Adventures in Pet Sitting

How incredibly fortunate I’m not a wildly hot actress who is required to travel from L.A. to different locations to film and invent ways to spend my truckloads of money. Truth be known, I’m just not much of a traveler. I love the wonder of experiencing new cultures and cuisine, but I could do without the frantic over-crowded air travel, and the process of passing through security and customs... Especially when you forget that you have a tiny tequila cake stowed in your carry-on for your bestie that you forgot to declare as “food”. No matter how far away I travel, my pets at home are never far from my mind. They always remain connected to me as if by an invisible tether.

We are fortunate to have my parents living right next door who care for our animals when we travel. It is part of my Mom’s nature to overcomplicate almost everything. Though I appreciate the excellent job she does taking care of our animals, she makes the task a whole lot harder than it has to be. I swear, it wouldn’t be unusual for us to get 20 miles out of town and for her to call asking, “Which direction should I pet the dog? With the direction of his fur, or against?”

Mom. Really?

Then there is my Dad who is not so interested in the finer details of pet care. As I prepared to leave our animals in his charge while we spent a week in Mexico with my Mom, the conversation went something like this...

Me: “The thyroid pill is the only medication that the dog ABSOLUTELY needs two times a day. If you forget to give him his vitamin or eye drops during the week it won’t be the end of the world.”

Dad: “Who? What? Which one? This little pink pill? Okay, I won’t give him the eye drops then. If he goes blind, I don’t care.”

Me: “If he goes blind, I’m getting him a service guide dog.”

Dad: (Pauses, giving me the stink eye) “You’re an animal hoarder, you know...”

This coming from the person who brought home every stray dog, cat and displaced wild fox, deer, rabbit, salamander, gecko, flying squirrel and owl that he came upon as a younger man. Today, 1 dog, 2 cats, 2 horses, 2 gerbils and 2 fish all reside at our animal farm. I suppose the work involved with keeping such a variety of creatures would be undesirable to some, but the way animals enrich my life as graceful companions hardly makes it seem like much work at all.

Me: “Um… thanks, Dad. Here’s Dr. Connie’s phone number. Don’t feed him onions, anything fatty or too many Little Debbie snack cakes. Call if something goes wrong.”

Ideally there would be someone who is a bit like my Mom and a bit like my Dad to take care of my animals when I’m away. Which I guess would be someone like… me! Yes, in a perfect world I would like ME to take care of my animals when I’m away!

We returned to find all of our animals none the worse for wear and very happy to see us. My Dad tried to feed the cats dog food (that they refused), and one of the cats horked up some kibble and a hairball on the windowsill that he left for us to see because he was intrigued by its “artful arrangement”.

Just 24 hours after returning home, I was off to pet sit client dogs Chester and Baxter. It just so happened that it was coincidentally Professional Pet Sitters week. This week acknowledges the dedication of professional pet-care givers who provide quality care to their pet-owning clients and raises awareness about the benefits of in-home pet care for companion animals.

While in-home pet sitting is not the main focus of my work, it is an assignment that I take from time to time. People hire me to take care of their animals simply because they know I will care for them the way they would like them to be cared for. They are confidant that they will be given adequate exercise and that they will be fed, pottied and given medication at appropriate times. As a benefit, I provide massage therapy to the animals I care for to relieve some of the psychological stress resulting from their being separated from their people. Some people seek out my services because they have dogs with special needs or who are not well suited for boarding at a kennel. Some animals may have health problems or need continuing focused veterinary prescribed physical therapy after a surgical procedure. Others simply just feel more comfortable knowing their dogs are being cared for in their own environment and have the attention of one individual looking after them.

I value the experience because I am always learning something new. Each owner has their own way of caring for their pets, and it is interesting to me to observe the creative solutions people develop to address a particular problem. Every animal teaches me something and is endlessly entertaining. Staying with them gives me a better view of their everyday behavior and their ways of moving—much more than I would see during the snapshot of a 1-hour massage session.

I had loads of fun watching Chester watch TV. Apparently, Chester dog has a big problem with Ryan Seacrest’s hair... Yeah, you and me both, buddy.

Animal Massage Therapy: A Therapeutic Treat for your Dog

Healing with the use of therapeutic touch is one of the simplest and oldest forms of wellness care. For some 5000 years, the ancient practice has been used to promote healing from injury, to relieve pain and to prevent illness. Historically, the “hands-on” approach to better health was a widely accepted and well-respected form of integrative health care. Over time, the cultural perception of massage therapy has shifted and come to be perceived as an indulgence, rather than the valuable, natural healing modality that it is.

Massage therapy is as good for dogs as it is for people. Contrary to popular belief, a dog’s life isn’t all about lying around — and some canines are even lucky enough to have a job! Whether it’s working as a therapy or protection dog; herding cattle or sheep; flushing birds; competing in agility trials or a show circuit; or simply playing with the family, a dog’s life is all about physical activity. Animals who work hard every day can develop chronic conditions from overuse or from performing repetitive tasks.

Dogs are gifted at masking physical injury, and are able to perform in the presence of pain. To adjust, they may alter their way of movement and allow other parts of their body to compensate for an injury resulting in gait compensation and muscular stress.  Even dogs that don’t work for a living can develop physical problems due to lack of activity, poor conformation or other congenital aspects. Just as with humans, a dog’s physical and psychological condition can be significantly improved and maintained with massage.

Massage therapy in and of itself is not a new concept. Still, massage for animals leaves some people scratching their heads. Therapeutic touch is an emerging healing modality in the animal world that is swiftly becoming recognized as a valuable complement to professional veterinary care. Many of the same time-proven theories apply to maintaining an overall balance of a dog’s physical and mental well-being. The mental and physical conditions of the body are wholly connected, and to neglect one is to compromise the other. Therapeutic touch strengthens the mind-body connection and promotes wellness and healing in dogs and cats in every stage of life.

The benefits of animal massage are considerable and work together to improve the function of all body systems. Massage can improve immune system function and provide an alternative, non-invasive treatment choice for chronic conditions. Over time, it can increase the emotional stability of nervous animals and decrease incidence of stress related injuries due to overuse. Circulation, digestion and joint flexibility are improved with regular treatment.

As veterinary procedures become increasingly complex, they require more focused rehabilitative therapy. The mind-body connection has long been recognized as an important catalyst in healing, and is a key aspect of integrative health care. A small animal massage practitioner can assist in post surgical recovery by facilitating the procedure recovery plan set forth by the veterinary surgeon. Rehabilitation massage promotes natural healing by supplying nutrients and oxygen to tissues and removing toxins from the body. It aids healthy scar tissue formation, and relieves anxiety and muscular tension of a convalescing animal.

Less active, special needs, shelter residents and senior animals can gain immense comfort and support from massage therapy. Degenerative changes brought about by lack of mobility and aging, can cause chronic pain, anxiety and a diminished quality of life. We strive to keep our pets with us as long as possible, and as a result our animals are living longer than ever. Unfortunately, living longer often brings about changes that make everyday activities like climbing stairs or jumping into a car difficult. Regular massage designed for senior and special needs animals can improve ease of movement and muscle tone; alleviate symptoms of arthritis; and relieve psychological stress and boredom.

Our animal companions work hard for our attention and love. A massage program is intended to keep our healthy pets well, by decreasing muscular tension to sustain the life quality they deserve. Often massage is sought to address a specific condition, then continued as maintenance to help an animal function at a consistent, healthful level.

Kelly Bellcour, SAMP, is the owner of Treat Animal Wellness, offering small animal massage therapy, animal reiki, hospice support, dog walking, and pet messenger services. Kelly can be reached at (406) 209-0279, or at http://www.treatanimalwellness.com/

Animal Massage Therapy is a compliment to regular veterinary care. Treat Animal Wellness does not diagnose illness or injury.

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