The time had come to make a sad decision about my old dog.

Animal massage therapy allowed me to postpone that decision and
give my dog ​​an extra two years of quality time with his family.

I have no doubt that it was the right decision and I urge all pet owners to investigate animal massage therapy for their own pets.

The health and wellness benefits of massage in animals are very similar to those in humans. Increased blood flow to the painful area reduces inflammation and reduces pain. The smooth movement of all the joints in the greatest possible amplitude improves the movement of the pet.

Wouldn’t it be great if your partner or other loved one, without fail, gave you a massage every day? Half an hour of gentle caresses, caresses and massages. Imagine what that would do for your happiness and self-esteem.? I get goosebumps just thinking about it. My self-confidence would skyrocket. Step aside from the world I’m going through!

And also for your pet.

Peppy, an Australian Cattle Dog mix, was an amazing dog, almost perfect in every way. He quickly accepted me as the pack leader and was very easy to train. Peppy quickly learned to obey my commands.

Peppy was not without its flaws, had its own little idiosyncrasies. I once believed that larger dogs shouldn’t come into the house and trained him not to. She insisted on going upstairs, sticking her nose out the door to see if I was in sight. A frown and a pointed finger was enough to send him running down the stairs.

I couldn’t break the habit. So I learned why. When he was not home, my wife and children encouraged him to come into the house to be with the family and sent him away when they heard I was coming back.

So I gave in. It was either that or get rid of the family and I couldn’t find anyone to take them and I wanted to keep the dog! Peppy became a fully supported member of the family and was allowed into most rooms in the house.

But Peppy always remembered that I had taught her that the house was a no-go area. He would poke his nose around the corner and, if I was in the room, he would quietly sneak around the perimeter of the room. Behind sofas, under tables and behind chairs, pretending he couldn’t see me while I pretended I couldn’t see him until suddenly he was beside me, his head on my knee, waiting for an accepting touch.

When Peppy was 14 I found him one morning with his hind leg swinging uselessly and in great pain. The vet said he had a torn ligament, the same one that soccer players suffer from. He was an old dog but he did not look his age and was in excellent condition (as was his master who was getting older by the minute carrying this heavy dog ​​up and down the stairs).

Peppy would be as good as new, even better, after the operation, the vet said.

There was no decision to make. Peppy was a member of our family. We would raise the $3,000 for the operation somehow.

The operation and the six weeks of recovery were difficult for the dog. It was hard on the family. Pep was drugged up to the eyes with painkillers and sedatives. His leg was in a kind of cast from the hip to just six inches past the foot. He struggled to his feet and walked like a drunken sailor.

The only part of him that seemed to work as it should was wagging his tail.

It was more difficult for Vlady, my wife. Peppy absolutely adored my wife. Her only purpose in life is easy to be by her side. She used to follow her from room to room and didn’t see any reason why she shouldn’t now. He would stagger after her a pitiful sight.

Poor Vlady! She became virtually flesh bound and she was afraid to move because he cared so much. She sometimes took a chance if he was fast asleep, but soon realized that she was gone and would search desperately for her.

But Peppy recovered and was almost like new They told him not to participate in any jumping games, but that she could have if she wanted to. She had a little arthritis and couldn’t see as well as she used to, but the next twelve months were wonderful for all of us.

And then almost twelve months a day tragedy struck again. I found Peppy with her other leg dangling and she was in a lot of pain. We went through the same thing again but this time Peppy was not like new. All Peppy did was lay under the table and smacked him on the floor with her tail when we talked to him.. It seemed too weak to wag its tail.

It was obvious to me that I had to start thinking about releasing him from his pain.

Then I read an article in an Australian dog magazine touting the benefits of animal massage therapy for dogs in Peppy’s condition and lifespan. I did some research and learned the techniques and as soon as I could I started animal massage therapy at Peppy. I did it every day for two years and it worked like a charm.

As blood flow to her painfully swollen joints increased, her pain subsided, and the gentle manipulation of her limbs helped her joints move more freely. Her muscles became firmer and more flexible. Peppy started walking again. He was still an old man, but he enjoyed his old age and loved the attention he was receiving.

Peppy passed away at the age of 18. Had massage therapy prolonged his life? I think she had. Did it improve his quality of life? He certainly did and we had two years of quality time with our old friend.