Q:
What is Acupressure?
A:
Acupressure is a form of Traditional Chinese Medicine in which light,
firm touch is used to balance the flow of the vital energy (Chi
or Qi) that is present in nature and in all living things.
Q:
How does acupressure work?
A:
Chi (Qi) flows through the body along pathways known as meridians.
This flow can be interfered with by physical or emotional stresses,
causing excesses in some areas and deficiencies in others. Activation
of points along the meridians (stimulation, also called tonification,
for deficiencies; sedation for excesses) can resolve these inequities,
evening the flow to produce a naturally healthy state.
Q:
How are points to be tonified/sedated identified?
A:
Excesses and deficiencies are identified by observation and by following
the meridians. Once these areas are noted, specific points to be
activated can be determined through use of the 5-element theory,
which designates points in accordance with their relationship to
one another in the cycle of creation and control/destruction.
Q:
Does it work with animals?
A:
In a word, yes. Animals are keenly aware of themselves and their
bodies; the recognize imbalances and often lick, scratch, or chew
on acupressure points in an effort to correct them. They are responsive
to both the touch of the practitioner and the intent behind the
touch, at times turning or positioning their bodies to help guide
the practitioner’s hands to the points that need attention.
Q:
What is massage therapy?
A:
Massage is the manipulation of skin, muscle, and other soft tissue
to beneficial effect: there are many different forms of massage
and numerous techniques, but all share this common goal. Massage
therapy is the combination of massage strokes or techniques to achieve
a specific result such as relaxation, greater flexibility, or relief
from pain.
Q:
Is there a difference between massage and petting?
A:
The primary differences are intent and involvement: petting is something
one does to an animal and consists of little more than physical
contact; massage requires both the attention of the giver and the
cooperation of the receiver. One important aspect of massage with
animals (including human animals) is obtaining permission to touch
before beginning.
Q:
Do animals enjoy massage?
A:
In a word, yes. Animals are very much aware of their bodies; once
they have been introduced to massage, they recognize, remember,
and appreciate this form of touch.
Q:
What does massage do for an animal?
A:
Massage does the same types of things for animals that it does for
humans: increases circulation, flexibility, and comfort; provides
emotional calming; and improves body awareness, general health,
and overall well-being. It can also restore enjoyment of touch to
animals whose history includes abuse or neglect; provide early detection
of conditions requiring veterinary care, and deepen
bonding and trust between animals and their caretakers. In hospice
situations, massage can ease distractions such as fear, anxiety,
and pain, allowing the individual to prepare for death with calm
and dignity.
Q:
Are there times when massage is inappropriate?
A:
Massage is not appropriate when there is a condition requiring veterinary
care (shock, nausea, vomiting, fresh injury such as a break or sprain,
etc.); it is also not appropriate when the veterinarian OR THE ANIMAL
says “no”.
Q:
What is homeopathy?
A:
Homeopathy, “like cures like” is a healing system developed
from principles formulated in the late 1700s by the physician Samuel
Hahnemann. The underlying concept is that substances which cause
certain symptoms in a healthy person can cure those same symptoms
in someone who is ill.
Q:
What are homeopathic remedies made from?
A:
Homeopathic remedies are derived from a variety of plant, animal,
and mineral sources, including some which are generally considered
to be toxic, such as poison ivy, arsenic, pit viper venom, and hemlock.
Q:
Doesn’t that make them dangerous?
A:
In a word, no. The active ingredient is repeatedly diluted by factors
of 10, being shaken vigorously with each dilution. The more diluted
the remedy gets, the more potent its healing properties become.
Some remedies are made so dilute that no detectable part of the
original active ingredient remain.
Q:
Then how do they work?
A:
That is a question that is still being studied; current thinking
is that the active ingredient leaves an imprint or essence in the
remedy that stimulates the body to heal itself.
Q:
What about side effects?
A:
One of the most attractive features of homeopathy is the lack of
the side-effects associated with many pharmacological products.
What might be thought of as side-effects (vomiting, diarrhea, etc.)
are in fact the body rapidly detoxifying itself.
Q:
Can homeopathy be used with animals?
A::
Animals respond well to properly selected homeopathic remedies,
which can be given orally or added to food or water.
Q:
What is herbal therapy?
A:
Herbal therapy is the use of the healing properties of whole plants
or plant parts such as bark, roots, berries, leaves, resins, twigs,
and flowers. Herbs are most commonly used as preventatives, but
can also be valuable in alleviating symptoms and treating illness.
Q:
Isn’t this just some ‘NewAge’ fad?
A:
Use of herbs is one of the oldest forms of medical treatment. The
product of intuition, trial-and-error, and observation of plant
use by animals, it is also one of the most widely used forms of
health care and the wellspring from which the modern pharmaceutical
industry arose.
Q:
Aren’t pharmaceutical products better?
A:
Pharmaceutical products that come from herbal sources consist of
the extracted ‘active’ ingredient; use of the whole plant
or plant part has been shown to be as effective as, and often safer
than, use of synthetic or isolated active ingredients.
Q:
Why is that?
A:
It is thought that the whole plant or plant part contains secondary
effect-enhancing substances not present in manufactured products.
Often use of the whole plant produces less severe side effects than
use of just the ‘active’ ingredient or no side effects
at all for the same reason.
Q:
What about using herbs with animals?
A:
Animals in the wild, and those that are allowed to roam freely,
seek out specific plants in order to maintain their bodies and address
health issues. Observation of this practice, as noted above, is
one of the foundations of herbal therapy. Use of herbs is one of
the most rapidly increasing maintenance/treatment options for companion
animals and their caretakers alike.
Q:
What is magnet therapy?
A:
All living things are bio-chemical-electrical in nature. Having
evolved in synchronization with the natural magnetic field of the
earth, they can be affected by changes in or interference with this
field and also by nearby localized fields. Perhaps more accurately
described as electro-magnetic therapy, magnet therapy involves the
use of magnets and their associated electrical/magnetic fields
to affect the body’s own magnetic field.
Q:
Is this something new?
A:
Some applications, such as EEG (electrencephalography), EKG (electrocardiography),
CAT (chromial axial tomography), MRI (magnetic resonance imaging),
and x-ray imaging are of recent origin. The use of magnets to reduce
pain and produce other health benefits, however, predates written
history.
Q:
What does magnet therapy do?
A:
Benefits of magnet therapy include, as noted above, pain relief.
Other benefits of properly applied magnet therapy include increases
in circulation and flexibility; inhibition of microorganisms; reduction
of fatty deposits and fluid retention; normalization of the acid-base
balance; and promotion of mental acuity, reasonableness, and deep,
restorative sleep.
Q:
What does ‘properly applied’ mean?
A:
The beneficial effects of magnets derive from the bio-north pole:
as might be expected, opposite effects are produced by the opposing
(bio-south) polarity. Treatment magnets are designed so that the
bio-north pole is the one to make contact with the skin. To be properly
applied the magnet(s) must be both correctly oriented and correctly
positioned.
Q:
How can magnets be used with animals?
A:
Use of magnets can be in the form of a bandanna worn around the
neck; spot magnets held in place or wraps applied to specific body
areas; magnetic blankets or other apparel; and sleeping pads, mats,
beds or pillows with embedded magnets.
Q:
What is aromatherapy?
A:
Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils that have been distilled
from the roots, flowers, leaves, bark, and resins of plants to address
health and wellness issues. Particularly useful with psychosomatic
or stress-induced situations, these can also be used to affect physical
and emotional issues.
Q:
Is this something new?
A:
The term aromatherapy was coined in 1928, but the use of essential
oils is documented as far back as 3000 BC; the ancient Egyptians
used them extensively for medical purposes as well as in perfumes
and embalming.
Q:
How is aromatherapy used?
A:
Essential oils may be used in a variety of ways: they can be inhaled,
bathed in, applied directly or in hot or cold compresses, or diffused
by vaporization.
Q:
How does aromatherapy work?
A:
The oils are absorbed through the skin and nasal passages; as with
the plants from which they are derived, they interact with the body
pharmacologically, physiologically, and psychologically to produce
beneficial effects
Q:
Can aromatherapy be used with animals?
A:
Aromatherapy can be used successfully with animals; given the relative
acuity of their senses care must be taken not to overwhelm their
systems. Oils should be used in smaller concentrations and/or shorter
durations of exposure.
Q:
What is color therapy?
A:
Color is visible light emitted or reflected at a specific wavelength;
color therapy is the application of various colors to excite, sedate,
or otherwise affect the energy centers (chakras) and emotions of
the recipient.
Q:
I thought animals couldn’t see in color?
A:
Color therapy may seem an odd approach given the popular, albeit
incorrect, notion that animals (particularly dogs and cats) don’t
see in color but only in shades of gray. In fact, studies with blind
human subjects have shown that actual perception of the color is
not necessary for changes to be produced.
Q:
How does it work?
A:
Relationships between certain colors and moods or emotions have
been noted, although the effect is produced by the wavelength of
the color rather than its recognition. Because animals are, like
humans, bio-chemical-electrical beings, vibrations at various wavelengths
can create, enhance, diminish, or destroy resonances, dissonances,
and harmonies, affecting the pyhsical as well as the energetic.
Q:
How do you communicate with an animal?
A:
All living beings are telepathic; the basis of all human language
is telepathy: the thought, idea, symbol, or picture associated with
or accompanying the sight or sound of the word(s) used. Animal communication
operates in exactly the same way; the only differences are that
one of the participants is a non-human, there is generally no exchange
of sound, at least on the part of the non-human, and distance is
not a factor.
Q:
Isn’t that just reading body language?
A:
No. Body language is an important part of communication between
humans, between animals, and between an animal and a human, but
many productive consultations are conducted via the telephone, internet,
or mail.
Q:
Why communicate with animals?
A:
Animals are aware: of themselves, their bodies and emotions; of
their surroundings; of events and the emotions of others. Their
perception of a situation may differ considerably from that of a
human; the intent of animal communication is to gather information
from the animal’s point of view.
Q:
What good does that do?
A:
Understanding the animal’s perspective can be very helpful,
particularly in dealing with behavioral or emotional issues. It
can aid in identifying and resolving health problems and other situations.
Animals also have stories to tell and lessons to teach to those
willing to listen and learn. They share the earth with man, and
are affected by the actions of humans; it is only right to consider
their thoughts and feelings.
Q:
What are flower essences?
A:
Flower essences are high-frequency electrical solutions that carry
the unique vibrational patterns of the beauty from which they are
made.
Q:
What do they do?
A:
Flower essences help to heal, balance, and strengthen the body’s
electrical system. Animals, like humans, are bio-electrical beings
with complex electrical systems. Like humans, they are under an
ever-increasing amount of stress and interference, both physically
and emotionally, which can cause these systems harm.
Q:
How do they work?
A:
The introduction of the flower essence vibration into the system
produces subtle but powerful changes in the vibratory level of the
system, leading to greater harmony both intrinsically (within the
being) and extrinsically (relative to the surrounding world).
Q:
Do they work for animals?
A:
In a word, yes. The healing properties and effects of flower essences
are issue-specific rather than being species-specific. These properties
and effects are particularly important for companion animals in
that part of their service is to absorb the negativity of their
caretakers, which can often leave their systems overloaded or depleted.
Q:
How do you use flower essences with animals?
A:
The easiest and most common way to use flower essences is to put
a few drops of the essence into the animal’s water dish; it
is not necessary for the animal to drink all of the contents of
the dish to obtain the benefits of the essence. Drops can be placed
directly on or under the tongue: this method is the most effective
for emergency situations or when behavior needs to be changed quickly.
They can be applied to the animal’s body directly by rubbing
drops into the ears, nose, cheeks, gums, or even the pad of a foot.
Essences can be misted on the body or in the air, and may also be
put on food, although this is considered to be the least effective
method of use.
Q:
Is it all right to put flower essences in the water if more than
one animal drinks from the dish?
A:
Yes; the vibrational change will only affect the animal(s) with
the issue that the essences are being given for, and there are no
side-effects associated with the use of flower essences.
Q:
What are nutritional supplements?
A:
Nutritional supplements are vitamins, minerals, trace elements,
enzymes, and other substances, such as glucosamine, intended to
help the body gain and/or maintain a healthy state.
Q:
Who would need them?
A:
Most nutritional needs can be filled through consumption of a complete,
well-balanced diet: environmental contamination or toxicity; dietary
deficiencies such as poor food or water; and the effects of the
aging process can make it necessary to add one or more supplements.
Q:
What does glucosamine do?
A:
Glucosamine has been shown to promote cartilage and joint capsule
tissue growth, reducing bone-on-bone contact and providing increased
comfort and utility. Not an overnight ‘fix’; results are
gradual improvement in ease of motion over a period of several months.
Q:
Can supplements be used with animals?
A:
Animals will supplement their diet on their own when they are able
and allowed to; nutritional supplements enable caretakers to help
those animals unable to find or process the necessary nutrients
on their own.
Q:
How are they given?
A:
Supplements can be added to the food and/or given as drops, tablets,
or capsules; they can also be given in the form of treats.
Q:
What is energy work?
A:
Energy work comes in many forms or modalities, all sharing the common
goal of affecting the flow of vital energy (Chi or Qi) to produce
balance intrinsically (within) and extrinsically (in relation to
the surrounding world).
Q:
What are some of the modalities involved?
A:
Acupuncture, Acupressure, Reiki, Quigong, Shiatsu, Healing Touch,
and Therapeutic Touch are some of the better known modalities; there
are many others. Acupuncture and Acupressure use the same meridian/point
system, differing in the medium of activation: needles are used
for Acupuncture; fingers or thumbs for Acupressure. Shiatsu uses
finger, thumb, and palm pressure
to activate points and affect blockages along a similar system of
points and meridians. In Healing Touch and Reiki energy is channeled
through the practitioner, using hand positions to direct this flow;
physical contact is a part of most techniques in these modalities
but is not always required. Quigong uses a combination of breath,
movement, and meditation to cleanse and circulate blood and vital
energy. Therapeutic Touch sessions generally involve little or no
physical contact; the technique is intended to affect the vibrational
field or aura that is generated by and surrounds the body.
Q:
Do these work with animals?
A:
Animals have the same vital life force that humans do; it can be
affected in the same manner that a human’s can. They innately
understand this energy, and are both receptive and responsive to
energy work modalities, often positioning themselves to present
the areas needing balancing once they understand the intent of the
practitioner.
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