Saturday, July 14, 2007

Massage Therapy For Pets

Article by Azia Li Forrest, from the Villages Daily Sun

Once Nikki Hoffman finally learned how to calm her dogs, she decided to help others. "Massages help with range of motion with the older dogs," Hoffman said. "It improves circulation and enhances muscle tone."

Hoffman’s Barkissage Canine Massage Therapy has been open since April. Before that she was looking for a break from her 20-year career in technical sales. "We were living in Saint Lucie County, and it was around the time when we kept getting hurricanes," she said. "We had no electricity for several days and the dogs were panicked."

Hoffman, who has two Pekingese (Brandee-Cherie and Barry), said she noticed massages helped them relax. After moving to Lady Lake in 2006, she began doing more research on canine massage and became certified the following year. She also became an active member of IAAMB, the International Association of Animal Massage and Bodywork, and began volunteering her services at dog shelters and rescue organizations.

"It used to be considered alternative, but it’s becoming more mainstream," Hoffman said about dog massage. "It’s very fulfilling because the dogs benefit from it and so do I." Barkissage is the first certified therapeutic canine massage company in The Villages. Hoffman works closely with veterinarians in The Villages and Fruitland Park. "There are a lot of older, geriatric dogs here in The Villages," she said.

Although she thinks massage is beneficial to canines, she said it is not a substitute for medical care when a pet needs it. "Massaging does not replace good vet care," she said, "it works in conjunction with it."

1 Comment:

Anonymous said...

That is so cool massage for pets. The professional massage therapist can guide us what kind of massage we need. There are many types of massage it depends what you need. For relaxation Massage in Miami offers a wide technique for massage to relieve your stress and to make you feel better.