Relief is just a prick and pat away for stressed out dogs

Rogue's hectic lifestyle often leaves her tired, sore from her arthritis and sometimes even stressed.

Rogue leads a stressful life.

She's the brand ambassador of a bakery, makes cameo appearances at shows and even does door-to-door deliveries.

Not bad for a 13-year-old Staffie - the face of Rogue's Pawsome Bakery in Cape Town.

But her hectic lifestyle often leaves her tired, sore from her arthritis and sometimes even stressed.

However, Rogue and other pooches are finding relief and solace in canine massages, acupuncture and reiki, a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation.

The average prices for a full-body massage and reiki treatment ranges from R200 to R250.

Animal experts say an increasing number of dogs display signs of stress, which is sometimes transferred from their owners.

A 2014 study in Hungary concluded that there was part of a dog's brain dedicated to deciphering emotion in a human voice.

The study was conducted by the Hungarian Academy of Science's comparative ethology research group, which specialises in canine research.

According to the research, that part of the dog's brain also processes information when the animals hear other dogs. Dogs interpret human emotion in the same way they interpret dog emotion.

Stressful human situations, like divorce and death, have led to dog depression, scientists believe.

Tracy Groenewald, who does dog reiki and massages, said tension in dogs was caused by the animals absorbing the stress of their owners.

"Pets have stress as much as humans. The massage and reiki is there to improve their health and help them de-stress.

"Massage has a feel-good factor to it - like for humans it promotes healing. Cats don't tolerate them, though."

She said animals, and dogs in particular, were perceptive.

"Their stress comes from the people they live with," she said.

"If you're really upset and have a look at your dog, you will see how your dog is reacting to you, because they're picking up your emotions."

Groenewald makes home visits to stressed pets.

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"Canine massage dates back to ancient times. Julius Caesar used to travel with a personal massage therapist and they used to work on his war dogs too. In India they charted human and animal bodies with energy lines and trigger points.

"It's a medical fact that massage lowers the level of stress hormones in the body, so the positive effects on relaxation and energy are obvious."

Groenewald said massage should not be used as a substitute for medical care.

Ilze Fourie, Rogue's owner, said the therapies had been beneficial to her dog.

"She is out and about a lot since we take her with to expos, shows and deliveries. Rogue has arthritis in her back hips, diagnosed when she was about 11 years old."

Fourie began taking Rogue for acupuncture and massages to ease the dog's pain and help it relax.

"After a massage and acupuncture session, Rogue will usually sleep all the way home and you can see the difference in her movement.

"I think that these treatments are becoming more popular since you can clearly see an improvement," said Fourie.

Lorren Barham, owner of Pet Wellness Worx, which provides veterinary rehabilitation, said canine massages had a "positive influence on the physical and psychological wellbeing of dogs".

Barham said massages were beneficial for dogs that were hyperactive, anxious and suffered from stress.

She said acupuncture had been used on animals for more than 4,000 years.

"It is one of the safest therapies when performed by a properly trained vet," Barham said.