Puppy Dog Tales
Shelter Dogs
Janette and I have started working with dogs at the local humane shelter. We are really enjoying it, but it is VERY different from Sue's classroom and the calm dogs we practiced on!!!! This is good training for any type of situation and any type of temperament you may run into. The shelter is a 100 year old farmhouse that is falling apart and badly in need of repair, but it works for now. There are 19 dogs and 6 puppies, and they are all precious. There is no place for us to work alone with the dogs so we usually work in the pens outside, but occasionally can work inside in the treatment area. It is very gratifying to work with some animals the shelter workers feel will never be adopted because they are so crazy due to abuse. Many can't calm down when a human or even another dog is near. Janette and I work with them, and in the short time we spend (usually only 10 to 15 minutes per dog), they relax and practically go to sleep.
(L to R) Kia, Mary, and Spazzy.
I met two new dogs last week. Callie is an 8-year old German Shepherd with arthritic hips, and her buddy Boots is a Jack Russell Terrier mix. Both had to be given up by elderly owners who were relocated.
Callie was eager for attention, but Boots was shy and ignored me at first. After working with Callie for about 10 minutes, Boots suddenly came over and stuck himself between the two of us and leaned into me as if he were asking for a massage too.
I know much of the response we see is their need for attention, but I really believe, as does Janette, they remember us from each visit and know why we are there. Sometimes they are very anxious and can't focus so we don't seem to get anywhere with them.
Other times they seem to know immediately what is going to happen, even if it is only their second massage. That is certainly obvious in the case of Monster, an old Rottie who belongs to the young woman who runs the shelter. He has arthritis down his spine that is apparently quite uncomfortable. Whenever we go in he comes right over and leans against us so we know he wants his massage! We really love the work and feel the dogs do too. It will be interesting to see if, over time, the massages help the "hopeless" cases to become more relaxed and adoptable.
— Pat Reid
Blitzen's Story
I laughed when I first met Blitzen. He was an adorable German Shepherd puppy with huge feet. I teased my friend Cheryl, Blitzen's guardian, that she was going to have a big boy on her hands when Blitzen grew up.
And grow up he did. Blitzen is just shy, by a half pound, of 100 pounds. He is a handsome, long and lean, German Shepherd. Unfortunately, long is not necessarily one of the best attributes in a dog of Blitzen's size, as it often is accompanied by hip dysplasia. Blitzen had just celebrated his second birthday, and was well on his way to achieving his CDX title, when he started experiencing pain in his right rear limb. Cheryl took Blitzen, unable to bear weight and crying with each step, to her local veterinarian. The veterinarian took x-rays that ultimately confirmed Cheryl's fears—hip dysplasia of the right hip. Compounding Blitzen's problem was gross muscle atrophy of the right hip. However, Blitzen was referred to the University of Wisconsin Veterinary School for a second opinion and treatment recommendations.
The UW Vet School confirmed the diagnosis and recommended surgery. However, it was winter in Wisconsin and the ground was covered with ice and snow—not the ideal time to try to carefully negotiate a 100 pound dog outside, post surgery. But something needed to be done to relieve Blitzen's pain and discomfort until surgery could be scheduled.
Blitzen was referred to the Tops Veterinary Rehabilitation Center in Grayslake, Illinois, for a treatment regimen of hydrotherapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, and massage. The goal was to eliminate as much of Blitzen's discomfort as possible while rebuilding the lost muscle mass. Cheryl took Blitzen to Tops for hydrotherapy, chiropractic and acupuncture treatments twice a week for four months.
I gave Blitzen his first few massage treatments. I then showed Cheryl how she could perform some of the movements, mainly digital circles and stroking, on Blitzen on a daily basis at home. Because of Blitzen's discomfort and difficulty moving, Cheryl found it was best to massage his hips and thighs while he was standing. Cheryl would sit down on a chair and place Blitzen between her legs, so her legs would act like bumpers in case Blitzen lost his balance. Blitzen so enjoyed his massages he would "present his butt" to Cheryl, asking that she rub his aching hip.
Blitzen is now an active and happy seven-year-old dog. The alternative treatment program of hydrotherapy, chiropractic, acupuncture and massage was so successful Cheryl decided against surgery for Blitzen. While Blitzen no longer jumps, he enjoys romping and wrestling with his younger and slightly smaller (only 80 pounds) housemate, Donner, another male German Shepherd. And after particularly strenuous play sessions, Blitzen will still "present his butt" to Cheryl, begging for a massage.
— Lynne Stouffer
Josephine & Moose
Josephine and Moose are Golden Retrievers and littermates. Human mom and dad, Cathy and Curt, assumed they were securing them from a breeder. What they suspect now is the person was actually a front for a puppy mill operation. Moose and Josephine both have bad hips. Josephine has virtually no hip sockets. At one year of age, she would lie and cry after any kind of physical activity. The prognosis from the orthopedic specialist was bleak for Josephine. Josephine was not a candidate for hip surgery because she would not be able to support her weight on one of her hind legs while the other healed from surgery.
Moose had one bad hip that was not as severe as Josephine's. Acupuncture was suggested and in turn the holistic vet suggested swimming and massage two or three times per week. Josephine and Moose started swimming at Hydro Hounds twice a week. Cathy was very consistent about bringing them from Centennial, Wyoming, a mountain town 60 miles from Laramie. Josephine would swim for approximately 20 minutes to warm her muscles, tendons and ligaments.
She would then get out of the water and onto a massage table for 20 to 30 minutes of massage and stretching. Careful attention was paid to her front shoulders, neck and legs, as they were under added stress from bearing extra weight; weight that normally would have been carried by her hind legs. After a few weeks of swimming and massage, her endurance increased and she showed no sign of pain after exercise.
Josephine and Moose have visited Hydro Hounds for two years this month (April, 2003). They no longer come in twice a week, but they do visit a few times each month. They have developed enough strength and stability in their posteriors to spend a lot of time outdoors with Cathy, who enjoys all manner of outdoor activity. Some of the outdoor activity revolves around training for search and rescue. Moose is a famous search and rescue dog. He gets invited to prestigious search and rescue training camps and gets called on regularly to demonstrate his talent for search and rescue. Josephines's talents lie in her Therapy Dog work. She is a sweetie with a knack for brightening the days of the people she is trained to help. And... at the last visit to the veterinary specialist, the prognosis for Josephine was: Not only is she now a candidate for hip replacement surgery, they don't think she needs it!
— Deb Roberts
Sebastian's Touch
The local animal shelter's "Pet of the Week" description said, "I have a crooked tooth some people think makes me look scary, but I think it gives me character." The "scary tooth" was a lower canine that protruded out of his mouth at a 45-degree angle.
Sebastian had been at the shelter for four months. Brought in as a stray, the Belgian Tervuren/Malamute mix required dental prophylaxis. While performing the prophylaxis, the veterinarian discovered Sebastian's lower jaw had been rebuilt and the teeth were wired into place. Someone loved this animal a great deal to invest the money in his jaw rather than put him down. However, the wired jaw made it impossible to extract decayed teeth. Sebastian's time as a stray, coupled with limited resources at the shelter, resulted in a chronic mouth infection and sores on his muzzle.
After receiving instructions from our veterinarian, I began a daily dental care routine of brushing Sebastian's teeth and using an oral solution. This regimen, along with an initial course of antibiotics, soon showed results. The gingivitis came under control and eventually I was successful in removing most of the tartar from Sebastian's teeth. But how could I get the sores on his muzzle to heal? Daily cleaning with hydrogen peroxide and antibiotic ointment improved the condition, but the sores did not heal completely.
Then I read an article in Dog Fancy about canine massage. It made perfect sense that massage stimulation of the muzzle area would promote and improve healing. Sebastian's dental care now included a massage of his muzzle, particularly the area around the sores. Soon the sores healed and most exciting of all, his fur grew back.
— Lynne Stouffer
Luna's Story
From Balance Your Dog: Canine Massage
As a fledgling massage therapist in the fall of 2001, I received a request to massage an injured Belgian Malinois called Luna. Allison Henry, Luna's companion and trainer, had recently imported Luna from France in order to compete in Schutzhund trials.
Luna's injuries had actually occurred at a veterinarian's office when she was placed on a heating pad following surgery. Allison's discussions with another veterinarian reinforced her belief that Luna would greatly benefit from massage therapy to accelerate her healing process.
The first time I knelt by Luna's side, I was distressed to see the extent of her wound, which encompassed most of her right side. I noticed an unpleasant odor that I later found out was from a healing staph infection. Unfortunately for Luna, the heating pad created third degree burns over an area approximately 10 x 24 inches. When Luna returned home following her surgery, Allison noticed Luna's hair coming out and the skin on her right side was black and leathery.
Luna endured three surgeries, several types of antibiotics, and received much TLC from Allison. Despite the quality of her care, Luna's burned skin developed a serious staph infection. Luna's condition declined to the extent that she rarely left her crate. Eventually, veterinarians were forced to surgically remove the burned skin and stretch Luna's healthy skin from the belly area up to meet the unharmed skin along her spine.
I visited Luna and Allison every week or two for several weeks to administer massage, and I could see Luna’s wound improving with each visit. By increasing blood flow to the injury site and aiding in the removal of toxins and waste products in Luna’s cells, massage helped her wound heal remarkably quickly. She began doing the work she loved and had been so well bred and trained to perform; Schutzhund. Allison and Luna competed at the 2002 Schutzhund Nationals and finished 11th out of 49 dogs, quite a feat for a dog who had so recently experienced such trauma. Luna continues to receive massage once or twice a month to help her with muscle stiffness and soreness that often result from her training sessions and competitions.
— Christie Greene
