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Spa helps uncomfortable pups with massage, mood lighting, classical music

Spa helps uncomfortable pups with massage, mood lighting, classical music
Photo by Elizabeth Graham

A fancy Williamsburg canine salon sets itself apart from the pack by dimming the lights and putting on classical music as part of its grooming package.

And if your pup has a pain on its tuchus, canine spa specialists are willing to massage your dog’s rear-end to help ease discomfort.

Eco Dog NYC unclogs dogs offers an “anal gland expression” — a procedure in which groomers apply external posterior pressure to two glands manually.

Adrienne Harris, owner of the upscale grooming shop on N. Fifth Street, say the treatment can help furry patients with blockage problems that can lead to itching and infection, while the lighting and music set the mood.

“It could relieve them and keep things flowing,” said Harris, whose animal spa offers the massage as part of a full grooming package that costs between $55 and $110 depending on the pup’s size and hair length. “We lower the lights and it kind of makes them feel better.”

The poo poo package is rare at pet salons because most grooming schools stopped teaching the practice long ago, according to dog health experts.

Charlotte Reed, a pet issues author and member of the New York State Veterinary Board, said the cleanse has tangible medical benefits for a so-called fecal impaction condition.

But she suspects the music and lighting are more beneficial to the humans involved.

“We tend to anthropomorphize our pets and think they need what we need,” said Reed, who has performed the procedure herself. “When you’ve got two fingers up a dog’s butt, honestly, it helps you, too.”

The cleansing trend comes at the height Brooklyn’s doggie pampering obsession, which includes “hipster puppy” fashion shows, pooch hair-dyeing, and even canine tattooing — which state Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R–Bay Ridge) is pushing to outlaw.

Harris said her shop, which opened five months ago, offers a wide variety of canine services including grooming, doggie day care, walking, training, and retail, and noted the cleanse is only performed upon request from pet owners.

The practice pleases dog owners such as Natalie Rohrer, whose Brussels Griffon stopped dragging her rear-end on the ground after the posterior squeeze.

“It helped her out — I think she felt much better,” Rohrer said. “But, you know, sometimes dogs are hard to read.”

Reach reporter Natalie O'Neill at noneill@cnglocal.com or by calling her at (718) 260-4505.