Alternative Therapies for Your Dog's Health

By Anita DeLelles, LMT

Nearly 40 percent of households in the United States own at least one dog. That’s a lot of dogs to keep healthy. To do so, dog parents are turning to complementary therapies that enhance their pets’ health and quality of life. Besides good nutrition and exercise, pet owners are exploring hydrotherapy, cold laser, acupuncture, acupressure, massage, and chiropractic services.

These alternative treatments should not be used as a replacement for traditional veterinary treatment and diagnosis; rather, they should be used in conjunction with them. The combination can work together as a balanced approach to your dog’s good health. A sound, integrated approach can be a road to recovery and a regiment to keep your dog healthy and happy. It may also add years to the life of your cherished pet.

Dogs enter the hydro tank, and water fills to the appropriate level for your dog—usually shoulder height. Once inside, the treadmill moves at a monitored speed, and the hydrotherapist assists any of the dog’s limbs or muscles that need help, achieving the correct range of motion. The temperature, buoyancy, and resistance of water positively builds muscle strength and manages pain.

When compared to regular exercise, stress on joints, bones, and muscles is greatly reduced with hydrotherapy. For some conditions, measurable results are often seen after just a few sessions; a regular course of treatment is needed for others. It’s not unusual to see dogs that could barely stand on their own begin to walk and lead a more normal life.

Laser therapy is used to treat a multitude of ailments and injuries and is ideal for pets recovering from surgery. Treatment can also be beneficial for animals that are injured or in pain. It helps the pet regain some mobility and activity earlier in the recovery process. Less pain and inflammation means greater range of motion in joints, which is particularly helpful for arthritis. In turn, the dog or cat will engage in more exercise and achieve a more desirable quality of life.

Cold laser can help heal:

• Joint, ligament and tendon injuries

• Bone fractures

• Muscle sprains or strains

• Skin lesions or abrasions

• Arthritis

• Nerve injury and more

• Musculoskeletal diseases

Pet massage is gaining wider acceptance as an alternative healthcare approach. Who doesn’t love a good massage? Often combined with acupressure, pet massage stimulates the body’s soft tissue to increase blood circulation, with the use of the laser instead of needles to access acupuncture points. By focusing on these points, various organs and meridians can be targeted for desired results. Observations and scientific studies have shown that massage can do the following:

• Reduce fear and anxiety

• Improve flexibility and mobility

• Relieve muscle spasms and stiffness

• Balance the body’s energies

• Release endorphins

• Fortify the immune system

Dog parents would likely agree that they would go to great lengths to keep their pets healthy and living a top quality of life. Alternative therapies are an exciting new way of doing just that!

For more information on health and wellness for your pet, visit woofcenter.com. You can also call them at 435275-4536 or stop by WOOF! Wellness Center & Training Academy at 3199 Santa Clara Drive in Santa Clara, Utah. Santa

About the Author

Anita DeLelles, LMT, is a certified equine and small animal acupressure practitioner with accreditation from the Tallgrass Animal Acupressure Institute and a member of IAAMB. Her Tallgrass training has included two consecutive summers in Bath, England, near where she lived as a child, as well as coursework in Colorado and northern California. Additionally, Anita is certified in animal massage from the Northwest School of Animal Massage as well as human massage in the state of Utah and is a graduate of UNLV. In 2013, Anita and her husband, Ron, opened WOOF! Wellness Center & Training Academy to serve pets and their health-conscious pet parents. WOOF! is dedicated to improving the quality of life for companion and competitive animals through fitness and conditioning, education, and proper nutrition. Anita shares her life with Ron and their overly-pampered cats in Santa Clara, Utah.