How Important is the Sense of Touch for Pets?

By Linda Cole

We know how important our sense of touch is to us. Snuggling next to the one we love makes us feel good, safe and warm. Our pets respond to our touch in the same way when we give them a scratch behind the ears. My dogs love a good ear scratch so much, they will lay their head in my hand and close their eyes in response to the good feeling they are experiencing. Each dog has a sweet spot that gets their back leg kicking in pure pleasure when you rub their tummy, and you know when you've found your cat's favorite spot along her back or under her chin. The sense of touch for pets is just as important to them as it is to us.

Cats and dogs have very sensitive whiskers which help them “see” in the dark. As air moves around couches and chair legs in the home, their whiskers act like little radar detectors picking up changes in the air movement. This also helps them locate prey in the dark. Dogs have a higher sensitivity to touch around their mouth which aids them when they mouth objects to determine what they are. Cats have whiskers on their legs to help them determine where their prey is and if it's still alive. Since they can't see things right under their nose unless they detect motion, a cat depends on their sense of touch to compensate.

Since dogs are social animals and are accustomed to living in a pack social structure, they use their sense of touch while socializing with each other. That's one reason why your dog likes to lay beside you on the couch, your favorite chair or at your feet. It's important for them to be with the rest of the pack and they like to be close enough to touch us. My dogs like to gather around me on the couch and lay with their head on my leg. It gets a little crowded sometimes when all of them are trying to find a vacant area on my knee.

A cat's sensitivity to touch is their most sophisticated of all their senses. Nerve endings are connected to pressure sensitive receptors that constantly send messages to their brain giving cats the ability to always be on top of what's going on in their world – even when they appear to be sound asleep. Their amazing sense of touch is a big reason why cats can react with a split second reaction time.

Some people believe that an animal’s sense of touch is so sensitive they can feel vibrations in the earth prior to an earthquake. Researchers have been trying for years to determine if our pets have a sixth sense that could warn of an impending earthquake, but so far, the answer has been elusive. However, there is speculation that cats especially may be able to feel vibrations through their paw pads because their pads are so sensitive to touch.

As a general rule, cats don't like us to mess with their feet because they are sensitive, but as long as you are gentle, they do like to be tickled between the toes and pads on their feet. You know you are doing it right when they spread their toes apart so you can gently scratch in between their pads. I've yet to find a cat who doesn't enjoy a good between-the-toes tickle massage every now and then.

If you've ever given your dog or cat a massage, you know how much they enjoy it. Not only do they benefit with better circulation and stress relief, they love the feel of our hands on their bodies. Our touch can have a calming effect on a dog who feels insecure or frightened. Have you ever watched your sleeping dog or cat when they seem to be dreaming? Dogs will move and jerk their legs as if they are running and will sometimes whine, and a cat's whiskers will pull forward as if they are stalking a mouse or bird. Who knows what they are dreaming about, but if you gently lay your hand on their side and slowly pet them, it calms them down. So they apparently are aware of our touch even when they are asleep.

Like us, our pets have a keen sense of touch and they use it every day. They feel pain, and understand the pleasure a gentle stroke gives them when we pet them on the head or scratch behind their ears. All you have to do is notice how they respond when you scratch them between the eyes and down their nose to understand how much they enjoy the feel of a gentle touch.

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How to Give Your Dog a Massage

By Ruthie Bently

Have you ever gotten a massage? My grandmother Ruth used to go every week for one, and until I decided to treat myself to one, I didn’t realize the benefits of getting a massage. I was relaxed and calm, and none of my muscles hurt; in fact I was so relaxed I felt like a walking bowl of Jell-O. It made me feel like I could take on the world. Now, massage has been added to the list of alternative therapies we can have done for our dogs, and you can even give your dog a massage at home.

Massage goes back to the Greeks and Hippocrates who studied the benefits of regular massage on the well-being of humans. So it only follows what we humans have known for centuries, that if massage is good for us, it should be good for our dogs as well.

Before you begin shaking your head and wondering which planet I came from, consider the benefits. Some of the benefits from massaging your dog are enhancing or increasing the bond you have with them, while providing a comforting touch. It can help calm a nervous dog, increase their flexibility and circulation, and give them a general sense of well being. It can relieve stress, and make your dog feel more secure. Massage can lead to better muscle strength, lessening of pain and muscle tension. It can even improve your dog’s behavior and self-esteem.

When massage is used for younger dogs and puppies it helps with socialization, and increases their trust level. You can even use a mouth massage to ease your puppy’s teething problems. When you massage your older dog you can find illness sooner, as your fingers may find something your eyes have missed. For example, flaking or scabs can be a sign of parasites, swelling can also be a sign of parasites, cancer and even heart disease. By massaging your dog’s back, you may even find back problems or issues due to weight gain. Not only that, massage helps slow the aging process. Massaging a geriatric dog can reduce pain associated with arthritis and other illness, stimulate their circulatory system and help them maintain their mobility.

The massage that a certified massage therapist provides is different than what you can do at home, but this doesn’t mean that massaging your dog at home is any less important. The nice thing is that you can do it yourself and it doesn’t cost you a thing. There are two basic massage techniques you can perform at home – passive touch and effleurage.

Passive touch is done without pressure and involves holding your hand on only muscle groups. You hold your hand on the thigh and hip or on your dog’s shoulder, side or head without pressure for a few moments. It can be done any time whether you are relaxing, out for your daily walk or even while you are watching TV.

Effleurage is used to help warm your dog’s body tissues and involves a long, gentle stroke. You want to use an extremely light touch. You keep one hand on your dog all the time, while you use the other hand to move down your dog’s body. Start with your dog’s face and move your hand down their head, body, outside of their legs and finally their tail. First you want to move your hands in the direction that your dog’s hair grows. Then just as gently, stroke your dog up the inside of their legs, in the opposite direction of the way their hair grows. Try not to pull your dog’s hair while doing this. There are two other varieties of effleurage; centripetal is done toward the heart in a circular motion, and the other is done hand-over-hand with one hand beginning a stroke as your other hand is ending a stroke.

Before beginning to massage your dog, you should have them in a place that is both quiet and comfortable for them. It can be done on the couch, bed, the floor or even a table. Make sure the area is clean, has plenty of padding and that a fresh dish of water is available for your dog. You want your dog to be relaxed, so if your dog is not interested don’t force them to participate. Don’t massage your dog if they have a fever, and if your dog has any kind of lump, an open wound or an infection (like a hot spot) you should never massage that area.

When I have a few extra minutes I massage Skye, and have found that it does help to keep her calm and more relaxed. I think if you try this on your own dog, you will notice a difference as well. Why not give it a try? I think you will be pleasantly surprised!

Special thanks to Donna's dog "Lily" for posing for our picture.

Read more articles by Ruthie Bently