Certified Canine Massage Therapist
Help decrease pain and improve joint health, while reducing stress and anxiety in your dog.
Let us help them stay happy into old age!
Home visits available!
Not all dogs like to travel, if this sounds like your pooch then talk to us about a home visit.
Certified massage therapist
For your piece of mind Rochelle is certified by the Chicago School of Canine Massage.
Advanced Laser Therapy
Using latest technology from Companion Animal Health for non-invasive treatment.
The Benefits of Canine Massage
Massage can:
- Decrease Pain
- Improve joint health / mobility
- Enhance and stimulate the immune system
- Improve blood and oxygen circulation to the tissues and muscles
- Reduce stress and anxiety
- Reduce / improve injury / surgery recovery time
Possible reasons to consider massage:
- Behavioural challenges
- Anxiety and / or stress
- Arthritic conditions
- Pain / injury
- Pre or post surgery
- Pre or post events
Psychological Benefits:
- Trust building, especially in fearful and anxious dogs
- Re-introducting the dog to positive touch through desensitisation and counter condition to touch
- For shelter, rescue and re-homed dogs, massage can positively engage through touch
- Massage is calming
- Reduce stress and anxiety
Physiological benefits include:
- Increased circulation, thus blood and oxygen flow throughout the dog which is vital to health tissues and organs
- Stimulates on-going healing, flushing toxins from the body
- Less Stress = more healing, stress levels can affect a dogs health; massage helps to reduce stress, and aids in healing from injury, surgery, illness or even a simple change in routine
- Regular consistent massage will help keep your dogs muscles and joints moving, ultimately what you and your dog wants
- Muscle soreness due to over activity, compensation due to injury or pain, or actual inactivity which has given rise to limited muscle movement
- With arthritic or degenerative disease, massage can decrease pain patterns and the intensity of pain
About Rochelle Townsend
Animals of all shapes and sizes, be it horses, cats or dogs have been a big part of my life from a very young age, managing to wrangle our mum at a very early age to allow us to keep a stray kitten was the beginning of it all. After several years breeding Thoroughbred racehorses I decided to obtain my Certificate in Veterinary Nursing, and worked at a small animal and equine clinic in Drury, South Auckland for a few years before returning to Stud work. Almost 15 years ago the opportunity to train as a Professional Detector Dog handler came my way, I took it and working with dogs is a fulfilling role that I love.
Building trusting relationships with my dogs allowed for three very successful Championship Obedience and Agility sports dogs, team work and fun for all. For me the path to Canine Massage Therapy began with Delta who was diagnosed with Spondylosis and Myelopathy, she was my first Shepherd to suffer this and we were fortunate to do some alternative therapy with her which helped her immensely. It made me look at the other treatments available for dogs to complement and / or offer alternatives to heavy medications, hence the path to Canine Massage.
The Chicago School of Canine Massage was recommended to me and I applied and excitedly was accepted. The level of course content was exceptional and the world of benefits to dogs via the use of ‘touch with intent’ opened up to me. Now my dream of working with dogs has developed to again assisting them be as healthy and mobile as they can be, regardless of age.
Advanced Canine Massage Therapy
Chicago School of Canine Massage
Qualified Veterinary Nurse
Unitec, Auckland
Professional Detector Dog Handler
Auckland Airport
Dog Obedience Instructor
for All Breeds Dog Training Club
Laser Therapy - Now Available!
As the nimble problem-solver, laser therapy (photobiomodulation therapy), is fast-acting and versatile. This vet approved, technician-driven process effectively treats a wide variety of conditions including pre-surgical, post-surgical, acute, and chronic disease states. This proven therapy delivers fast results with non-invasive delivery that your dog will enjoy. And did we mention cute eyewear that you will love?
Contact us for pricing based on area to be treated or combine with 1 hour massge.
The Right Type of Canine Massage
Trigger Point Therapy
This is one of the most effective treatments to reduce and eliminate pain and dysfunction in dogs. Trigger Points are highly irritable localized spot of exquisite tenderness in a nodule, in a palpable taut band of muscle tissue. Releasing trigger points will increase circulation that has been restricted through contracted muscle tissues and it also directly stretches the trigger point knotted muscle fibres. Trigger points can arise gradually via factors such as chronic stress, postural stress, overuse as seen in conformation, agility and general daily activity of dogs. Some other factors that contribute are anxiety, stress, structural imbalance, hypermobility of joints and even nutritional inadequacies.
Palliative/Hospice Massage
Old dogs nearing the later stages of their lives, still need to be stimulated and massage is a great way to allow this to happen, even if the dog is not moving around much. Introducing massage will increase the blood circulation throughout the body, increasing oxygen flow through the body. Passively moving the joints promotes movement and fluid production to aid the joints, and stimulates the dog’s nervous and integumentary system. Often this can invigorate the dogs and put a little spring back into their step while making them feel better in themselves. Hospice massage care focuses on primarily providing pain control plus physical and emotional comfort to the dog. Massage for end of life care is comforting for the dog and for the owner in so many ways.
Sports Massage
Pre and Post Event massage are part of the whole sports massage picture, providing the canine athlete a great muscle warm up, stimulating circulation allowing muscles to work longer and more efficiently, and enhance the canine athletes state of well being which allows for optimum performance capability. Post Event massage is about assisting the dog to recover from activity or competition;, it is effective straight after the event or within the next 24 hours as well.
Lymphatic Massage
A very light and delicate massage technique formulated to encourage the flow of the lymph fluid through the lymph channels and to the kidneys for filtration. Effective use of the lymphatic system is important for reducing swelling at wound areas, surgical sites, and injury swellings. It assists with geting anaesthetic drugs through the system quickly and out of the dog, and is also incorporated into pre and post surgical massage.
Pre / Post Surgery
Massaging can benefit the dog both before and after surgery by promoting relaxation, enabling the dog to be less stressed in the environment, and reduce swelling around surgical sites. It allows in some instances the limbs to passively utilise range of motion without the dog having to do the movement itself.
Myofascial Release
Myofascial techniques refers mainly to the soft tissue manipulation in either direct or indirect techniques using a shearing motion. Myofascial release aims at softening and relaxing fascia, separating the muscle/fascia layers lying deep down. It is based on the fact that any tension, shortening, or thickening in the fascia can affect total body function and may set up a chain of restrictions throughout the body.
Massage and Laser Options
Discount applies for follow up clients at Papakura treatment room.
Appointments available for every fortnight at the North Shore dog training club in Greenhithe.
Home visits available, travel fee of $40 may apply.
ONE HOUR MASSAGE WITH LASER
- The hour-long feel great session. Aids health, mobility and maximises your dogs quality of life.
MASSAGE INITIAL ASSESSMENT
- Can take up to 1½ hours. Includes gait observation, history information to provide a good starting point background, acclimatisation of the surrounds for the dog, and an approximately one hour massage.
SUBSEQUENT ONE HOUR MASSAGE
- The hour-long feel great session. Aids health, mobility and maximises your dogs quality of life.
SUBSEQUENT HALF HOUR MASSAGE
- Maintaining the feel good, waggy tail, and love of life in your dog.
Times are an approximate, as the individual dog will only allow for the duration it’s comfortable with; and as such these times are guidelines.
Cancelation with less than 24 hours notice : 50{c7b81a748328e77cf3311ae10ef401552c3a421390cd17c1707a5bea3cbdd919} appointment fee.
Cancelation with less than 12 hours notice : 100{c7b81a748328e77cf3311ae10ef401552c3a421390cd17c1707a5bea3cbdd919} of appointment fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Feel free to contact us with any questions that are not answered here.
Even normal healthy dogs are able to benefit from massage. Most pets are happy, active, chasing balls and sticks, running and jumping around. General massaging will help to relax tight or wound up muscles that occur without your dog showing any signs. Promotes good healthy muscles and maintain range of motion, your dog will still feel the benefits of more relaxed muscles and feel pawsome for it.
Trust is a vital component of the relationship between myself and your dog, if your dog is unsure of the initial massaging then I will spend time gaining his/her trust. As this is part of the process the fee is still payable as per booking.
This varies from dog to dog. Some dogs will require more sessions initially than others. If not in a rehabilitation program and looking at a general well being massage then it can be once every 2-4 weeks depending on the dog.
You do not need a Veterinary referral but I would suggest to mention to your vet and then ask your vet to contact me so that a full detailed history and surgery report can be discussed and from that together with your vet a comprehensive recovery plan can be discussed.
Just because your dog is old, certainly doesn’t mean that he or she shouldn’t have the optimum ability to move about and enjoy their life with you. The benefits of massage for the elderly dogs really can make a huge difference to them. Stimulating muscles, increasing blood circulation and getting oxygen throughout the body.
Not at all, massage is available for all dogs of any shape, size, breed or age. Feeling good is important for all our best four legged friends.
Get in touch
Don’t hesitate to contact me to discuss your requirements. We have clinics in both Papakura, South Auckland and fortnightly at North Shore Dog Training Club, Greenhithe
