Service Description

Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) is a specialized, feather-light whole-body session designed to support normal movement of superficial interstitial and lymphatic fluid while helping your dog settle into a calm, restorative state. It is slow, rhythmic and very different from other Swedish, Rehabilitation, nerve supportive or deep-tissue massage. The complete hands-on treatment includes approximately 80 minutes of structured hands-on work within a relaxed 90-minute appointment. The full allotment of time allows for a health update, gentle down-regulation, water, stretching or repositioning breaks, and quiet integration afterward. Most dogs choose one but may be guided into two quick stretch and repositioning breaks; these are part of the session to access different areas, not an interruption. Your dog is never restrained to complete a step, and their response always overrides the clock. On occasion, a dog may need a session split into two, which simply requires returning within a 24 hour period to complete the sequence. When appropriate for the individual dog, MLD may: • support comfortable superficial fluid movement; • provide a gentle option for seniors, sensitive or de-conditioned dogs; • complement a veterinarian-guided later-stage recovery plan; • encourage settling, relaxation and whole-body rest; and • provide an unhurried opportunity to observe changes in comfort, posture and tissue quality. September–early November and March–early May are especially useful seasonal wellness windows, although an appropriately screened dog may benefit at any time of year. PREREQUISITES: Your dog must first complete a Soul Paws First Visit and at least one Massage & Multimodal Bodywork session or MOVE + MASSAGE session. Sustained light-touch work depends on trust, familiarity and an understanding of your dog’s normal responses. MLD is complementary wellness care—not a detox, cure or replacement for veterinary treatment. It is not offered for fever, active infection, acute or unexplained swelling, an unhealed incision, unstable injury, suspected clotting concerns, uncontrolled heart or kidney disease, active cancer without veterinary guidance, or an acute vaccine reaction. Veterinary clearance may be requested.