Lassie - A Case Study in Trust

Lassie was a 14 year old female collie, black Labrador cross.  She lived with her owner, Angi, in the Buchan area.  Angi runs a successful dog walking and animal sitting service.

As with many dogs in their later years Lassie suffered from a list of age related symptoms due to osteoarthritis.  These included:

• obvious muscle wastage (atrophy) in her hind limbs

• inability to fully control her hind limbs

• having difficulty with going up and down steps

• requiring a bit of time to get going after sleeping

• not being able to stay standing for any length of time before needing to lay down; slow lowering of back end

• hind limb weakness when she turned left or right

• reluctant to trot and instead went from walk to run

• no longer able to walk for any more than 20 minutes

Lassie also appeared to have some symptoms of canine dementia, although this had not been diagnosed.

Owner’s perception of massage

Lassie came to Angi as an older dog after her previous owner sadly passed away.  They knew each other well as Angi had been employed to walk Lassie when her owner could not do so.  Despite being told that Lassie could be difficult Lassie and Angi became firm friends and it was natural for Angi to take on the full care of Lassie.  

Angi knew that as Lassie slowly became a gentle old girl she would want to make Lassie’s last years as wonderful as possible.  When Angi heard about Clinical Canine Massage Therapy, and that it was a new service in her local area, she felt that this was a way to give Lassie a little more flexibility and could make her more comfortable during the last months of her life.

Clinical Canine Massage Therapy

As a student of the Canine Massage Therapy Centre I would normally initiate any session with looking at the dog’s gait, the way he or she moves, and then palpate the major muscle groups to feel for any issues.  Lassie, being an older lady, would often be asleep when I arrived.  She would raise her head, perhaps come up for a sniff, and then settle herself back on her bed.  Instead of my usual routine Lassie’s assessments were done during the massage or when she got up to have a drink or a stretch.

Lassie settled into massage well and she particularly liked the vet bed I brought with me; within a couple of sessions she had made the association that this bed meant massage.  Always attentive to Lassie’s mood or needs we would pause the session if she needed a drink, to move position or because she had forgotten I was here and needed to say ‘hello’ again! 

With the progression of massage sessions Lassie was more and more willing to relax and allowed me to earn her trust.  Angi found this extremely reassuring and said “For the third session she [Lassie] was happy to lie still and relax without me being so close.  I was even able to go and put the kettle on without her wanting to follow me - that’s a big thing for her.”

Findings

As it would be expected Lassie was ‘overworking’ her front legs, shoulders and neck to compensate for the reduced movement in her hind limbs.  This was causing muscular issues in these overcompensating muscles including:

Trigger points - This is a tight band found within the muscle which means that the muscle will tire more quickly as it cannot be properly used.  These were found behind both of Lassie’s forelimbs, in the areas of the teres major and rhomboid.

Strains - A strain is often referred to as a ‘pulled muscle’.  It is caused by a sudden movement, such as a twist or pull that the muscle is unprepared for.  This results in an over stretch or tear of the muscle fibers.  Lassie had radiating pain especially in the right splenius area of her neck.

Hypertonicity - If a muscle is hard and inflexible, so that it cannot lengthen and contract, the muscle is hypertonic; this decreases the normal movement of the muscle.  As with many older dogs Lassie had hypertonic iliocostal and epaxial muscles which are found in the lumber area - lower back. 

Atrophy - This is the wasting away of muscle.  This can be caused by a number of reasons in any age of dog however, it is mostly associated with older dogs who are less able to exercise often due to arthritis.  An older dog will also have decreased growth in the muscles due to a reduction of being able to process proteins, therefore just maintaining muscles can be difficult.   Lassie had very noticeable atrophy in her hind limbs.

These muscular issues have accumulated over a long period of time.  Some may have resulted due to a trip or forelimb slide, whilst others are indicative of muscle overcompensation due to hind limb atrophy.  As joints slowly degrade the muscles surrounding them tighten, helping to keep the joint stable, but also causing surrounding muscles to take on more duties.  These in turn affect muscles, joints and limbs elsewhere as they too start to take the strain.

Whilst massaging Lassie I used a mix of four different techniques; Swedish, Deep Tissue massage, Myofascial release and the Lenton Method™.  The use of the Lenton Method™ sets me apart as it is a pioneering, results-driven three tiered approach for in-depth assessment and treatment of dogs.  It uses advanced palpation, body mapping and the use of seven protocols, which are myofascial release techniques.

Results

Angi and I were under no illusion that I could ‘fix’ Lassie, I was there to give her time, attention and a little bit of quality of life.  That said Clinical Canine Massage Therapy certainly gave Lassie a bit more sparkle!  

After only one session Angi reported that Lassie was able to get out of her bed easier and that her tail was untucking from between her legs.  By the end of three sessions Lassie became more flexible and with better mobility came an overall improvement in her quality of life.

However, what Lassie gave to me, as a Clinical Canine Massage Therapist, was the realisation that massage is not just about improving mobility and reducing pain.  Massage is also a conduit to allow owner and dog time together, to sit next to each other, touching, with very few other distractions.  It revealed the trust and understanding that had built up between Angi and Lassie.  It gave Lassie permission to relax and be looked after.  In essence Lassie taught me that massage need not always show physical results; improving an old dog’s general wellbeing is just as valid.

“To see that [photograph] of her yawning just bought back to me, how much she loved your visits.” - Angi

To be part of the last months of Lassie’s life was an honour and a privilege.  To see that little bit of sparkle come back to her eyes was pure joy.