That Feels SO GOOD!

Have you ever rubbed your pet's back?  It feels SO GOOD!

When you rub your pet's muscles in a special way, it is called massage.  When you massage your pet, it helps them to feel better.  If your pet is sick, a massage can help your pet to get better more quickly.  Massage helps improve blood flow in your pet's body.  It can help your older pet with stiff joints and soreness.

Every few days, Mom gives me a massage.  She rubs my shoulder muscles.  She rubs my hips.  She rubs the muscles in my back legs.

Theses massages help me a lot.  I feel better now.  I can even walk further.

Massage can help your pet if he is scared.  It can help your pet warm up for exercise.  It can help your pet feel more loved.

Do you massage your pet?  If you would like to learn how, here are two great sites that show you how to massage your pet at home:

• http://www.vetoquinol.co.uk/downloadable/GuideMassageCards.pdf
• http://www.wagwellness.com/uploads/7/6/6/3/7663961/how_to_massage_your_dog_-_lola.pdf

Getting Stronger

Roxanne's swimming exercises

In my last post, I told you how weak I was from my sickness.  My vet told us that I needed special exercises to make me stronger.  These exercises are called rehabilitation therapy.

Because my back leg muscles were so weak, the doctors wanted me to swim.  So Mom and Dad and I went on vacation and found lots of lakes.  I had fun, but it was hard work.  In the beginning, I could only swim for a few minutes.  After a few weeks, I could swim a lot longer.

Mom and Dad felt that I was ready for more.  So we began hiking.  At first, we just hiked a little bit.  Then, we hiked a little further.  By the end of our trip, I could hike nearly two miles!  I can't walk that far every day, and I am a lot slower than I use to be.  The good news is that I feel so much stronger than before our vacation.

Roxanne's first hike on her new exercise program

It was hard work.  The exercises sure made me tired, but I kept trying.  It took nearly two months of exercising every day, and the best part is that it was fun!

Resting after a swim

You don't need to go on vacation to help your dog get stronger.  Many of the exercises that I did can be done at home.  In fact, before we started our trip, Mom and I did a lot of these exercises together in our living room.  The one thing that you do need to remember is this... your dog needs to keep exercising every day to stay strong.

If your pet has been sick and you would like to help your dog to get stronger, ask your vet if exercises will help.  If so, just click on these great websites to get you and your pet started:

• http://www.calanimalrehab.com/documents/ProperExerciseforyourPet.pdf
• http://wignall.com/files/2013/04/Proc-Pro-Physical-Rehab.pdf

Here are some short movies of exercises for your dog:

• http://careanimalclinic.com/rehab.html