Clinical massage uses a number of different massage techniques to isolate and work on:

• strains and sprains
• old injuries which may have given rise to shortening in the muscle and fascial tissue
• trigger points, which are areas of over activity within a muscle
• other soft tissue disturbance which is causing your dog discomfort and affecting their way of life

Read a more in depth description of clinical canine massage.

A bit, yes, but there is a fundamental difference. Your human physiotherapist may well set you exercises to do between sessions to help your recovery. Clinical canine massage uses touch and manipulation to stimulate your dog’s muscle and soft tissue.

Your free muscular health check will show whether your dog has a problem. Working from top to toe in a set routine, I will be able to tell if there is an issue which might respond to massage. We will discuss this straight after the quick assessment.

The first session is about an hour and a half and involves gait analysis outside as well as the main massage session inside. I often use slo-mo video as well as this can highlight subtle issues. The massage session itself is between 40 and 50 minutes and I will work from top to toe, dwelling on injury areas, but covering the whole dog. Subsequent sessions are just massage sessions and last an hour. Read more

If I identify something which I think I can help with, I will ask you to get a consent form from your vet, signed and returned to me before we start our sessions proper. This is to stay in line with UK law and the Veterinary Act 1966 and Exemptions Order 1962. I can email you a form, you can pick one up at your dog’s muscular check or you can download a form here or by clicking the button at the top of the page. I will include a covering letter for your vet and on completion of your dog’s treatment, I will send them a report.

I have worked as a Chartered Physiotherapist for over 30 years and have taken my human skills and retrained to enable me to help our canine friends. I am a member of the Canine Massage Guild and have completed their two year diploma in Therapeutic Canine Massage. I am also a qualified acupuncture practitioner, but again that’s just for humans. Click here for a more detailed bio

Your first session is a little longer than subsequent sessions as it includes a gait analysis outside as well as the massage therapy. The session lasts about an hour and a half; subsequent massage only sessions last an hour. All sessions cost £40. Normally we will not need more than 3 sessions.

The simple answer is because it’s the law. The Veterinary Act of 1966 protects your animals by allowing only registered members of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) to practice Veterinary Surgery. Veterinary surgery includes diagnosis of diseases and injuries and the tests performed for diagnosis, as well as advice and medical and surgical treatments. The Veterinary Surgery (Exemptions) Order 1962 allows for the treatment of animals by ‘physiotherapy’, provided that the animal has first been seen by a veterinary surgeon who has diagnosed the condition and decided that it should be treated by physiotherapy under his/her direction. At Dogzaligned we never work on a dog without gaining prior veterinary approval, or without confirmation from the vet that your dog is well enough to be treated. We will only work on the conditions diagnosed by the vet.

The most important thing for you is to remember to bring your Veterinary Consent Form as I cannot treat your dog without it. The most important thing for your dog is comfort. Before the appointment it is wise to make sure your dog has been to the toilet before settling down for an hour! More information about what to expect at a session.

No. A cat’s physiology is very different from that of a dog, and there are whole different muscles and muscle systems involved with a cat.