I’ve seen signs for canine massage at the local Pet Food Express, and I’ve always been curious to find out more about it. This past Saturday, I scheduled an appointment for my Australian shepherd mix, Sasha.

We met with Eri Suzaki, a certified canine massage therapist, who has practiced dog massage for more than a year. She led Sasha to the massage area and allowed her to sniff out her favorite aromatherapy oil. Sasha responded most to frankincense.

“Dogs have a good sense of what they need,” Suzaki said.

Massage enhances a dog’s immune system, reduces stiffness and helps heal emotional trauma. Good candidates for massage are senior dogs, dogs suffering from cancer, large-breed dogs and shelter dogs or those that have been neglected or abused. However, every dog can benefit from some rubbing and kneading.

Suzaki has a very calm demeanor and worked patiently with Sasha, who was a bit distracted at first by the scent of empty cat cages nearby. Suzaki also makes house calls, which is handy for owners of senior dogs who have trouble getting around. She said massage is especially useful for older dogs, because it increases blood flow and helps counteract the effects of reduced activity.

Trained in Shiatsu massage, Suzaki showed me some acupressure points that I could apply on Sasha later at home. As I write this article, Sasha is sound asleep in her bed.

Canine Therapeutics is at Pet Food Express in Campbell every first and third Saturday from 3-7 p.m. Appointments are recommended.

The pet of the week is Andy, a sweet, 12-year-old Maltese. He may be an older dog, but he’s young at heart and gets along with people, other dogs and cats. Andy is healthy, neutered and current on all of his vaccinations. He’d be a lovable addition to most households.

Andy is available through Companion Animal Rescue Effort (CARE). For more information on Andy and other pets available for adoption, visit carepets.org.