The Walrus on My Table: Touching True Stories of Animal Healing [Hardcover]

Anthony Guglielmo (Author), Cari Lynn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 3, 2000

Several years ago, massage therapist Anthony Guglielmo got a call for a strange appointment. "Will you massage my horse?," one of his clients asked. And so began Anthony's strange and wonderful adventure into the world of animal massage.

In The Walrus on My Table, enter a world where dolphins line up to take turns for their massages, beluga whales lean in for better contact, and high-strung horses grow calm and manageable under Anthony's soothing touch. Discover animal friends you will never forget. Meet:

* Nuka, the 1,800 lb. walrus. A series of injections left Nuka's muscles severely constricted on one side of her body, and this gentle animal could no longer swim.

* Molly and Josephine, two playful elderly dolphins. Though at first reluctant to allow Anthony's touch, by their second session these two line up impatiently, eager for his attention.

* Mambo Point, a racehorse who just couldn't win. Mambo's owner knew that this horse had potential... so why wasn't he performing up to his ability?

* Rudy, the hump-backed penguin who wasn't expected to live. Born with a life-threatening condition that made breathing difficult, Rudy's future looked uncertain...

* Reddog, who loved to sleep on his owners' forbidden bed-until a sprain got him caught in the act.

* Mickey, an independent Tabby, who relaxes so completely under Anthony's hands, she topples right over!

* Tab and Presley, the prankster bachelor dolphins of the aquarium, who love to play tricks on their trainers.

* Baby, the recipient of the first ever shark massage.

So, dive in and romp with Nuka and friends...and enjoy!

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

As Androcles knew, it takes an unusual level of compassion and sensitivity--and certainly bravery, and perhaps even chutzpah--to find out where an animal is hurting and then ease that pain. Anthony Guglielmo's stock in trade is to do just that. A licensed massage therapist, he's been spending the last few years kneading out the aching muscles and complaining joints of a host of animal others: walruses, racehorses, ferrets, dolphins, rabbits, dogs, and even penguins, to name just a few.

Writing with Cari Lynn, Guglielmo explains how he came to develop his specialty, which is, he notes, perhaps less unusual than it might appear; circus trainers have been massaging their animals for years, and humans help relieve their pets' stress with every pat or stroke. Many scientifically trained veterinarians, the authors note, are increasingly coming to value alternative, nontraditional therapies, and though skeptics may question Guglielmo's method, it makes sense that any healing technique that relaxes fear and tension has at least a chance of achieving a beneficial end. "I assure all my patients," Guglielmo says, "that I believe in gentle massage--that it should feel good, not painful. The challenge of massaging an animal is somehow communicating this philosophy to them." The search for a means of communication, based on sympathy and understanding, underlies this gentle book, which animal lovers will enjoy. --Gregory McNamee

From Booklist

This book is for animal lovers who also happen to be into alternative medicine. It's actually a short leap from exploring alternative therapies for humans to investigating their use with animals. However, as with humans, alternative therapy, such as massage, is often a last resort for treating animals. Surely that is the case for those animals profiled here, including a racehorse down on his luck, a humpbacked penguin, and the titular 2,000-pound walrus. Guglielmo is a human masseuse who is first cajoled into treating a horse who was abused. Afterwards, through word-of-mouth, he is called upon to treat other animals. However, his real goal is to work with a disabled dolphin in Florida. Eventually, he does treat Cindy, and her life, like others included here, improves dramatically. For sheer uplifting value and a consideration for those who work with or just love animals, this is an enlightening read. Marlene Chamberlain
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; 1st edition (November 3, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312262671
• ISBN-13: 978-0312262679
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #427,676 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What an inspiring, wonderful book!, November 18, 2000

By 

amrdmr "amrdmr" - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Walrus on My Table: Touching True Stories of Animal Healing (Hardcover)

Anthony Guglielmo is a licensed masseur - licensed to practice massage therapy on humans, at first. Then a human client asked him to see her troubled horse who had been abused by a previous owner. This lead him to "equine massage certification school" and towards this absolutely fascinating collection of tales about his "non-human" clients, which have included a walrus, a penguin, a beluga whale, dolphins, a ferret, a shark, as well as dogs, cats and bunnies. Animal massage has actually been practiced in some forms for thousands of years - we know horse trainers have used touch/rub downs since the horse was domesticated. More and more, the power of touch is being recognized as a way to calm, heal and ease pain as well as express love and communicate amongst species. Pet lovers know this well. Driven by his desire to help a crippled dolphin, Mr. Guglielmo learns anatomical knowledge as diverse as that between a shark and horse and shares it with the reader. Photos document some of the amazing stories. My heart was well and truly warmed and I learned new things that I will always remember. I hope these stories end once and for all end any debate about whether animals have feelings and whether whether they can communicate them. What a great gift for an animal/pet lover! Keep swimming with the dolphins, Mr. Guglielmo!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific Book, September 21, 2007

By 

D. Gleason "Donna" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Walrus on My Table: Touching True Stories of Animal Healing (Hardcover)

I checked this book out of the library several years ago and could not put it down. I felt drawn to these animals as much as he was. I am a licensed massage therapist, but want to work more with animals. They have so much to give and teach us. I highly recommend this book.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Read, December 10, 2000

By 

"[e-mail]" (Northridge, California United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Walrus on My Table: Touching True Stories of Animal Healing (Hardcover)

I am a fan of action novels, so when my wife handed me a copy of "The Walrus on My Table" I was unsure whether to read the book or not. After a couple of days I took the plunge. I'm sure glad I did. Cari Lynn's narrative of Anthony Guglielmo's endeavor into animal massage is a pleasureful and enjoyable read. The juxtaposition of human versus animal massage together with not all together well known tidbits about walruses, whales, horses, penguins, dolphins, and sharks was interesting and informative. Cari Lynn's writing style well paced and intelligent. This collection of stories invoked thoughts into the magic of a good massage and made me wishing for a good one.