IT might sound barking but a dog lover from Great Sankey is helping injured and poorly pooches by giving them massages.

Charlotte Highland treats pups of all shapes and sizes from tiny Chihuahuas to giant Great Danes and is one of only 120 therapists in the country.

Massage is used for orthopaedic issues like arthritis, luxating patella, hip dysplasia, to increase performance, or just simply being the dog enjoys it.

It helps with pain management and movement and, just like with humans, it allows dogs to relax, bringing behavioural benefits too.

It was recommended for terrier cross Daisy, 13, owned by Rachel Spencer, from thepawpost.co.uk to ease arthritis in her hind legs and soreness in her backp.

She explained: “Massage enhances circulation and blood flow to the heart and increases the range of motion in the joints so for conditions like Daisy’s arthritis it really can help.

“Daisy has had surgery on her knee, and often when there is pain in one area, the dog will use the surrounding muscles to overcompensate for the joint not working properly.

“The fascia, which is cobweb of connective tissue running through and around the muscles, becomes tight and that causes pain all over the body which is why Daisy has soreness in her back.

“So the aim is to release the fascia that has become tight in her leg and once this happens, the muscles can slide and glide properly and the pain is relieved.”

Daisy’s treatment is similar to a massage at a spa.

To relax her, Charlotte recommends using Dorwest Valerian drops 15 minutes before.

She sets up her plinth, puts on some relaxing music and spritzes the room with aromatherapy spray for dogs.

Charlotte, 29, has a Diploma in Clinical Canine Massage from the Canine Massage Therapy Centre and uses massage on her husky Kiska.

She’s a dog walker and practices Reiki on animals meaning pets feel at ease around her.

At first, Daisy was confused and fidgety but soon was cuddling up to Charlotte and wagging her tail.

A mix of Swedish, deep tissue, sports and myofascial techniques are used all over the dog’s body.

Charlotte said: “The different techniques make massage relaxing and enjoyable and allows me to work on the trigger points, which are irritable spots in the belly of the muscle that refer pain to other parts of the body.

“Daisy has trigger points down her back so I work directly with those to switch off the pain signals. It’s about making space rather than muscles being tight so the body can move in the way it’s meant to.”

So does it work? Rachel can see Daisy has less soreness in her back, her mobility has improved, she had a spring in her step and after her sessions she sleeps like a baby.

Rachel said: “As she’s in her golden years, keeping her healthy and pain free is so important to me. A £35 massage every fortnight may seem indulgent and there’s no way I’d ever spend that on myself, but it makes Daisy happy and it’s worth every penny.”

Contact Charlotte on her Facebook page facebook.com/thecaninefriendclinicalmassagetherapy/ or e mail her thecaninefriend@gmail.com