PHOENIX — Spa treatments don’t stop with people. You won’t see any aromatherapy candles around, but animals get massages, too, and it’s become a regular service that many pet owners value as more than just glorified petting.
‘‘People call me because their dogs are having problems,’’ said Shelah Barr, a San Francisco dog massage therapist. ‘‘The work I do is important for animals so they have a high quality of life.’’
Practitioners say massage can be a preventive measure for younger animals and rehabilitative for older ones by boosting flexibility, circulation, and immunity. As its popularity continues to grow, primarily among dog and horse owners, so does the debate about regulation.
Some veterinarians argue that pet massage is a form of veterinary medicine that requires a license, but whether therapists need one varies by state. The issue has sparked a lawsuit in Arizona, where three practitioners are suing the state veterinarian licensing board.
Pet owners spent $4.4 billion last year on ‘‘other services,’’ a category that includes grooming, training, and services such as massage, according to the American Pet Products Association, which tracks national spending trends in the pet industry. That is a 6.1 percent jump from 2012.
Massage sessions can last 30 to 40 minutes, and therapists travel to homes, hotels, and even an owner’s workplace, said Barr, who has been practicing in San Francisco since 2006.
‘‘There are a couple of tech companies I go to. They have a quiet office I can go into and work on the animal,’’ said Barr, who typically sees about 15 pets a week.
Grace Granatelli, an animal masseuse in the Phoenix suburb of Scottsdale, said she would play new-age music or ‘‘spa sounds,’’ which help relax dogs.
In her sessions, Granatelli would have the dog lie on the floor or its bed and start by massaging its neck. She would then move to other areas, including legs and hips. But it’s not crucial that the dog lie down or sit still.
That was until Granatelli became one of three animal massage practitioners who received cease-and-desist letters from the Arizona State Veterinary Medical Examining Board earlier this year. The trio has sued the board, arguing that the statute is overly broad in defining veterinary medicine. They are not practicing while the lawsuit moves through the courts.
The American Veterinary Medical Association classifies animal massage as a form of veterinary care that should require a license. It is up to each state’s veterinary licensing board whether to categorize it that way.
‘‘We do consider them veterinary procedures, and we feel the same standards should be used because a lot of harm can come from them,’’ association assistant director Adrian Hochstadt said.