. 

The dog’s skeleton comprises around 319 separate bones, varying slightly from breed to breed and depending on the length of its tail.  The skeleton provides a surface for the attachment of muscles via tendons, while bones are linked together via ligaments at a joint.

The joints act as shock absorbers and allow a degree of movement in specific directions.  A joint is surrounded by a capsule containing a fluid called synovial fluid, which lubricates the joint, while the ends of the bones are covered in cartilage, which provides a smooth surface for mobility and absorbs the concussion. Keeping your dog's joints healthy is important at any age. Without healthy joints, your dog will have a more difficult time remaining active, and could even experience a decrease in mobility all together.

Assessing Your Own Dog

 The Gait 

If you are aware of your dog’s normal gait and how the muscles usually feel, then any potential problems should be revealed early by a change in these. Sound movement contributes both to an agility dog’s stamina and ability to work, as well as to its overall health and comfort. 

The sequence in which the legs follow each other to produce movement in the dog is referred to as the gait and this is best assessed at a walk and a trot. When your dog is on the move it should be effortless, smooth and well co-ordinated, with no contact between the individual legs. The length of stride should be comfortable and usual for your own dog. Each breed of dog has its own particular gait. What is normal for a German shepherd will not be the same for a spaniel. The dog’s body is symmetrical with the right side mirroring the left and the movements of each side of the body should be the same. 

Things to look for are:

• even stride
• shoulders and hips balanced and moving freely
• free head and tail movement
• level backline
• feet moving freely with no brushing

The inward angling of a dog’s legs is known as single tracking.

The legs incline more towards the centre line as speed increases and eventually all paws travel in almost a single line/track. 

The Superficial Muscles of Movement 

We hold stress and tension in our bodies and animals do the same. Get a general feel for the structure of your dog’s body with long, steady strokes, start at the head and work towards the tail, using a light stroking touch and increasing the pressure a little to feel the superficial muscles under the skin.  Keep your touch light but firm and always mould your hand to the dog’s shape.  

Always watch for your dog’s response and be aware of what he is trying to tell you,

if there is any area which you can’t touch it might indicate that your dog is concerned or uncomfortable, possibly due to an injury.  However, it might be that this is a new experience and you will have to do it more frequently until he is feels comfortable with it. Be aware of any changes to the feel and temperature of your dog’s muscles each time you do this. Do not force your dog to do anything he is not happy with. 

Responses to look out for that might indicate a problem could include:

• Not relaxing
   
• Moving away from your touch
   
• Sitting, particularly when you reach the rear
   
• Turning to look at what you are doing
   
• Snarling, growling or biting (be careful and respect what he is telling you)

Feel the muscles of the neck and shoulders, over the shoulder blades and then down towards the elbows.

Work along the dog’s back, either side of the spine towards the tail. 

Feel from the spine, down the ribs.

Finally, feel the muscles of the hindquarters working down the thighs and to the stifle.

Massage and Passive Stretching Exercises 

Full range of movement is important for the working dog.  Muscles that are tight restrict movement and cause pain just as muscles that are not loosened and cleansed after activity can result in stiffness and further discomfort.  A regular programme of pre and post event massage and passive stretching is effective in maintaining muscle health, increasing the blood supply and, therefore the delivery of nutrients and the removal of waste products.

When muscles are constricted or tight they will be lacking in proper blood flow. Movement can then become restricted and the area painful. Without relieving this pain, the muscles will tighten even more, the body will then get out of balance and the problem will become worse. 

Warm Up and Cool Down 

Before any massage or stretching moves, your dog should have exercised and warmed up. A short walk at moderate pace followed by a brief trot for 2 or 3 minutes works well as a warm up exercise, preparing the dogs body for the pre event massage and passive stretching. This warms the muscles due to the increased blood circulation, lengthening the muscle fibres and making them more flexible. Your dog is less likely to sustain injury through muscle damage if those muscles are first prepared for the work they are to do.

Just as important as a warm up routine is the cool down period. This can consist of a short walk to relax the dog immediately after exercise and then leave him to return to a balanced state before the post event massage. This will reduce muscle tension and again increase blood flow and lymphatic drainage. The idea is to promote recovery and return the dog’s body to its pre-exercise level, helping to lower the breathing and heart rate.  

Pre Event Massage   

Used together with a physical warm up, pre event massage will assist the muscles in working longer and more efficiently by enhancing circulation, reducing muscle tension, increasing flexibility and enhancing the general state of well being, preparing your dog for performance. By raising the general body and muscle temperature and by then stretching the muscle and connective tissue through massage you improve the elasticity of the muscle, improving efficiency and reducing the risk of injury. 

A pre event massage will leave your dog’s muscles warmed for up to two hours and when queuing for an event the moves can be repeated if necessary. 

Post Event Massage   

Performed up to 4 hours after activity, the post event massage will reduce muscle spasms, assist in removing adhesions, help loosen tight, constricted muscles and rid the muscle of waste products such as lactic acid, which can accumulate after exercise. It is this accumulation of waste products which causes pain and stiffness. The muscles are then able to absorb efficiently the re-oxygenated blood and nutrients which it needs to recover and to help repair any soft tissue injury. 

The pre and post event massage techniques need some understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the dog in order to be carried out correctly and safely.

Passive Stretching   

Watch a dog when it wakes up and the first thing it does is to stretch. The dog’s stretch reflex is a protective mechanism, if overstretched the nervous system will relay a message causing an immediate muscle contraction to prevent damage. Passive stretching is the extension of a joint to the dog’s comfortable range; the exercises should not extend the limb beyond this and you should always watch for your dog’s reaction and response.  

Stretching will help develop your dog’s body awareness and co-ordination, help keep the muscles and joints flexible by warming and lengthening the muscle fibres and provide you with feedback on its physical condition. Regularly used, passive stretching exercises have immense benefits for your dog’s well being, helping to prevent injury, relaxing and relieving tension build up, increasing blood and lymph circulation and improving range of movement. 

How to Perform Passive Stretching Exercises 

Stretching can be done either with the dog standing or lying on its side.

Forward Stretch

Backward Stretch

Shoulder Rotation 

Forward Stretch

Backward Stretch                                    

Hip Rotation 

Lateral Neck Stretch

Neck Flexion

Neck Extension

Be aware at this time, of any changes to your dog’s muscles   eg.  heat or injury,  and treat it appropriately. Massage and stretching are not to be done if your dog is suffering from an injury.  Should there be any physical damage do not massage, as this could cause the problem to become worse.  

IF IN DOUBT, DO NOT MASSAGE

Contra-indication to massage and stretching

It is important that you do not massage or stretching exercises on a dog when the following contra-indications are present: 

• A high temperature (over the normal of around 101F/38.5C) -

             massage will increase the body temperature

• Cut/Open wound

              there is a risk of introducing infection

• Acute trauma, ruptured muscle/tendon
• Inflamed, bruised areas
• Vomiting or diarrhoea
• Shock
• Dehydration
• Immediately after eating
• Immediately after exercise
• Fractures
• Do not massage a dog belonging to someone else
• Do not massage your dog if he does not want it

Massage and Stretching Exercises are not a substitute for veterinary care - If in doubt, do not massage- 

Prevention is better than Cure. 

Pre and Post event massage cannot be learnt thoroughly merely by reading a book or studying diagrams, because you do need to have some knowledge of your dog’s anatomy and physiology. But at least if you are aware of how important flexibility and proper preparation is to your dog, you can go some way towards maintaining your friend’s fitness and comfort, and helping to prevent injury in the first place by using warming up and cooling down exercises and performing passive stretching. 

You cannot expect your dog to perform at its best if it is taken from the car and immediately asked to work. Equally to put it back into the car or crate and leave it while you go off for a cup of tea is not going to bring the best out of your dog.  They do their best for us and should be treated with respect and care. 

Massage and stretching does not take long to do and as well as doing your dog the world of good it strengthens the bond you have with each other. 

The Canine Engine

You should be aware of your dog’s heart rate and pulse, these vary according to the breed, age, weight, activity level and so on.

 The pulse is a reflection of the heartbeat and is an indicator of blood circulation. To obtain the correct reading, the dog must be calm. Place your finger on the inside of the thigh near the groin and feel gently in that area for a pulse from the femoral artery just under the skin. Use a watch with a second hand and count how many beats you feel in one minute.

You can feel for a heartbeat behind the left elbow between the third and sixth rib. The beat can be observed as a regular, slight movement of the chest wall on the left side of the dog’s body, where the heart is located.

Normal Range

Heart rate - 180 beats a minute for puppies
                     60-160 beats per minute for most adult dogs
                     180 beats a minute for toy breeds

Pulse - 60 to 120

Respiration -10 to 30 

The dog’s hard working heart….

When dogs run, their heart rate rises dramatically, pumping oxygen-rich blood to the muscles. A resting dog has a heart rate around the same as a resting human, 80 beats per minute. A working dog's heart rate can reach 274 beats a minute, which is almost double the rate of a healthy, active human. The hard working muscles of an active dog need plenty of oxygen to meet its energy demands (this is known as aerobic respiration).  When the oxygen is being used faster than it can be replaced lactic acid is produced, (anaerobic respiration) causing stiffness and discomfort in the muscles as they tire.

The dog’s cooling system….

An overheated dog will breathe in and out through its mouth. With each pant it inhales cool air and as the cool air moves into the lungs, it absorbs heat and moisture.

Dogs that are only slightly hot will breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth, using their tongues to direct the air flow.  This helps to reduce water loss. To breathe in one way and out another, dogs use their tongues to direct the air-flow. When the tongue moves backwards, it keeps air from travelling between the mouth and lungs and the dog inhales through the nose. As it moves forward, it allows air to move out through the mouth.  

Dealing with minor muscle injuries 

Dog injuries are a standard part of dog ownership and particularly of working dogs. There are cut paws, gashed legs, puncture wounds from a thorn, or soft tissue/muscle and tendon injuries. 

The muscles can experience bruising, stretching, tearing or rupture injury. Some can be treated with medication, while others may require surgery to repair. The indication is usually swelling, pain and/or an inability to fully use a part of the body with some lameness. Bruising injuries to muscles typically improve with medication and time. Some muscle tears can also recover with medication and time. Muscle or tendon ruptures and ligament damage may require surgery. 

It is sometimes difficult to tell an injury from sore or stiff muscles. Lameness in a limb indicates injury, although your dog may be injured without showing this sign.

If in doubt have your vet examine the dog. Some injuries require surgical intervention. As with any injury with your dog, stay calm, and approach the dog cautiously.

Muscle injuries can be treated by applying a cold compress as soon as possible, certainly within the first 24 hours

Use crushed ice within a container, or a special ice pack.
 
Do not apply ice directly to the skin.

Apply for a maximum of 6-7 minutes over dense muscle
and 2-3 minutes over bony areas.    
 
IF SYMPTOMS PERSIST CONSULT YOUR VET….. 

Post-injury management includes: 

• cold therapy to relieve pain, prevent swelling, and decrease muscle spasms
• range of motion exercises and stretching to improve motion in the joints
• heat therapy to relieve pain, aid in healing, and increase movement
• muscle strengthening exercises through canine massage therapy

Nina Lacey trained in canine therapeutic massage with the Institute for Complementary Animal Therapies and runs the Sirius Centre for Canine Therapy on the Kent/Sussex border, where she treats dogs with veterinary referrals and holds workshops in Pre and Post Event Massage and Introduction to Canine Massage.  She has worked with a variety of muscle injuries, kennel stress and recently with canine paralysis and has worked closely with the Dogs Trust and Blue Cross.