Gillian Oliver

I’m Gillian, a fully qualified Galen Canine Myotherapist based in the Scottish Borders. I have shared my life with dogs since I was a child and currently have two amazing fox-red Labradors. In 2019, one of my dogs, Oakley, was diagnosed with arthritis and lumbosacral disease at 6 years old. As part of his treatment, I attended a lifestyle consultation with my local Vet, who is also a Galen Myotherapist, and she recommended massage as part of the multimodal approach to treating his condition. This was a light bulb moment for me. Due to being a keen sports person and studying sports coaching at university, I knew the benefits of massage for improving muscular health and wellbeing in humans, so was keen to find out if it would help Oakley. Within a short time, I realised the massage had made a difference to his mobility. He was no longer lame, appeared happier and was back to playing with toys and interacting with his brother.
The changes in Oakley fuelled my desire to learn more about canine massage. After doing some research, I decided to enrol on the Galen Myotherapy Diploma course, mainly due to their guiding principle of Choice Led approach to treatment, which involves working alongside the dog and their owner to empower the dog by giving them choices. I have seen first-hand the positive impact this approach has.
Now that I am qualified, my aim is to help dogs live their lives to the fullest and provide the best possible quality of care at Eildon Canine Therapy.