Services

A Comprehensive Approach to Health

Integrative Care – Nutrition – Massage – Training & Behavior

Integrative Care

This is our complete suite of services. From our initial 90-minute visit, I seek to really get to know your dog: his personality, nature, skeletal structure, gait, exercise routine, dietary history, medical history and lifestyle. My holistic approach considers your whole dog, taking into account emotional, environmental, genetic, and physical factors. I identify underlying imbalances that enable chronic conditions to linger and can lead to illness and disease.

Then I work with you to design a customized, integrative wellness plan that can include nutrition counseling, massage therapy, acupressure, Reiki, Bach essences, herbs and supplements, fitness recommendations, behavioral modifications, training, and coaching through the maze of eastern and western veterinary treatment options.

Education and partnership are tenets of my practice. I encourage your involvement and partner with you, your veterinarian, and other practitioners in your dog’s care.

Nutrition Consultation

If your dog suffers from allergies, eye discharge, ear infections, skin problems or other chronic conditions, generally diet is part of the problem. The majority of dis-ease is rooted in digestion – what we eat, how much we eat, and how our bodies process this food. The same is true for your dog. A malfunctioning digestive system can cause imbalance within the body and can stress organs and glands. Allergies, arthritis, joint pain, autoimmune disorders, skin problems, irritability, and metabolic imbalances (e.g. Cushing’s, Addison’s, hypothyroidism, and diabetes) can all be linked in part to dietary imbalances and or mineral and vitamin deficiencies. By feeding a diet that balances your dog’s natural constitution, many health issues and “food allergies” can be eliminated without the use of steroids, other drugs, or reliance on a commercially manufactured “prescription diet”.

We completely changed Lillie’s diet based on Heather’s recommendations and Lillie’s chronic “weeping eyes” disappeared within the week.

L. Baird

Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.

Hippocrates

Massage

Is your dog less energetic? Does he lack the enthusiasm for walks or show a reluctance to run, play or jump into the car? What we often think of as “normal aging” can be signs your dog is in pain.

Canine massage relieves pain, soreness, and stiffness, and makes pets healthier and happier. By manipulating muscle tissue, I can improve muscle function, increase flexibility and range of motion, and speed up the removal of wastes and toxins from the body. The result? A calmer, more comfortable dog.

• Relieve your dog’s joint pain and inflammation without drugs like Rimadyl and Metacam
• Improve mobility using conservative management approaches in lieu of surgery
• Build trust in puppies and rescue dogs
• Alleviate anxiety in nervous dogs
• Help your senior dog to age gracefully
• Prevent arthritis from developing prematurely

When muscles are tense and contracted for long periods of time, gait abnormalities, arthritic joints, and increased strain on ligaments can occur, putting your dog at greater risk for pain and injury. I work deep into the muscle tissue to remove any fascial adhesions, ensuring that your dog regains smooth and unrestricted movement.

Professional massage can also help you identify areas of heat, pain, or swelling in your dog and is an excellent way to ensure early detection of masses. You can seek attention of a veterinarian much sooner, resulting in greater comfort for your dog and a more favorable outcome.

Through an evaluation of overall structure, balance, gait, conformation, and movement, your dog’s entire body is considered, not just a specific area of soreness. I use a variety of massage techniques including Swedish, deep tissue, myofascial release, and sports massage. All massage includes passive stretching to assess and measure improvements in range of motion.

The range of motion he regains and the difference in his gait after a session with Heather are nothing short of astounding.

A. Chamyan

Training and Behavior Modification

A calm dog is a happy dog! When your dog is acting out, they are usually stressed and/or overstimulated by their environment. I will teach how to ensure you are communicating consistently with your dog and how to read their body language so you can see the cues before the behavior presents. Whether you are looking to teach or extinguish a behavior, I can guide you and your pup using positive reinforcement techniques. At its core, whether teaching a dog basic recall or to find a lost person in the woods, the effectiveness of training comes down to the relationship between you and your dog. Punishment will always set you both back.

I have experience with traumatized animals who come from abusive situations and respond with fear-based aggression or a freeze response, teaching adult dogs boundaries, puppies basic manners, and, yes, even training Search and Rescue dogs!

Learn more about whether Wags & Wellness is right for your dog in a free phone consultation.