When your animal friends are suffering, it’s tempting to throw all the alternative therapies you can think of in the mix in order to make them better, but is that really the best idea? I will confess that I am guilty of doing this, both with myself and with my late dog Sadie. I start […]
The Amazing Impact of Massage at Animal Shelters
An estimated six to eight million cats and dogs enter shelters each year, and about half of those find new homes. About 2.7 million cats and dogs are euthanized in shelters each year. Shelters across the country are implementing enrichment programs to improve the lives of the animals in their care and increase the chances […]
Q&A: How To Get Referrals from Veterinarians
Q: How can practitioners of alternative therapies get referrals from veterinarians? What can someone just starting out do to develop a relationship with a veterinarian (that will hopefully lead to referrals)? Building relationships and collaboration are important parts of any successful business, and when your business is complementary animal health, building those relationships with veterinarians […]
Q&A: Should Alternative Practitioners Ask for Veterinary Consent?
Q: Do you ask (and / or do you advise your students to ask) for a release or clearance from the client’s vet before working with an animal? Do you need veterinary consent? We have received the question about veterinary consent from many readers, along with the related subject: how do you get referrals from […]
Q&A: Treatment Options For A Dog With Pinched Nerve In Back
Q: Our dog has a pinched nerve in his back creating back leg weakness. We’re looking for treatment options. Lola Michelin, Northwest School of Animal Massage: Pinched nerves are serious business indeed and once your veterinarian has had the opportunity to diagnose the degree of trauma and the location, there are many therapies that will […]
Q&A: Massage and Phantom Pregnancy in Dogs
We recently received an interesting question from one of our readers and wanted to share it here for others to learn from as well (don’t miss the update at the end of the post). Tracey, a canine massage practitioner in the UK, wrote: Q: Is massage safe for a bitch experiencing a phantom pregnancy? As […]
Business Monday: Affordable Health Insurance for Massage Practitioners
As daunting as starting a business can be in the beginning, one of the most anxious times is when you are getting enough clients to consider leaving the employment that is paying the bills. One reason thousands of people stick with their full time jobs to the detriment of their business is the health insurance […]
Business Monday: How Do I Figure Out If There Is A Market For My Business?
We get a lot of questions on how to figure out if there is a market for the modality you want to learn so you can be sure that you will have paying customers after you graduate. Marketing and market research is a huge part of any business, and one that many struggle with, and […]
Meet Lisa Ruthig, Lively Dog
Lisa is the founder and owner of Lively Dog in N. Grosvenordale, CT. Cattie: I first met Lisa through Bancroft’s animal massage online discussion group, and was immediately impressed with her wealth of knowledge. People in the group ask a LOT of questions about pretty much everything related to animal health, as well as the […]