DogDiary4u

Butch's rear legs are paralyzed, and he's strapped into a cart when he and Pat Holcomb leave their Euclid home.

"All my other dogs get excited when they see the cart come out," says Holcomb. "They know we're going for a ride."

Butch rides in the car in a laundry basket secured in place by a seat belt.

Holcomb has five other dogs, and some of them, like Butch, are rescue dogs. Two cats also live there in harmony.

"Butch is about 10 now, and his owner could not afford the surgery he needed for herniated discs, so she gave him up to a rescue group who had the surgery done," she explains.

He's been part of her household for the past seven years and she had the cart made for him.   

Herniated disks are something fairly common in long-bodied dogs like Butch, a miniature dachshund. Since she fell in love with miniature dachshunds many years ago, Holcomb has searched for information about them and answers to the problems they have.

Some people will choose to have a dog with herniated discs destroyed, rather than seek other options, she says.

To help educate those people and prevent unnecessary euthanasia, Holcomb races Butch, most recently in dachshund races taking place in St. Augustine, Fla.

"He's got no idea that he's handicapped," she says.

When others see what a happy and speedy little dog Butch is they often learn more about helping their own dogs live pain-free lives.

Holcomb's knowledge of help and rescue groups is encyclopedic and she's become a valued resource for others.

"Butch gets around like a seal and drags his rear legs when he's home," Holcomb says. "But he needs a massage of his chest, his spine and front legs when he uses the cart, because those muscles are used so heavily."

Because Holcomb has been a licensed massage therapist for people since 1999, it was natural for her to take her skills to another level and learn how to do massage on small animals.

After learning canine and feline anatomy, massage technique and theory, she graduated from Integrated Touch Therapy for Animals in Circleville and has taken on massage for animals as well as people. Her practice — called The Comfy Canine — has expanded as pet lovers learn how massage can benefit their own pets.

It's a second career for Holcomb, who worked as a police dispatcher for the cities of Willoughby Hills and Eastlake for 30 years before taking an early retirement to pursue licensing as a massage therapist through the state medical board. Holcomb also is certified in the healing therapies of Reiki and craniosacral therapy for humans and animals and is close to receiving certification in accupressure through the Colorado-based Tallgrass Animal Acupressure Institute.

She's completed 90 hours of accupressure training for animals in hands-on sessions plus online training.

For most training sessions she brings Butch along.

"Massage has the same benefit for animals as it has for people," she explains.

Heavily used muscles can certainly benefit from a massage, but it's also good after surgery to release anesthesia from the body and hasten healing.

Regular massage increases flexibility in older dogs with arthritis, relieves pain from sprains and calms an animal before a show or surgery. Holcomb even has regulars who give their pets a massage gift certificate for their birthdays.

"Cats are really easy," she says. "Once they understand what you are doing, most animals love it."

Some massage experts have even taken on snakes needing help in shedding their skins.

"Massage can be used to integrate non-threatening touch to a nervous animal and give a loving, purposeful touch to older animals. It's not just petting, but is a purposeful touch to the muscles and skin of the animal for a specific outcome," she says.

"That outcome could be related to age, illness or competition."

Acupressure uses finger pressure on specific points of the body to promote balance and healing, she explains.

Although she works on humans from her Balancing Touch Wellness Studio in Willowick, she often goes to the homes of her animal clients.

"Dogs and cats are often more comfortable in their own homes," she observes.

Holcomb does little to promote her animal massage sideline, but people from throughout the state have found her.

"There aren't too many other people doing this," she says. "And I also get referrals from some veterinarians."

She takes her handicapped pets to a veterinarian chiropractor in Richfield (www.dancingpawsawc.com) and an animal acupuncture specialist in Northfield Center. She feeds her pets fresh meat and has them treated with Chinese herbs when they need it. And she willingly shares her many resources with other pet lovers.

It's not easy to care for a cart dog, she notes, because these dogs have no feeling in their bowels and bladder so need to have urine and feces expressed by their owners.

Because Holcomb finds it difficult to arrange care for Butch when she needs to go away, she knows others with cart dogs have the same problem. So she provides that special care for one dog at a time in her home.

"I take them into my home," she says. "I also do short term boarding for other small dogs. They have the run of the house and my yard, which is fenced."