Seeka K9 Massage, West Midlands Clinical Canine Massage Therapy

03/06/2026

Lovely boy Alfie came for massage this morning.

02/06/2026

Week 23. All about sleep.

At the recent - Veterinary Osteoarthritis Alliance conference I attended many interesting lectures but the one that really stood out to me was about sleep and how not getting enough sleep can influence the pain that our arthritic dogs experience.

For dogs living with osteoarthritis, sleep is far more than simple rest. It is an essential part of their health and comfort. Just as people feel better after a good night's sleep, dogs rely on quality sleep to help their bodies recover, manage pain, and support healthy brain function too.

When a dog sleeps, the body shifts into repair mode. Muscles relax, tissues recover from the stresses of the day, and the nervous system gets a chance to reset. For dogs with osteoarthritis, this recovery period is especially important because chronic joint inflammation and pain can be physically and mentally exhausting.

Sleep also plays a vital role in maintaining brain health through a process known as the Glymphatic Washout. This is a fascinating process and one that I had no idea happened until attending the conference. Yes, I knew that sleep was important but how it happened!

The Glymphatic Washout occurs during deep sleep. Fluid flows through the brain and helps wash away waste products such as unwanted proteins and neurotoxins that accumulate during waking hours. A useful way to think about this process is to imagine the brain as a washing machine. During deep sleep, the glymphatic system starts its "rinse cycle," flushing away these unwanted substances and leaving the brain refreshed and ready for the next day. Without enough quality deep sleep, this important cleaning process becomes less effective which leads to heightened pain levels the following day. If a dog can get a good nights sleep he is able to cope with his arthritic pain much better the following day.

Good bedding can make a significant difference to both sleep quality and pain management in dogs with osteoarthritis. Supportive, orthopaedic bedding helps distribute body weight more evenly, reducing pressure on sore joints such as the hips, elbows, and knees. It can also help maintain body warmth, which may ease stiffness and improve comfort. Whilst fluffy, squashy doughnut type beds may look nice they can actually be quite detrimental do a dog with osteoarthritis as they can be difficult to get into and out of and do not support or cushion the joints. When a dog is comfortable, they are less likely to wake repeatedly because of pain, allowing them to spend more time in the deeper stages of sleep where physical recovery and glymphatic "washout" occur.

Providing a quiet sleeping area and a supportive bed is therefore more than a comfort measure—it is an investment in your dog's overall wellbeing. By helping an arthritic dog achieve restful, uninterrupted sleep, you support pain management, physical recovery, and the brain's natural overnight cleaning process, all of which contribute to a better quality of life.

If you want to know more about sleep and how it impacts dogs it is worth following Dr. Lauren Davis from VetRelieve . Known as The Sleep Vet, she knows everything about sleep that you could possibly want to know and also has a range of beds specifically designed for support and care of osteoarthritic dogs.

26/05/2026

25/05/2026

15/05/2026

Grief is part of loving dogs.
There’s no way around it.
The moment we choose to share our lives with them, we accept that one day we will have to say goodbye. In between those moments comes the kind of love that changes routines, homes, priorities, and hearts.

For those who work with dogs, that experience is multiplied.
We celebrate recoveries, first walks back after injury, nervous dogs learning to trust again, older dogs finding comfort, and the quiet moments owners don’t always see. We build connections, even when we try to stay professional. So when a dog passes, it lands heavily.

Mental Health Awareness Week is a reminder that grief does not only belong to human relationships. Loss can carry exhaustion, sadness, and silence that people often underestimate. Many professionals keep showing up for others while carrying heartbreak of their own.

Every loss is heartfelt because every dog mattered.

12/05/2026

Week 20 - Lumbosacral disease.

Whilst lumbosacral disease is not strictly speaking osteoarthritis, osteoarthritis is always seen with lumbosacral disease - hence the reason for including it in my weekly posts on osteoarthritis.

Lumbosacral disease is a common condition affecting the lumbosacral junction - where the last lumbar vertebrae meets the sacrum. This is an area responsible for transferring power from the spine to the hindlimbs and hindlimbs to the spine. Its a "hinge" point and so an area where a lot of wear and tear occurs.

Lumbosacral disease is typically degenerative and often involves arthritic changes to the vertebrae, intervertebral disc degeneration and narrowing of the spaces where nerves exit the spinal canal. Over time, these changes can create pressure on the nerve roots, causing pain, inflammation, reduced mobility and neurological changes such as sciatic pain and scuffing paws. As the degeneration of this area progresses so does the osteoarthritic changes.

Signs noted include:

> A change in posture
> Reduced flexibility of the lower spine
> Stiff hind limbs
> Hindlimb weakness
> Sensitivity when the lower back or tail base is touched
> Altered tail carriage
> Changes in gait pattern
> Trembling of the hind limb/s
> Muscle wastage to the hindlimbs
> A reluctance to jump into the car / go upstairs
> Difficulty in rising from lying down
> Reduced willingness to exercise

What I might find:

> High tone to the surrounding musculature
> Trigger points in the lumbar back muscles
> Myofascial pain in the lumbar back muscles and thoracic muscles
> Areas of overcompensation in the forelimbs.

How Massage Can Help

Clinical canine massage can play a valuable supportive role in managing dogs with lumbosacral disease. It helps to address the various concerns mentioned above allowing dogs to lead a more comfortable life and improving function and mobility. Dogs often become more comfortable, relaxed, and willing to move after appropriate treatment.

Permission to use the x-ray in the picture below was given by the owner - thank you!

10/05/2026

All too often I hear the words that Clinical Canine Massage is a "Luxury spa treatment" or a "Pooch pampering session" and so I thought I would write a short article on why this couldn't be further from the truth!

In reality, Clinical Canine Massage is nothing like a Spa treatment. It is a highly skilled, evidence-based manual therapy that combines a range of advanced techniques, including Swedish massage, sports massage, deep tissue massage, the Lenton Method and both direct and indirect myofascial release.

Each technique serves a specific therapeutic purpose. Swedish massage helps to improve circulation and support relaxation of the nervous system. Sports massage assists in maintaining muscle health, reducing tension, and supporting performance in active or working dogs to rehabilitate soft tissue injuries. Deep tissue techniques target specific chronic muscular tightness and adhesions, while myofascial release works to restore mobility within the fascia — a highly innervated connective tissue network that surrounds and supports muscles and other tissues throughout the body.

The effects of clinical canine massage can be profound. By addressing muscular dysfunction, compensatory patterns, and soft tissue restriction, treatment can help reduce pain, improve mobility, increase comfort, and support recovery from injury or orthopaedic conditions. It can also enhance proprioception, improve posture and gait, and in some cases help identify underlying issues requiring veterinary attention.

For many canine patients, the impact of Clinical Canine Massage extends beyond physical improvement. Reduced pain and discomfort often leads to positive behavioural changes, improved confidence, better quality of life, and a renewed ability to enjoy normal daily activities whether that be playing with toys again or managing the stairs in the house.

Whilst many of my canine clients do relax and fall asleep during a treatment, Clinical Canine Massage really is not about pampering. It is a targeted therapeutic intervention that plays an important role in supporting canine health, wellbeing, and rehabilitation.

10/05/2026

A science-based clinical canine practitioner finds that myofascial release in practice can expose phenomena not fully explained by science.