Keeping dogs moving is the name of the game for Mates4Life owner Diana Gott.
The qualified canine hydrotherapist, acupuncturist and massage therapist now offers the services in Queenstown, after relocating from Wanaka, where the business has been based the last two years.
When her lease over the hill wasn’t renewed, an opportunity arose to move into a facility behind Remarkable Vets’ Gorge Road premises — which works well given her services are only available through referrals.
The centrepiece of her new space is an underwater treadmill, used for canine hydrotherapy.
‘‘It’s a pretty new treatment option in New Zealand, it started about 15 years ago,’’ Gott says.
‘‘The warm water really helps with stiff joints, and releasing tension in the muscles, and getting more mobility and more flexibility.’’
It wasn’t till Gott relocated to NZ from Germany about 16 years ago she even considered a career in canine therapies, but in retrospect, the move made sense.
‘‘I did gymnastics back in the day and I trained about three or four times a week and competed every weekend, and we always had a massage therapist and the physio with that, so, for me, getting regular treatment on myself was nothing special or new.’’
Her parents recall her massaging her pets at home.
‘‘When I came to NZ, and I met my partner, he had two dogs and I naturally started massaging them.
‘‘He is like, you know, a typical NZ bloke saying, ‘what are you doing with my dogs?’’’
But after noticing the dogs were moving much better thanks to Gott’s healing hands, her partner suggested she make a career out of it.
‘‘He was basically the one who pointed me into getting the qualification in Australia [and] he’s basically the reason for Mates4Life,’’ she says.
If dogs aren’t moving like they usually do, are a bit stiff when they get out of bed, not engaging or as playful, it could be a sign to take them to a vet, first, who may then make a referral.
