Animal Massage Therapy

Of course, the most massaged four-legged creatures are horses, dogs, and cats. Pet massage therapy is great for pet owners to learn. Having this knowledge empowers the pet owner, making him/her feel confident in the ability to do great things for his/her pets.

The health benefits for pets are much the same as those for human beings.

Depending on your state of residence, you may have to have a special massage therapy license specifically for animals. You can check to see what your state's requirements, if any, are at www.iaamb.org to see what your state requires.

Massaging animals has been practiced for many centuries around the world. The Chinese practiced massage on horses thousands of years ago. Back in the days of the Greek and Roman Empires, massage therapy was performed on their military horses. They knew how important it was to keep their only mode of land transportation in vital working order.

Now, we perform massage therapy on animals scientifically so it is important to know how the muscles work. This became a new field of study in the United States in the 1970's. Man's best friend, the dog, is the most often massaged household pet. It seems dog lovers will do almost anything for their faithful friends.

I remember a few seasons ago on an episode of The Apprentice that one team of would-be apprentices were selling doggy massages in Central Park to earn cash for their team. These people knew nothing about dog massage other than they thought people would pay good money for it in New York City. Anything for their pets. They were right!

Return from Animal Massage Therapy to Your Massage Therapy Career Home Page