Dora, 7 years old, Rescue Springer spaniel X Dalmatian
Grade 4 (end stage) Arthritis, TPLO surgery, Elbow dysplasia
“I decided to try canine massage therapy after a recommendation from a friend who had been using Leaps and Bounds to help with rehabilitation for her dog who had a hip replacement. After hearing about the great results, I thought it would be beneficial for my dog, Dora, who has elbow dysplasia, had knee and elbow surgery and suffers from end stage arthritis in her elbow”.
“Dora’s condition is a complex one, she has such a bad joint in her elbow and her arthritis has progressively got worse over the years. As well as a lot of stiffness in her back legs following knee surgery. As the days and weeks went by, Dora’s mobility was getting worse. Having once been such an active girl, this was hard to see and we knew we had to try something new”.
“Before we started getting massages for Dora, she had stiffness all over her body where she had been compensating on other legs and straining her neck to get momentum to move better. Dora’s whole back and back legs were as solid as a rock and her shoulders were so tight”.
“Dora has been getting massage from Rachael for almost a year now and it has not only improved her overall mobility but it has made her feel so much more comfortable. She managed to get through last winter with relative ease when usually she would be crippled and less mobile in the colder, wetter months. She even started lightly running again for a while and after every session, she feels so good she usually wants to play with her toys or go for a walk”.
“Rachael uses a mixture of techniques such as stretching, deep tissue, myofascial release and mobilisation to get Dora moving again and it works so well. It’s amazing to see such great results”.
“Dora has been suffering from arthritic flare ups more recently, due to her end stage arthritis and Rachael has been vital in her recovery, making sure she has weekly appointments to help her through and out of her pain”.
“Not only is Rachael an expert at what she does, she is so kind and caring and treats Dora like she is her own. Dora is a rescue and a former street dog and she isn’t fond of vets or people in clinical roles but she adores Rachael and can’t wait to settle in to her massage, usually after a few affectionate arm licks, she is good to go!”
“I couldn’t recommend anyone higher if you are considering massage for your dog”.
“Thank you for everything you do for our girl. We couldn’t be without you”.
Gemma
Bella, 6 years old, Golden Retriever
Bilateral hip replacement preparation and recovery
“I first considered trying canine massage therapy for my dog Bella after her first total hip replacement, following her diagnosis of bilateral hip dysplasia. I wasn’t sure if massage therapy would help, but I was willing to give it a go if it was going to help in Bella’s recovery”.
“As Bella was recovering from her first hip operation, I noticed she was starting to limp badly on her other back leg, as she was compensating for her new hip while it healed. Rachael was excellent at finding her muscles problems all over her body, not just her back legs and the areas she needed to work her way through, over time to get them back to a healthy state again”.
“Bella’s limping was much reduced and she was much happier on her walks again, this also meant all her muscles were in a much better condition, before she underwent surgery to replace her second hip”.
“Rachael is so good at putting Bella at ease during her massage treatments and is able to read her body language so well and know what treatment is best for her according to this”.
“Rachael is great at explaining what problems she finds and how she is working through them to get the best outcome for your dog”.
“Bella’s hip replacement recovery has gone from strength to strength and a big part of this I believe is to do with Rachael and her amazing massage therapy”.
“Bella always looks forward to Rachael coming and is always happy to see her, so I know she is doing a great job”.
“I would highly recommend Rachael, if anyone was thinking of trying Canine Massage therapy for their dog”.
“Thank you so much Rachael, woofs from Bella & her human Sara”.
Sara
Professor, 4 years old, Rescue (Golden Retriever X Collie)
Pain based aggression, couldn’t groom due to pain, incredibly stiff movement, and quick to fatigue.
“Rachael has been spot on from Professors first assessment with what the route cause of his issues are and educated us about his tight skin being the cause of not wanting to be touched or brushed”.
“He's responding very well to massage and after only a few treatments we can see major improvements with him and looking forward to how this journey progresses”.
Improvements for Professor to date:
So much more tolerant to touch and can now be groomed
Far more cuddly and affectionate with his pawrents
Stiffness dramatically reduced throughout his body
So much more range of movement through his spine and hind legs so he can run and jump with ease (previously his hind legs were tucked under his body)
He can enjoy longer walks without his muscles fatiguing so quickly
More playful with his brother and starting to play with toys again
Happier and able to wag his tail more
Running and ‘zoomies’ for fun because it feels good
Wanting to try things that were originally ‘off limits’ - stealing cheese from the table!
Carly
Blizzard, 4 years old, Siberian Husky
Stiffness, twitching along his back, refusing jumps at agility and pain response in certain areas of his body
“I met Rachael at an event for a wellness check as I had some concerns about my dog after he was refusing jumps at Agility, walking quite stiffly after daycare, and was wary of anyone touching his backend.”
“She immediately spotted some issues and affirmed my concerns - we booked some follow up massages which have made a huge difference to my dogs happiness and well being!”
“She took time to build a relationship with him after a bad vet experience and respected his boundaries which was amazing. He now greets her with a waggy tail, is very receptive to deep tissue massage and trusts her entirely, which is huge for my dog. He’s become much happier in himself, more affectionate to his humans and has his energy and drive back at Agility.”
“Rachael is incredibly professional, yet kind and friendly, she talks you through everything so you can understand why and what she does, I (and Blizzard) are so grateful for her help.”
Natalie
Peggy, 6 years old, Miniature schnauzer
Grade 2 Muscle strain (tear) in back, anxious about touch
“Rachael has been treating Peggy for around 4 months. I got in touch with her because Peggy seemed very uncomfortable around her back legs and was reluctant for anyone to touch her. After the initial assessment Rachael discovered that Peggy actually had a strain in her back and tightness in some of her muscles”.
“Peggy was very unsure of the massage at first but Rachael has such a lovely, calming way about her that she very quickly began to trust her. It was fascinating to watch how Peggy relaxed throughout the sessions”.
“Even after the first session, Peggy seemed much brighter in herself, was running around and less sleepy than before. Now she is like a different dog and I’m so pleased that we decided to use massage therapy to get to the bottom of what was wrong”.
“I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Rachel to anyone who needs advice about their dogs muscle health. I will definitely be in touch again if my two have any further issues”.
Helena
Stella, 2 years old, Border Terrier
Intermittent lameness
“Over the past couple of months Rachael has been helping our young border terrier, Stella who had had intermittent lameness”.
“Rachael has been so patient with Stella, who lives life at a 100 mph and loves everyone. It has been so good to see Stella relax and allow Rachael to work her magic, whilst being closely supervised by our older border terrier Induna”.
“The improvement in Stella's movement has been fantastic and I highly recommend Rachael and her skills. Thank you so much”.
Carolyn
Bruce, 10 years old, Greyhound
Slowing down and Myofascial pain
“Bruce is nearly 11 and an ex-racing greyhound. I noticed he was becoming quite stiff when walking with occasional limping (no medical reason)”.
“We contacted Rachael who pinpointed areas where Bruce was tight and uncomfortable and she gave me a detailed description of the cause and treatment”.
“Bruce has regular sessions and his range /ease of movement has improved hugely. He's always a happy boy but now he has an extra spring in his step! Highly recommended and a 5 rating from Bruce the Snoot!”
Sue
Poppy, 12 years old, Black Labrador
Osteoarthritis
“Having had several visits to the vet and tried different medications, we were keen to see if massage could help Poppy with her osteoarthritis. She had deteriorated rapidly over 3 months, was finding it difficult to walk and had withdrawn”.
“Poppy is now managing longer walks, and the sore from scraping her hind paw is completely healed. Her character has come back now that her pain is reduced and she is playing with her toy pig again. There is no doubt the massage sessions have been of benefit for Poppy and just seeing her enjoy life is a great comfort. Poppy has benefited so much from Rachael’s professional and loving care”.
John & Penny
Duke, 13 years old, Yorkshire Terrier
Pain & stiffness in lumbar spine and hind legs
“Rachael is great, a true dog lover! She is so gentle and patient with Duke, our Yorkshire Terrier, which puts him at ease and allows him to relax during his massage. Rachael has helped to reduce the stiffness in Duke’s lumbar spine and hind legs, improving his mobility and reducing his pain. He now has more stamina on his usual walks, can settle easier for rest, has regained his sparkle and always has a good nap after his massage”.
“Rachael is great not only with Duke but with my other dog who is a rescue and nervous of strangers. I always feel completely at ease with her working directly with either dog”.
Kaila
Kara, 13 years old, German Shepherd Dog
Osteoarthritis
“Rachael has been helping Kara, our aging German Shepherd Dog, with her mobility problems and osteoarthritis. We’ve seen a remarkable improvement over the 6 weeks so far. Kara is much more alert and interested in walks. She is getting steadier on her feet and is excited to play again”.
“Rachael takes the time to get to know you and your dog and always goes at their pace. If you are considering canine massage, we can highly recommend Leaps and Bounds”.
Andy & Helen
Angus, 7 years old, Springer Spaniel
Grade 2 cruciate ligament sprain
“We approached Rachael for canine massage therapy as Angus our Springer Spaniel had a grade 2 cruciate ligament sprain in his knee. Rachael was brilliant with Angus and really helped us by explaining what she was finding and how massage could help him”.
“Angus clearly trusted Rachael and it was wonderful to see him so relaxed, never having had massage before. We were amazed at the improvement in Angus’ range of motion in both his hind and forelegs and a clear reduction in pain around his injury after massage. It was also fascinating to learn about other areas of Angus that were causing him discomfort, and Rachael was able to resolve these over the course of three treatments”.
“We had total trust in Rachael as she was wonderful with Angus, tuning in to how he was feeling during each treatment. We would highly recommend taking your dog to Rachael for massage therapy”.
Rowan & Pam
Daisy, 5 years old, Cockapoo
Post surgery for luxating patella
“Rachael was gentle, caring and professional with Daisy. She explained the process to me and what she was finding which was really helpful and has made me more aware of Daisy’s needs”.
“I had noticed that Daisy seemed stiff, particularly in her back legs. Rachael checked Daisy’s whole body and found a number of areas she could help her with. She took each treatment at Daisy’s pace and Daisy clearly enjoyed the feeling during each massage. I have noticed a definite increase in Daisy’s flexibility and mobility and I was made to feel very at ease by Rachael’s manner”.
Liz
Cora, 2 years old, Miniature Daschund
Maintenance treatments for spine health
“We were concerned about how Rachael would mange to treat Cora as she is very lively and excitable, however Rachael managed to calm her within the first session and Cora was relaxed throughout each treatment. Rachael took the time to make Cora comfortable and built a relationship with her and it was only then, once she had gained Cora’s trust, that she began treatment”.
“We were interested to learn of the muscular issues Cora had already started acquiring in her neck and spine and Rachael was able to treat these straight away. We have seen a marked improvement in Cora movement and happiness and Rachael has given us tips to help keep Cora’s muscles as healthy as possible between treatments”.
“We are so grateful to Rachael for all she has done for Cora and feel much more knowledgeable about how we can help Cora too”.
Caroline & Peter