Just as massage therapy provides relief to people with a wide variety of health conditions, it also provides relief to our canine friends. Because many people consider their pets to be their children or best friends, they’re willing to spend money on the same kinds of therapeutic procedures they would get for themselves, including massage therapy. Thus, this is a field laden with career opportunity for an individual with the proper training.
-
Definition
-
Canine massage therapy refers to the application of deep tissue pressure to the muscles of a dog. The aim is toward increasing circulation, relieving tension and stress, promoting healing, and even increasing the range of motion in dogs with certain types of injuries or movement-limiting conditions.
Qualifications
-
Anyone wishing to be a canine massage therapist should, first and foremost, have a love of animals and a desire to relieve suffering. A background in massage therapy, while preferable, is not absolutely required, according to the Equissage website. However, most veterinary establishments offering canine massage therapy will require some sort of training. Certification is not required.
Training
-
More training options exist in the area of canine massage therapy than you might initially think. For instance, Equissage offers a certification program, during which students learn the ins and outs of massage therapy for dogs. The home-study curriculum covers proper handling of different dog breeds, canine physiology and even how to market a canine massage business. Pet Massage, Ltd., another provider of canine massage therapy training, offers both live and home-study classes. A massage therapy school or veterinary college in your area may have a course on pet or, even specifically, canine massage. As an alternative, check online for veterinary massage programs that you can complete from a distance.
Certification
-
While no states currently require canine massage therapists to be certified, and even veterinary offices may not require this, it can make you more marketable. As well, it can instill a sense of trust in those who bring their dogs to you. Completion of the Equissage training, for instance, will leave you with a certificate approved by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB). The Pet Massage course leads to similar certification, both by NCBTMB and by the American Massage Therapy Association.
Considerations
-
While no reliable salary estimates exist for canine massage therapists, consider that a massage therapist who practices on humans can earn anywhere between $25,025 and $48,086 in her first year of practice, according to Payscale.com. While a canine massage therapist may charge rates similar to the rates for human clients, keep in mind that this is a relatively new field. There are still far fewer pet owners getting their pooches a massage than there are people getting them for themselves, or for human loved ones.
-