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Since I began providing massage and bodywork for animals professionally in 1998, I have given between five and six thousand massages to a variety of animals, primarily dogs and cats. I have worked with animals of all ages in a wide variety of life situations: those recovering from injury, illness, and surgery; survivors of abuse, neglect, and/or abandonment, including pit bulls and others rescued from dog- fighting; those with geriatric and other ongoing physical issues such as arthritis and dysplasia; those with emotional and behavioral issues like aggression, depression, anxiety, and fear-biting; and those in need of hospice care. I have also provided sports massage at canine athletic events, and offer health maintenance care.
Doofus and Dutchess
I began teaching caretakers to massage their own animals in 2000; added sports massage classes in 2002; and have developed a relaxation massage class for groomers. I began instructing prospective practitioners in 2003, after assisting as an instructor in canine massage at Integrated Touch Therapy. I participated as a visiting instructor in canine massage at the Boulder College of Massage in 2004, and currently have Small Animal Massage Therapy classes scheduled at or in conjunction with massage schools in Wisconsin, Virginia, and North Carolina as well as at two locations in IL.
My involvement with massage and bodywork for animals, however, goes back much farther than 1998. Founding AMTIL (Animal Massage & Therapies) in May of that year was the beginning of my work as an animal massage therapist professionally; prior to that I had experience with a wide array of issues with my own animals, beginning when my St. Bernard (Doofus) had a hip dislocated as a result of being hit by a car in 1982. Given his age at the time (8), he was not an ideal candidate for surgery to pin the hip; I opted instead to keep him non-weightbearing, use ROM and exercises to strengthen the leg, and do intuitive massage and bodywork. The result was a full recovery and four additional years of active life.
 
Dypsy and Doofus Dani Dypsy and Daphne
In the time before discovering a place (Integrated Touch Therapy, then called Optissage) that offered instruction in massage with animals, I was introduced to the pain-relieving power of passive touch by my White Shepherd (Dypsy), who developed cancer of the hip; instructed in the care and management of structural imperfections and pinched nerves by my Beagle/Dachschund mix (Daphne), who was a mix in a distinctly literal sense; shown the circulatory system benefits of massage by my Black Lab (Dani), who developed circulation issues as she grew older; and learned of the effectiveness of touch with intent for emotional issues from my Chow Chow (Denny), who survived a very difficult early life to become a wonderful companion and massage demonstration model.
Still, knowing that positive effects could be produced without knowing what to call the techniques used or why they had the effect that they did made me wary of offering the benefits of touch for pay or to animals other than my own or those of friends or relatives. The canine and feline massage classes that I took at Optissage/Integrated Touch Therapy provided both a more systematic approach to working with animals and some of the terminology necessary to be able to explain the effects of massage and the reactions of the animals to their owner/caretaker/ guardians.
Daphne Dani and Denny
Gaining experience with a large number of animals in a wide variety of situations seemed like the most logical next step. I live near several no-kill animal shelters; they are where the vast majority of my massage work has taken place. Between these and private clients I have been fortunate enough to work with more than two thousand animals in the past several years and see the remarkable resiliency and recuperative powers they can bring to bear. These experiences, along with previous work as an instructor in the fields of sales and income tax preparation, have helped shape the Small Animal Massage Therapy program.
Snowball and Nicholas Goodnicky
My own animals have continued to provide inspiration and learning as well. Nick (American Eskimo), Spike (Beagle), and Frosty (Bichon Frise) have crossed the Rainbow Bridge, but showed me a great deal about overcoming fear and dealing with “Special Needs”; Spike was blind when we met, and Frosty gradually lost both his sight and hearing, but all three were wonderful classroom instructors and friends. My current group: Zeenie (Bloodhound/Rottweiler), Snowball (American Eskimo), and Arlo (Springer Spaniel), are excellent teachers as well and love to work in class, although each was considered “unadoptable” at one time. Our newest pack member, Buddy (Lhasa Apso) is still learning his role as a teacher; he has severe arthritis and a long-undiagnosed epilepsy that caused him to be untouchable when he was returned to the shelter, but thrives on massage (and medication) today.
My cats (brothers Fric and Frac, Frieda, Fred, Flo, and Fortunato) have taught me much about the differences between working with cats and dogs; they come to class in spirit only.
 
Zeenie Snowball Frosty and Spike Frac Freida Fric Fred and Flo
Formal continuing education has also been a factor: in addition to massage with Patricia Whalen-Shaw of Integrated Touch Therapy, I have taken instruction in animal communication with Dawn Hayman of SpringFarmCARES, small animal acupressure with Amy Snow, Nancy Zidonis, and Marie Soderberg of Tallgrass Animal Acupressure, Reiki for animals with Maria Duthie of Annisage, Healing Touch for Animals with Carol Komitor of HTA, and Homotoxicology with Dr. John Hanover, DVM.
 
Arlo and Snowball Forty Fortunato and Frac
Valuable as each of these has been, the most truly important learning has come from the animals, who continue to supply new and helpful insights on an almost-daily basis.
Buddy and his ball |
