Bowen Therapy for Dogs
Restore mobility and relieve pain with Animal Bowen Therapy!
Gentle muscle release technique to improve well-being in dogs
Animal Bowen Therapy enables the body to heal and repair itself at all levels as needed; physically, emotionally and energetically.
Bowen Therapy can provide the manual adjustment required to bring your dog back to peak performance and well being when accompanied by the correct diet and any health supplements required.
Dog Bowen Therapy available in Northland and Auckland
Bowen treatment (Canine) $50.00
*Overall prices may vary depending on the work required on the individual patient, for examples extra for travel, extractions, charts etc..
**Please note these are Northland prices only. Jo does offer clinics in Auckland on an appointment only basis. Please contact Jo for more information.
What to expect from your pet’s treatment
DURING TREATMENT
On your dogs 1st treatment, the dog will relax, yawn, lick its lips in approval, & go away once it’s had enough. It may growl or whip around when I press on sore areas. It will lean into me or present tight areas also.
In chronic conditions, I strongly Recommend 2 treatments 7-10 days apart to enable me to treat where the body has off loaded to.
On the 2nd treatment, your dog will greet me very happily as it knows what I’m all about by this stage. This treatment I typically find different areas of discomfort which will be where the lameness originated.
AFTER
Fresh water is needed straight after a treatment as they become extremely thirsty & most need to urinate. Their appetite may also increase.
Your dog will do one of 2 things. Bound around freely or limp more! This is a normal reaction to a Bowen treatment. Any change is a good change. Then the animal will sleep very well that night.
Mid week the animal may show signs of pain. By the end of the week it will have improved. Bowen done correctly can only help not harm as it’s a non invasive therapy.
Any tiredness or pain arising from the 2nd treatment lasts only 24 hours. In this time please refrain from exercising your dog as the body is re-setting itself via the pressure points.
Occasionally I may need to do a 3rd treatment. This is common for spinal or disc problems.
I recommend arnica drops 30c potency or traumeel drops after a treatment.
Jo's approach to dog bowen therapy
What I do – Dogs
Firstly, I listen to what the owner tells me about their dogs’ lameness issues. This includes the personality of the animal. I also learn of any past injuries or deformities the animal may have.
- I watch the dog in its natural environment.
- I’m looking for patterns of standing, sitting, urinating, facial expressions.
- I’m looking for fluid or stuck movement.
- I’m looking for symmetry & any uneven muscle groups.
- I’m looking for straightness of the spine or any curves in the spine.
I palpate (feel) the dogs’ body preferably whilst it’s cool & dry. I’m feeling for what I looked for & more. Unevenness, torn muscles, tender joints. Also any temperature changes in the body. One hot ear, or one hot elbow joint.
- I often check their teeth for a scissor bite. Uneven jaws, ears & teeth can often have an effect on the hindquarters.
- I feel how loose the skin is. Glued fascia as it’s often referred to is tight & often dry.
- I’m also feeling the coat for dryness. Animals as they age need a wee bit of fish oil or similar to lube their joint’s similar to a vehicle! Makes it run smoother. Dry areas in the body indicate to me the connective tissue isn’t at an optimum healthy level.
- I check the wear & length of their nails as these cause pain further up the body and inhibit movement.
- When I’m treating the body, I’m watching for signs of stress, soreness or happy places when they lean into my hand for more pressure. Their breathing changes when you find touchy areas.
- I check dietary intake as it can inhibit healing if there are too many inflammatory foods ingested.
- When the dogs walk away I give them a wee break as it’s quite an intense non evasive modality.
On the 2nd treatment I look for changes in gait, posture & personality. They are generally a lot happier and more mobile. - I listen to the owners observations.
- I then treat the animal holistically to unravel the body & gain the freedom of movement they’ve had previously.After their 2nd treatment & this is normally the last for most I try to ascertain if I need to do more or if a 3rd treatment maybe required.
A few examples of happy clients…
What is Bowen Therapy?
Bowen Therapy is a non invasive soft tissue therapy.
Similar to Chinese acupressure, using a gentle cross fibre move across muscles, tendons & ligaments. It activates the body’s own powerful natural healing process allowing it to reset & rebalance itself. This in turn produces rapid & long lasting relief from pain & discomfort.
Why Bowen therapy?
Because everything in the body is connected. What we often see as a problem may actually be just a symptom — a sign that the body is compensating or offloading stress elsewhere.
Bowen Therapy offers a gentle, holistic approach to healthcare for dogs. Think of it like a regular service for your vehicle. Each treatment helps to rebalance the entire body, leaving your animal more relaxed, supple, and energised.
BENEFITS OF DOG BOWEN THERAPY
Eliminates your animals pain and discomfort
Increases mobility and range of motion
Improves circulation, by increasing necessary blood flow
Improves energy levels and performance
Helps prevent injury allowing better flexibility of the muscles
Assists the body to repair muscle fibres that have been injured and damaged by restoring homeostasis (balance)
Improves the overall mood (behavioural issues), the coat and appetite of your animal!
Bowen Therapy helps
Bowen for animals has helped the following conditions:
- Spinal issues – bulging or slipped discs
- Sacroiliac pain
- Shoulder lameness
- Neck & Jaw pain
- Laminitis
- Lymphatic drainage issues
- Growing pains especially in larger animals
- Scrambling in floats
- Nerve pain
- Restricted movement
- Intermittent lameness
- Locking or sore stifles
- Skeletal misalignment
- Sore backs, cold backs, roached backs especially when touched
- Leg swelling (Oedema)
- Muscle, ligament, tendon strains
- Muscle wastage
- Respiratory disorders
- Removal of metabolic waste & tying up issues
- Muscle tightness
- Back pain from I’ll fitting saddles or imbalanced riders
- Seizures
- Ataxia
- Bladder leakage
- Unexplained deterioration in performance
- Toe dragging & uneven dragging of feet
- Disunited paces
- Unwilling to go on one rein or stiffness on one rein
- Wound healing-speeds recovery through improved circulation
- Uneven muscle development
- Pre & post birthing assistance
- Degenerative disorders
- Unexplained irritability
- Emotional problems caused by fear from tightness/soreness issues
- Prevention of body problems as from an athletes point of view or as a feel good treat for your dog, horse or companion animal
How Bowen Therapy Works
Bowen Therapy works with the fascia — the connective tissue that wraps around every muscle, bone, organ, and nerve in the body. Using a series of gentle, cross-fibre moves in a specific sequence, the fascia is encouraged to release its tension. This allows tight or ‘glued’ areas to soften and rehydrate, which is why you may feel extra thirsty or need to urinate afterward — it’s all part of the healing process.
When an area of the body is out of balance, the fascia can become sticky or restricted. The body often compensates by offloading stress elsewhere. Within 24 hours (for acute issues) or up to a week for more chronic conditions, the areas treated begin activating the body’s natural healing response, helping it to unwind and release tension.
Trauma, especially when muscles are in spasm, can confuse the body — neural pathways get disrupted, and natural movement patterns are forgotten. It’s not uncommon for old pains or sensations to resurface midweek. This is simply part of the realignment process. Even though the treatment is subtle, the after-effects can be powerful. As the body unravels, those old aches are signs that deeper healing is occurring.
Since fascia surrounds every system in the body, Bowen Therapy reaches deep. The second session is often the most noticeable — typically taking only 24 hours to create visible shifts. A third treatment tends to be even more profound, with the body responding faster and the client feeling more vibrant and free in their movement.
Treatment
Treatment Timing
Bowen sessions are generally spaced 7–10 days apart.
This gives the body time to process and integrate the changes — what we call “cooking time.” These intervals also help us track how pain shifts in the body and identify where the original issue began.
A Blended Approach
While Bowen Therapy is the foundation of our work, we also integrate other modalities such as Ortho-Bionomy (also known as Contact Care), Craniosacral work, and other subtle techniques to support your animal’s recovery.
In some cases, we may use therapeutic tools like:
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Bioptron light therapy
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Zapper machine
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Magnetic blankets
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Herbal, homeopathic, and tissue salt remedies
For topical support, we use natural products like Fixt Cream or the pet-friendly Rapid Ease, along with other herbal blends.