I attended another really cool, hands-on workshop at my vet (Hawks Prairie Veterinary Hospital) taught by Marnie Black on Tellington Touch (TTouch) and massage. Marnie is licensed in Small Animal Massage and specializes in working with animals who have special needs.
Marnie
Other participants brought their animals, but since I went to the workshop solo Marnie let me borrow one of her own dogs to practice on. I HIGHLY recommend this workshop to anyone. Marnie can teach you techniques that simply make one-on-one time with animals a lot more enjoyable. It’s equipped me with a few more tools than just petting, scratching the base of a dog’s tail or a cat’s cheek.
I went because I work with many shy and anxious animals who I thought could benefit from getting a little amateur Tellington Touch. I learned some techniques to address these issues and a whole lot more!
Here’s a bit of info from Marnie about massage and Tellington Touch:
Massage is hugely beneficial to young and elderly animals for the very same reasons it’s good for people. A gentle “maintenance†massage moves toxins out of the muscles and tissues and sends them out of the body. Massage can lengthen or shorten muscles to help correct an animal’s posture or gait. Massage can prevent injury by warming the muscles in preparation for a walk (especially elderly animals), run, or an event like agility. Following surgery or trauma, massage is critical for wound healing and proper scar formation.
As we all know, everyday stress and strain plus emotional ups and downs affect our behavior and health. This is also true for our animals. TTouch is a wonderful method that works with the animal’s nervous system to calm, center, and convey confidence. Establishing calm directly impacts the animal’s health and keeps dangerous toxins such as adrenalin and cortisol in check. Improving confidence can help your animal cope with difficult situations. This will help him make better choices about how to react when frightened or anxious.
TTouch is used to help:
- Aggressive behavior, extreme fear, and shyness
- Excessive barking and chewing
- Leash pulling, jumping up
- Excitability and nervousness, separation anxiety
- Car sickness
- Problems associated with aging
- Resistance to grooming
- Promote wellness and quality of life
Marnie has worked with my cat Rumi and I a number of times. When Rumi has an appointment, I always learn a lot because Marnie describes what she’s doing and why and she usually teaches me a few additional simple techniques to use at home. This is one of the details that makes me truly appreciate having Marnie in my cats’ life.
Call or email Marnie at Hawks Prairie Veterinary Hospital or using the contact info on Marnie’s website. (And tell her Rumi & I say “hi”!)
(Note: I do not accept payment for mentions or reviews of products and services that I write about on this site.)
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