Haven Holistic Therapy Human & Canine

Thursday morning, day 14 of the school summer holidays. Arthur is very much in approval of the children’s ‘teen’ lay ins. Thismorning he has kept Annie company by sneaking up and getting into bed with her after steeling one of Ben’s socks.
He’s also ‘retrieved’ 5 apples from the garden, 2 flip flops and 2 crocks and a cheese wrapper which he has proudly wafted around Ambers nose in the hope of a chase game.
It’s just exhausting being a Golden, he now needs another nap whilst saving energy for his mid morning snooze 😍

Still fast asleep after his massage today. 🥰

Kimi is a young little Frenchie with a spinal condition who was referred to me by his Vet for clinical massage therapy. I’ve been treating him for over a year now, and he has been an absolute sweetheart from day one.

When Kimi first came to see me, he was experiencing lower back discomfort, intermittent lameness and laxity affecting his hind limbs. Through regular clinical massage and a proactive treatment plan, we’ve been able to keep his symptoms to a minimum, and we’re so pleased with the progress he continues to make.

Clinical massage can’t change Kimi’s diagnosis, but it can help him stay as comfortable as possible. His owner completely understands this and has been incredibly committed to his ongoing treatment plan, which has made a real difference to his quality of life.

Beautiful little boy. ❤️

&canine

Resharing my consultation post.
Remember I cannot treat your dog within 2 weeks of vaccinations. We discuss this at the first consultation x

✨ The Importance of Consultation ✨

Every Clinical Canine Massage session includes a consultation which includes an activities of daily living assessment, posture analysis, gait analysis, and muscular palpation — and there’s a very important reason why. 🐾

These assessments allow me to tailor each treatment specifically to your dog’s individual needs. I’m looking for subtle changes such as:
• Behaviour changes
• Coat condition/ changes
• Posture changes
• Gait / performance and movement
• Lameness or stiffness, tail/ Head carriage
Pain and soreness
…and much much more.

The consultation is just as important as the hands-on treatment itself. For returning dogs, it helps us identify anything that may have changed since their last session and how effective our treatments are so we can adapt or even refer back to their vet. For new clients, it helps me fully understand how best to support them and create an effective ongoing treatment plan, or not? I’m also evaluating if massage will be suitable, is this the right therapy.

So if I ask you to walk or trot your dog up the driveway again, there’s a reason for it. If I ask lots of questions, it’s because every detail matters and helps me give your dog the safest and most beneficial treatment possible. 💚

One good example, one of my regular boys was due for treatment today, but he’d had vaccinations last week without realising the close proximity of his next treatment. Even though risk of reaction after vaccination is minimal it is good practice to wait at least 2 weeks. Your dog’s wellbeing always comes first. 🐶

The lovely pic below is of Sadie and Ozzy helping with their consults and coincidentally I was lucky enough to treat today x

A wonderful day filled with a mix of human and canine treatments. 💚

🐾 Monty enjoyed his treatment today. We spent quite a bit of time working on his neck, biceps and triceps which work incredibly hard for him being on wheels to move around, he relaxed beautifully as always.

🐾 Nala, the sweetest little Staffie, was an absolute star. She can often be quite sore, so we used gentle and slow techniques, to help continue to build her confidence and increase her comfort.

🐾 Teasel… OMG where do I start! He laid down for over 60% of his treatment today! For a dog with high cortisol levels, that’s a huge achievement. His owners, Andrew and Claire, have been doing an incredible job alongside Hamble Hounds to support his training and help him feel calmer. Every time I see him, I notice another step forward, and I couldn’t be prouder of how far he’s come.

My human clients really tested me Today with an array of interesting muscular adhesions and trigger points which left me worn out after treating 😂 I was grateful to be finishing with an evening of reflexology appointments.

Today was filled with so many ‘wins’ I have felt so lucky, being part of these achievements and seeing the therapy work 💪🎉








&canine

We’ve had a lovely week away visiting family and enjoying a well-earned rest, but we’re home now! ☺️

I’m looking forward to welcoming you all back next week.

My work diary is at capacity over the next few weeks due to some lovely new canine clients starting with me and with the children home for the school holidays things are busier than usual too. Therefore If you need to make any changes to your appointment, I’d really appreciate as much notice as possible so I can do my best to accommodate you.

Thank you for your understanding, and I look forward to seeing you all soon! 💚

I’ve finally wrapped up for a week as the children break up for the summer, and after making sure everyone who needed a treatment over the past few weeks—those with two legs and those with four!—has been looked after, I’ve started tackling my ever-growing to-do list.

In doing so, I realised I completely missed something rather important…

Haven Holistic Therapy turned 12 this spring! 🎉

Looking back over the last 12 years, so much has changed.

What began as a complementary therapy business offering treatments including luxury Lava Shell Massage has evolved more than I could ever have imagined. Volunteering with Macmillan led me to train as a Macmillan Therapist, which in turn led to five wonderful years working at the Breast Cancer Haven clinic.

Then came COVID. Like so many small businesses, I had to adapt quickly. I even found myself making and selling aromatherapy candles just to help cover the food shopping. When I was finally able to reopen, my amazing clients came straight back, and I will never forget that loyalty.

Over the years my work has naturally become more clinical. One by one, the pampering treatments made way for rehabilitation, pain management and hands-on clinical therapy. My training with the Canine Massage Therapy Centre opened another incredible chapter, and these days around 60% of my work is helping dogs live happier, more comfortable lives.

I genuinely feel so lucky. My diary is usually full, and I never take for granted the trust you place in me—whether you’re trusting me to help ease your own aches and pains or those of your much-loved four-legged family members.

This coming year is another exciting one. I’m hoping to achieve affiliation with the Animal Health Practitioners Register, which represents a huge amount of work in demonstrating my training, experience and professional standards.

I also have some exciting plans quietly taking shape behind the scenes that I think my canine clients and their owners are really going to love… but you’ll have to wait a little longer for those. Watch this space!

To every client, every person who has recommended me, shared a post, trusted me with their care, or simply supported my little business over the past 12 years…

Thank you. ❤️

Here’s to the next chapter.

A beautifully written piece about why Strains and Sprains appear more common in dogs with Osteoarthritis by Chilterns Clinical Canine Massage xx

Week 28 - Strains and sprains.

Why Are Strains and Sprains So Common in Dogs with Osteoarthritis?

When we think about osteoarthritis (OA), we often focus on the joints themselves. But as I have previously mentioned many of the aches and pains our dogs experience actually come from the soft tissues – i.e. the muscles, fascia, tendons and ligaments.

Osteoarthritis changes the way a dog moves. To avoid discomfort in a particular joint, dogs naturally shift their weight, shorten their stride, or alter their posture. While this helps protect the painful joint in the short term, it places increased strain on muscles, tendons, and ligaments elsewhere in the body.

As an example, one muscle group I frequently see affected in dogs with osteoarthritis is the superficial pectoral muscles.

The superficial pectorals have several functions – they stabilize the forelimb and alongside the shoulder muscles they attach the forelimbs to the body. They help in movement of the forelimbs forwards and backwards and they create adduction movement of the limb – i.e. they move the forelimb in towards the middle of the body.

Thinking about a dog with forelimb osteoarthritis who is struggling to sit up from lying down, the forelimbs repeatedly slide outwards in trying to get up and over time, tenderness, reduced flexibility, discomfort, and strains (tears) occur - making movement even more difficult.

Sprains can also occur as altered weight-bearing places extra stress on ligaments, particularly when a dog slips, twists, or makes a sudden movement. Because the body is already compensating, even a minor incident can result in an injury.

This is one reason why managing osteoarthritis isn't just about the joints. Looking after the muscles and other soft tissues is equally important. Massage is really important for helping to do this. It improves circulation to the tissues, aids mobility, relieves tension, improves flexibility etc through a variety of techniques including facilitated stretching and direct and indirect myofascial release techniques.

If you notice that your dog seems to have developed a new limp, feels unusually tight in a particular area, or is reluctant to move, it may not just be the arthritis itself—it could be a muscle strain or ligament sprain that also need attention.

Another week has absolutely whizzed by! 💙 It’s been filled with human massage, canine massage, reflexology, and spending time with some very good boys and girls.

Although the weather has been getting warmer, my treatment room stays beautifully cool, so as long as my canine clients could travel safely in air-conditioned cars and the risk assessment was ok, they were comfortable to continue with their appointments.

I didnt manage to get photos of everyone this week. Special mentions go to cheeky superstar Monty our little pug and the ever-so-good Kimi a little Frenchie who were both a pleasure to treat and not forgetting Lady Darcey, a Greyhound who enjoyed her treatment in her cool lounge, she was as lovely as ever. Tally our young agility star was also brilliant who watched his mum have a massage after his for the first time!

These lovely dogs also had their treatments this week:

🐾 Beau, the 14-year-old Lurcher, is becoming a little wobblier now. We’re doing all we can to support his stability by keeping his muscles comfortable and helping him move as freely as possible and I’m continuously in touch with his vet to make sure massage therapy continues to add value and makes a difference to his comfort levels.

🐾 Pablo has completed his final session of his condensed treatment plan and is doing incredibly well. It’s been wonderful to see his ability to relax improve with every visit.

🐾 Gorgeous new boy Bertie, had his second treatment and behaved as though he’d been enjoying massage all his life!

And finally, a warm welcome to Ester, an 8-month-old Show Cocker Spaniel, who had her very first treatment today. She is being treated for a low-grade strain after an energetic play session with a doggy friend. She was unbelievably well behaved and an absolute joy to work with—such a beautiful girl. 💕

Thank you to all my wonderful clients, both two-legged and four-legged, for another lovely week. Wishing everyone a fantastic weekend! 🐶✨

💕Amber has been doing the weekly accounts and has asked please if all humans could check they have paid this week and pop it through by the end of the day. I have reassured her that her and Arthur are not in danger of not receiving their butternut food Box but she is not taking any chances 🐾
Thankyou xx

Reflexology is another of my more popular treatments for this week, always one I love to do too. Everyone is so relaxed and rebalanced afterwards no matter how you come into my room, your guaranteed to leave with better perspective and balance x