Sorry to say Pepper and Blizzard have passed and are still arguing at the Rainbow bridge (they secretly love each other). After almost 5 years of massaging these two wonderful dogs every Monday night there is a huge hole in my heart where they lived. I will always remember you and will surely meet you there.
Pepper:
"In summer of 2009, Pepper, our then 7+ year old German Shepherd, was diagnosed with severe dysplasia in both hips. She was referred to Tufts Veterinary Hospital where she underwent further tests and diagnosis. We also sent her test results to a veterinary team in Alaska, that our daughter, a veteran musher of a number of sled dog races, recommended. One team suggested hip replacement on one side to give Pepper one strong side, the other team recommended pain management, pointing out the multiple non-hip joints already affected with arthritis. After looking at the X-rays and seeing the number of affected joints, we opted for pain management. With the help of our local vet, we worked to find the right dosage of Rimadyl. Although medication helped, at times Pepper was very stiff, especially on Mondays after our weekend adventures. During one of our visits, our veterinarian suggested contacting a dog massage specialist and gave us contact information for Carolyn MacDonald of Wet Nose Canine Massage. We contacted Carolyn and she agreed to come to our home to meet Pepper.
It was obvious, even after the first massage, that Pepper was more comfortable during the week. It wasn’t long until Pepper developed her current routine of greeting Carolyn at the front door with a wagging tail and bark, and then, without instruction, trotting to her bed to lie down and wait impatiently for Carolyn to start with her magic hands. Pepper has seldom missed her weekly massage. The 2 or 3 times that she’s gone longer than normal between visits have proven to us the value that massage brings to Pepper’s life. Even with medication, skipping a massage means more stiffness and difficulty in her getting up and walking. With massages, Pepper can accompany us on our daily walks and the hikes we take on our camping vacations. Although she still loves to chase her tennis ball, we’ve limited her to fewer instances that call for a sudden stop and extreme turns that chasing her ball in the woods requires.
For us, it’s a quality of life issue. We’ve made the long term commitment to give Pepper the best, most comfortable life she can have. In return, she’s always up for trying whatever is on the schedule, and demands to be included. She’s our dog, but we’re her people and she refuses to be left out, whether it’s watching over our young grandchildren or herding everyone out of the house when the fire alarm goes off (announcing dinner is ready). Now, at 11, with Carolyn’s help, Pepper is having a normal, relatively comfortable life with a good prognosis.
It was obvious, even after the first massage, that Pepper was more comfortable during the week. It wasn’t long until Pepper developed her current routine of greeting Carolyn at the front door with a wagging tail and bark, and then, without instruction, trotting to her bed to lie down and wait impatiently for Carolyn to start with her magic hands. Pepper has seldom missed her weekly massage. The 2 or 3 times that she’s gone longer than normal between visits have proven to us the value that massage brings to Pepper’s life. Even with medication, skipping a massage means more stiffness and difficulty in her getting up and walking. With massages, Pepper can accompany us on our daily walks and the hikes we take on our camping vacations. Although she still loves to chase her tennis ball, we’ve limited her to fewer instances that call for a sudden stop and extreme turns that chasing her ball in the woods requires.
For us, it’s a quality of life issue. We’ve made the long term commitment to give Pepper the best, most comfortable life she can have. In return, she’s always up for trying whatever is on the schedule, and demands to be included. She’s our dog, but we’re her people and she refuses to be left out, whether it’s watching over our young grandchildren or herding everyone out of the house when the fire alarm goes off (announcing dinner is ready). Now, at 11, with Carolyn’s help, Pepper is having a normal, relatively comfortable life with a good prognosis.
Blizzard:
After watching the success that Carolyn has had with helping Pepper, we had no hesitation asking her to work with our Siberian husky, Blizzard. At about 12 he began to act just a little off normal – loss of appetite, sleeping more, and his gait seemed off. He still was up for taking evening walks and Saturday morning play time with other dogs but those activities wiped him out. After a visit to the vet, we found he has arthritis near the base of his tail. He was in pain, although he never yelped, and he had constant muscle spasms in his hip from favoring one side over the other.
Blizzard was put on Tramadol for pain, and Carolyn worked with him, massaging his muscles until the contracted muscle mass relaxed and his discomfort eased to the point that he’s much more his normal self. He, too, greets Carolyn at the door and will often nose his way into Pepper’s massage asking for his turn. We definitely notice the difference in Blizzard’s quality of life and he’s back to acting like his much younger self.
Pepper and Blizzard both highly recommend Carolyn’s massage services for dogs."
Russet & Bill Morrow
Blizzard was put on Tramadol for pain, and Carolyn worked with him, massaging his muscles until the contracted muscle mass relaxed and his discomfort eased to the point that he’s much more his normal self. He, too, greets Carolyn at the door and will often nose his way into Pepper’s massage asking for his turn. We definitely notice the difference in Blizzard’s quality of life and he’s back to acting like his much younger self.
Pepper and Blizzard both highly recommend Carolyn’s massage services for dogs."
Russet & Bill Morrow