Pets can also benefit from massages

Your pet can't tell you that her leg feels sore or his arthritis is worsening.

But they do offer clues to Gina Hamilton, 35, a licensed massage therapist certified in small animal massage.

Just like people, animals can benefit from massage, said Hamilton, who lives near Central City and has been offering the service to Eastern Iowa pet owners for the past year.

It's a growing trend.

Cat and dog massage expert Maryjean Ballner, showcased earlier this month on “Late Night with David Letterman,” touted the benefits that Hamilton also espouses.

Massage can offer relief for pets suffering from:

-arthritis or other joint ailments;

-neck and spinal dysfunction;

-tension and anxiety;

-sore muscles;

-allergies and skin conditions;

-respiration and digestion problems.

With massage, for both people and pets, circulation and respiration is stimulated, bringing fresh blood and oxygen to the muscles and tissues, Hamilton noted.

Massage also increases flexibility and mobility, concerns that dog owner Michelle Cole had about her family's golden retriever, Casey.

Cole said the 10-year-old dog has arthritis and has had some difficulty getting around, especially in the mornings.

She heard about pet massage through Hamilton, who is her massage therapist.

“I personally love massage so I know there's lots of benefits to it,” Cole said.

Casey underwent his second session last week with Hamilton.

Cole said a limp that Casey had went away after the first session.

Sessions range from “on the spot” for $1 per minute to an hour for $45.

Hamilton stretched Casey's neck, used long strokes on his back and light compressions on hips and other tender areas.

The technique is similar to what she uses for people, but with a lighter touch for pets.

Hamilton worked on Casey's shoulders as the dog relaxed on the floor of the Cole's southeast Cedar Rapids home.

“He's starting to figure out why I'm here,” she said.

Hamilton takes cues from the pets on where to massage.

One dog at a shelter kept turning its shoulder toward her during a session, a sign that the area needed attention, she said.

Hamilton was certified last year at the Blue Sky School of Professional Massage in Grafton, Wis. Her “human” training was through Carlson College of Massage Therapy.

She is an independent contractor at Sheree's Skin Care Studio and A Joy of Healing in Cedar Rapids. Hamilton doesn't offer pet massage from those sites as of now, but travels to pet owners' homes.

“I've found that they're more comfortable and more in their element in their own home,” she said.

One thing Hamilton doesn't do is force a massage if the pet doesn't want one.

“With these guys, you never know how long it's going to take and it's totally up to them,” she said.