Referred for massage therapy following a diagnosis of severe lumbosacral arthritis, Dutch loosened right up after two sessions with Jill Reynolds.
“Dutch’s arthritis was so severe that he didn’t even like to be touched, and after massage, his body’s much looser, and he loves being touched,” said Andrea Stout, who takes Dutch, her chow mix, to Reynolds once a week for massage.
“And I was skeptical at first about massage.”
Reynolds’ canine clients relish massage. Her Fort Collins-based business, Canine Massage of the Rockies, gets a steady stream of dogs recuperating from surgery, athletic injuries, age-related disabilities and other physical problems.
“It’s not a spa; I don’t paint toenails,” Reynolds said. Her canine massage business began about 6 years ago.
Veterinarians refer most of her clients. Others hear about her through the Fort Collins Dog Network, the local canine grapevine, and events like Yappy Hour, a trade fair for dogs and dog owners. The business is full time but still growing.
“Canine massage is really catching up with canine acupuncture,” Reynolds said. “I see dogs who have arthritis, elbow dysplasia and other issues. If massage can help them avoid surgery, that’s fantastic.”
Besides canine massage, Reynolds volunteers as a dog advocate, fundraising for under-the-radar causes such as canine oxygen masks for city and county fire departments.
“We outfitted the city and volunteer fire authorities, plus some for Windsor, Wellington and Loveland, with three sizes of canine oxygen masks,” Reynolds said proudly.
“One department already used them to save some dogs in a fire last February.”
