Small animal massage therapy is massage therapy for small animals, which include dogs, cats, pocket pets, avian animals, and small exotics. Washington Administrative Code (WAC) Chapter 246-940 defines an animal massage therapist as “an individual who provides external manipulation or pressure of soft tissues by use of the hands, body, or device designed and limited to providing massage. Animal massage may include techniques such as stroking, percussions, compressions, friction, Swedish gymnastics or movements, gliding, kneading, range of motion or stretching, and fascial or connective tissue stretching, with or without the aid of superficial heat, cold, water, lubricants, or salts.” and who provides massage “solely for purposes of the animal's well-being.” (More at the Department of Health website)

Massage for your pet has multiple benefits. This modality can be used for both healthy and ill/injured animals as techniques will vary depending on their condition. Healthy animals could experience lessened stress and anxiety, more relaxation, decreased muscular tension, and overall pain relief. Massage therapy for ill or injured animals could be rehabilitative, support mobility and healing, and complement other forms of treatment. Pets who are also experiencing new situations and related stress, such as going from a shelter to a new home or household changes, can benefit from focused efforts to activate their parasympathetic nervous system for rest. (More at the Why massage? section)

Amazing! Your loving touch is very important to strengthening the bond you have with your pet. I work with all of my clients on continuing the practice of intentional touch by giving them techniques they can use at home. We are a team when it comes to supporting their well-being. However, for more specialized massage techniques that effectively address your pet’s specific issues, that’s where trained and educated bodywork from a certified animal therapist makes a difference. I have in-depth knowledge of anatomy, kinesiology, health conditions, and massage practices to help.

For most pets, conditions, and life stages, massage is appropriate and can be adjusted to accommodate any particular needs of the animal. It will not cure any illness or injury but does support the animal in healing and recovery, providing relief and stimulating innate healing properties. Additionally, it can benefit the animal during rehabilitation with mobility and increased range of motion.

There are certain injuries and conditions for which massage should not be done (also known as “contraindicated”). When in doubt, check with your vet. In cases where your pet is in acute pain, such as from a recent surgery or injury, or suffering from skin sensitivity, such as severe itchiness from allergies, it may be very uncomfortable for them to receive massage or any type of bodywork. Massage is also not advised when they are actively sick (diarrhea, vomiting, cough, or fever) or infected. For intact females that are pregnant, massage is not advised in their first or third trimesters.

If you’ve ever received a massage yourself, you know personally that one session is not enough to solve all your aches and pains. Similarly, your pet has accumulated pain, discomfort, muscle tension, or compensatory behavior and posturing over time. It usually takes 2-3 sessions for results to appear, particularly if your pet has never received regular massage before or is recovering from a serious illness/injury. However, even after one session, you may notice differences such as drinking more, urinating more, and more relaxed movement.

This may depend on your pet’s rehabilitation plan as recommended by their vet. We would work together through recovery and then transition to maintenance. If your pet is not actively recovering from an illness or injury, maintenance massage therapy is a great preventative care measure. To start, I recommend 3-5 sessions weekly or every other week depending on their temperament; this will get them accustomed to my touch. Then we’d move into a regular cadence that makes sense for their needs and your schedule.

It depends on the surgery and your vet’s recommended plan for recovery in general. However, there are gentle massage techniques that can be used immediately right after surgery as long as your pet is not sensitive to touch. For example, manual lymphatic drainage can support flushing waste products from the body more quickly for animals who were under anesthesia. My focus on rehabilitation included training on post-surgery procedures and managing incision sites.

As a small animal massage therapist, my scope includes dogs, cats, pocket pets, avian animals, and small exotics. For most cases however, dogs have been the most likely to respond positively to receiving bodywork for an extended period of time. I welcome opportunities to work with your other compliant pets. (Note: I am not certified to massage “large animals” which include equine, food animals, camelids-ruminants, nonruminants, and large exotics.)

You can reach out through the Contact form. I do not have a “book now” option as all new clients will need to complete an intake form before the first session. A referral is not required but I do recommend getting approval from your vet in cases of ongoing conditions, illnesses, and injuries. If you have an active rehabilitation plan from your vet and other practitioners, I would work closely with them on ensuring the massage therapy protocols used are complementary and support overall recovery goals.

Sometimes unpredictable things happen. To maintain fairness among all clients, I require 24-hour advance notice when canceling an appointment. That will give another client the opportunity to schedule an appointment for their pet. If your cancellation is made less than 24 hours prior to your scheduled appointment or you are a no-show, you will be charged the agreed-upon fee as stated in the client consent form.

Massage sessions are non-refundable. I strive to tailor each session to your pet’s needs. If you are dissatisfied with the service provided, please Contact me.

I accept cash, check, Zelle, and Venmo. As a small business, I do not accept credit cards currently due to processing fees. Payment is due at time of service.

Many pet insurance providers now cover alternative modalities. Confirm if your plan includes massage therapy. I can provide you with receipts but you will manage the reimbursement request process.

As a new client, you will be given a “First massage” resource for reference and requested to complete a health intake form. On the day of, we will go over the form details and your overall goals for pet well-being. Then I will perform an assessment that may include visual observation, gait analysis, palpation, and range of motion checks. The extent of assessment will depend on the comfort level of your pet. Where allowed and appropriate, I will begin massaging your pet to address findings of the assessments. For sessions following, I will ask about what’s changed since our last session, do a quick body overview, and start the massage.

This depends on your pet’s temperament and needs. Some respond better with their guardian nearby because they are not anxiously wondering where you are. Others do better without their guardians as a distraction. We will tailor the session to what they need. Overall, I do recommend that our session take place somewhere without a lot of activity happening or people passing through, making noise, or calling your pet’s attention. Also, even if you are not in the room with us, I do require that you or another guardian are home; I will not enter your unoccupied home to massage your pet.

Providing in-home services for small animal massage therapy allows your pet to be where they are comfortable. The specific area in the house where massage will take place should be where your pet likes to be and free from too many distractions. For most dogs, especially larger ones, I will work from the floor and bring foam pads for myself. If they prefer to be on a bed or couch, I can also meet them there.

Letting me know in their intake form is important so that I can avoid especially sensitive areas. Those uncomfortable regions may also signal problem areas that should be carefully assessed. For example, your pet may be harboring chronic pain in one area that I can address by massaging supporting musculature or through gentle, guided stretching.

Avoid feeding meals within 90 minutes of our session so there is time for them to digest comfortably. Exercise and play before a session is okay as long as it does not make your pet more prone to injury. For example, strenuous activity that creates immediate soreness could make sustained touch uncomfortable.

This will depend on what was done during their massage session. I will speak with you after every session and document any post-session instructions. Generally strenuous activity is not recommended after. Also, animals will usually drink more immediately post-massage so should have easy access to fresh water.

Not necessarily. Many animals experiencing massage for the first time are uncertain about this new type of touch, on top of being with a stranger in their space. Some pets that have been in pain for an extended period of time may also be cautious because they’ve developed a sensitivity to touch. I typically recommend 2-3 sessions to familiarize them with my presence and assess their overall responsiveness to bodywork. I’ve found that most are excited to see me after a few encounters because massage feels good!