I am dedicating this page to pet owners who would like to share their stories about how massage has helped their pet. 

**The stories shared on this page are the thoughts, opinions, views and actual events shared by pet owners. Though I wholeheartedly believe in massage therapy and its benefits, I always recommend that it be used in conjunction with a veterinary consult, especially if your pet has an injury, so you, as a pet owner, are aware of all options of treatment available to your pet to make his life the best it can be. **

Sage’s story (as told by his owner):

 (Sage giving kisses)

"I believe in the power of a body to be able to heal itself, my own body as well as my dogs.  I tend to avoid interventions when possible, particularly massive, and invasive ones, and let time and nature work it's own miracles. 

Sage injured his leg while running and playing hard in the deep snow with dogs much younger and larger than himself.  He was "three legging it" and I was worried that something was broken, so I took him to the vet.  They informed me that he had a torn cruciate ligament and that he needed surgery.  The fee was so much that I'd have to borrow it, and it would take years paying back.  I would not even have done this for an injury of my own.  I have torn ligaments in my own leg, and broken bones that I did not have casted, and they healed just fine on their own. 

I made the decision to not do anything about Sage's injury.  There were times when I questioned my decision as I watched Sage struggle through weeks of hobbling about on three legs, and had to break his heart by locking him in his crate while I went cross country skiing (which is his favorite thing to do).  My niece the massage therapist, was visiting me one day, felt sorry for his pain and struggle,  and began to work on his leg just casually.  She commented that she thought massage might really help him out.  After she worked on him three times in one week, he began to use the leg again, gingerly, and with a  remarkable limp, but he was using it again. 

So we made it a point to work with massage on him as frequently as possible.....sometimes twice per week, sometimes twice per month. 

As the winter came to a close, Sage began to use his leg almost normally.  Back when he first began to use the leg, I had begun taking him on very short walks, only on even terrain.  As his limp became less pronounced, I began to increase the length of the walks.  As his gait normalized, I did notice still, a certain rotation in that hind leg, particularly when he was getting tired.  I allowed him to hike with me anyway, as I believe that keeping the muscle strong and the blood flowing to the injury is the best thing for healing.  I did keep the hikes shorter than what was normal for us.  I believe that keeping the dog's spirit well is as important as keeping his body well.    

Sage, being the older dog that he was, did slow down and was cautious with himself when his leg was bothering him.  (I'm not sure a young dog would have the self control to take it slow.......and might be more prone to re-injury).  

Spring and summer came and went, and Sage spent the hot summer days either sleeping in the shade or swimming with me at the lake or swim fetching in my pond.  He swam and swam and swam all summer long.  (lots of stress free exercise for his leg, I was thinking). 

The following autumn, (not yet a year after the injury) he accompanied me on all of my hikes.....even to the Adirondack Mountains on backpacking trips.  (His spirit would have hurt too much to leave him behind).  During that time, I noticed that he did well for the first few hours, and when he tired, the limp began to show itself very slightly again.  The next winter, (a year or so following the injury)  the situation was the same.......he was fine, even in the snow, until he began to tire, and then the limp would show itself again. 

I had come to the conclusion that he would be spending the rest of his life coming up a little lame after exceptionally long hiking and skiing trips.  I was OK with this, thinking to myself.......well, he's not exactly a spring chicken, his overall quality of life is excellent, he is a very happy dog, and I myself am often lame for a day or two following a weekend of hard hikes or skiis.  I think we can live with this.........and I was very glad that I had radically decided to just SKIP the surgery. 

During the entire first year, my niece would work massage on his leg whenever she visited me or I visited her. 

Spring and summer and autumn came again, and the limp was never to be seen again, during those three seasons which were 15-18 months following the injury.   

The next winter, (just barely two years after injury) and Sage was then 10 years old, I took him skiing in deep snow, and realized after three or four times out, that I had completely forgotten about his leg, and he had also completely forgotten about it. 

Sage is now twelve, going on thirteen years old and still no sign of that funky rotation in his knee, nor of any limp whatsoever. 

I feel quite certain that Sage's leg would have healed on it's own, massage or not.  The body's power to heal is an incredible thing.  But without the massage, I'm thinking that the he might have had a residual limp for the rest of his life.  I believe that the massage sped the healing along, and also facilitated the healing to be more complete with less scar tissue, and greatly contributed to the lack of residual lameness in this dog's old age. "  

Sage enjoying agility fun.

If you would like to share your story along with pictures of your pet, please e-mail me !