On this page you will find some of the material that we use in our dog massage classes. Most of the material is designed for the dog and cat professional massage therapist, but all of the material can be easily learned by the layperson as well. All the forms that are listed here are open source, so you have permission to use them and manipulate them for your own use as you see fit (unless they are authored by someone other then Ojai School of Canine Massage). Some of the material on this page contains opinions that may or may not be facts, so if you have any questions or doubts about the veracity or truthfulness of the material, then please contact your local Veterinarian to “fact check” the material. If you have suggestions on what may be improved, please leave comments and we will try to integrate whatever is useful into the material that we share.
Every animal caretaker wants to be the best caretaker possible. A good animal shepherd will learn the “lay of the land” and what is needed to keep their animal in good health and safe from internal and external harm. Please stay healthy and happy, as well, so that you can impart this onto your animal friends!
Canine Anatomy
- Canine Muscle Actions Grouped By Actions and Regions
- Canine Muscle Origins, Insertions, Actions and Nerve Innervations
- Canine Anatomy Audio File for Pronunciation and Memorization
Note: A good dog massage therapist and caretaker should strive to slowly learn what is underneath the skin and how the muscles work on the bones. When you are doing a dog massage and you feel something that feels odd or that doesn’t feel right, then you should go to a dog anatomy book or dog anatomy website and research what you are feeling.
Dog and Cat Massage Intake Forms
- Animal Intake Form
- Animal Chinese Medicine Intake Form (From Chi Institute of Chinese Medicine)
- Dorsal View of the Dog for S.O.A.P. Charting
- Ventral View of the Dog for S.O.A.P. Charting
- Treatment Plan Form (From Mosby)
- Gait Assessment Form for the Canine
- TCVM Checklist for Animals
- Dog and Cat Body Condition Scores
Note: If you are a professional in the animal health field, a dog massage therapist, or in the rescue or behavior fields, you should have a variety of behavior related forms on hand that you can obtain by purchasing the Handbook of Behavior Problems of the Dog and Cat.
Canine and Feline Pathologies
- List of Zoonotic and Communicable Diseases of the Dog and Cat
- Flash Cards for Canine Pathologies
- Pyodermas
- Superficial Dermatomycoses
- Ectoparasites
- Hygiene for Animal Massage Therapists
- Rehabilitation Therapies for Musculoskeletal and Spinal Diseases in Small Animals
A dog massage therapist and dog caretaker should learn the various pathological conditions that can arise in the dog.
Dog Massage
A great resource for Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine is the Chi Institute.
Miscellaneous
- Resources For Canine Massage Therapists
- Canine Conformation and Gait Assessment
- Yin/Yang Theory
- Five Element Theory
- Canine Acupuncture Points
- Categories of Canine Acupressure Points
Post Surgical Dog Massage