Life is ruff, and the stress of long days can leave doggo lacking energy, carrying tension, or just overall not feelin’ her best. Read on to sniff out how acupressure for dogs can put the pep back in pupper’s step.
What is Acupressure?
Acupressure is a practice from Traditional Chinese Medicine that’s focused on restoring energy by engaging your dog’s immune system response through massaging special points on his body. They follow the same pressure points used in acupuncture, but without those puppin’ scary needles—have no fear, fluffers!
Dog Pressure Points
Dogs have more than 150 pressure points throughout their bodies, though not all are commonly used in vet practices. Acupressure points include points in the face, head, ears, wrists, paws, and sides. While acupressure sessions help overall wellness, some specialized sessions can relieve various symptoms and ailments.
Benefits of Acupressure
Acupressure may help alleviate some of your pup’s problems such as allergies, anxiety, arthritis, and pain. It can also be especially helpful to our senior friends by givin’ them a boost of energy.
Anxiety/Mood-Related Behaviors
Massaging pressure points on a dog’s head is known to increase calmness, and reduce irritability and nervousness. Massaging the acupressure points where your dog’s front leg meets the inside of her body can also help your pup relax.
Digestive Disorders
Tummy trouble? Acupressure can help with issues such as vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, as well as be used as a preventative measure. If your favorite pawssenger gets sick during car rides, giving her a massage before buckling up might just turn her into a ride-ruvin’ rover.
Pain Relief
There’s nothing worse than seeing our pups in pain. Thank dog then that acupressure can help with this too. Which points you massage for pain relief depends on the type of pain. Fur example, stimulating pressure points at the base of the spine can relieve back pain. Massaging points under the front legs can make your floof feel lighter, which can also help relieve pain resulting from chronic illnesses like arthritis and cancer.
At the end of the day, we just want our best buds to live their best lives! Acupressure can benefit them in many ways, but make sure to consult with your vet first to make sure your acupressure plans are safe for pup.