Our next professional to feature in the ‘Interview with an expert series’ is Catherine Nicoll, a Clinical Canine Massage Therapist, who we have been going to see to keep the dogs in tip top condition since she set up in 2012.
Tell our followers a little bit about what you do, how you got into it, how long you have been doing it and your experience / or qualifications?
I am a Clinical Canine Massage Therapist so I specialise in treating soft tissue, muscular issues such as lameness/limping and dogs with Orthopaedic conditions like hip dysplasia and Arthritis. I also treat dogs post operation like Cruciate Ligament or Luxating Patella. I do 4 disciplines of massage to include Swedish, Sports Massage which is used for injury identification, isolating muscles by working from origin to insertion and I focus on trigger point release and scar tissue remodelling. I also do deep tissue massage which mobilises the deeper muscles, spreading fibres to make the muscles more supple and flexible. Finally, I do Myofascial Release. Muscles need to be able to slide and glide and myofascial release releases muscles from each other and from the periosteum of the bone. I treat elderly dogs who are slowing down and getting stiff as well as sporting dogs who have either injured themselves with sprains or strains or for maintenance to keep their muscles in good working order. I completed the Diploma in Canine Massage Therapy in January 2012 and set up my business, Dogs Body Canine Massage Therapy, immediately after.
The reason I got into massage is that I am a qualified human sports massage therapist and, having regular massage myself, knew how beneficial it was. My dog, Paddy, kept going lame when he was 15 months old and after x-rays and further investigation I was told by the vet that they couldn’t find any issues and so I would need to just keep him on lead walks. I looked into having him massaged and when I took him to Natalie Lenton from The Canine Massage Therapy Centre, she found the problem with his lameness immediately. He had a strain (tear to his muscle) in his superficial pectoral muscle which was making him lame. I was so impressed and relieved to know what the problem was that I decided to sign up for the course. The course took me 18 months to complete and I left my job of 20 years working in a bank to set up my own business.
What does a day in the life of you consist of?
My day varies. I am lucky that my Clinic is at my home so in between treatments I can be with my own dogs. I have treated up to 8 dogs in one day but ideally prefer to treat 4-5 dogs a day. As well as doing Clinical Canine Massage Therapy, I am also a Tutor on The Clinical Canine Massage Practitioner Programme run by The Canine Massage Therapy Centre and so my days are sometimes taken up with tutor work in preparation for the students. Being self-employed means that I can choose to take an impromptu day off when I like which I love! I also run 1-day workshops for members of the public to enable them to learn some Swedish massage techniques to do on their own dog at home. (Details on my website).
Share with us your proudest moment so far
Every day that I am helping dogs makes me proud. I guess if I had to choose one, however, it would be changing one elderly dog’s life completely. His owner was thinking about having him put to sleep as he could hardly walk and was miserable but decided to try massage as a last resort. After 2 sessions he was happier, more mobile and enjoying his walks. He went on to live for another 3 years.
What are your top 3 tips connected with what you do for our followers and their active dogs?
- If you have laminated/wood flooring put non-slip runners down! Dogs are digit grade animals which means they walk on their toes. They cannot grip hard floors and so end up slipping around which puts a lot of strain on their muscles and inevitably end up getting injured.
- Get your dog check out by a Canine Massage Guild member. We are trained to identify muscular issues so by bringing them for a massage 2-3 times a year it enables us Therapists to spot any issues before they become a problem. We work “best practice” and so, if your dog is injured you should see an improvement in 1-3 sessions. In the unlikely event that you don’t, we would cease further treatment and refer your dog back to the vet for further investigation.
- Dogs get injured the same as humans do, think about what you are doing with your dog. Don’t keep using ball launchers to exercise your dog. Warm them up on lead for 10 minutes before letting them off to run. Feed them a good diet and don’t let them get fat! Give them a day off from exercise. Mental stimulation is just as important as physical. Don’t feel guilty if you are unable to take your dog for a walk one day, it’s not going to do them any harm and the rest will give their body time to recover.
What are your plans for the future?
I am passionate about what I do and so I just want to keep on helping dogs with mobility issues and make a difference to their lives. I will keep on learning more about canine anatomy and physiology as I find it fascinating. I want to continue to educate dog owners on the benefits of Clinical Canine Massage Therapy as there are still people out there who have never heard of it, although that has improved in the years since I trained!
How can our followers get in touch with you?
You can visit my website www.dogsbodycaninemassage.co.uk you can email me at mail@dogsbodycaninemassage.co.uk or ring me on 07967 099603. I am based in Hartpury, Gloucestershire. I have a Facebook page too so please go in and “like” my page – https://www.facebook.com/DogsBodyCMT/
If I am not local to you, then visit The Canine Massage Guild website and find your local therapist there. http://www.k9-massageguild.co.uk