COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES FOR OUR PETS

As you know complementary therapies are becoming more popular with people, well did you know it was possible to get a number of complementary therapies for your pets?
I can only tell you about the therapies that I offer but will also list a number of websites for other therapists.

BACH FLOWER REMEDIES
You may have heard of rescue remedy or seen it in your local pharmacy well did you know that there are 38 different Bach Remedies made from plants and trees, they are used to help both animals and people with a number of different emotional problems some of which may be associated with physical problems, stress and grief to mention just a few.
Your Bach Practioner will take a full history of your pet as much as you are able to tell them. By doing this they will be able make the correct remedy and give you full instructions on how to give the remedy. Bach remedies are not a quick fix to any emotional problem but is a good place to start and the results can be very subtle so you may not notice a change in your pet or it may take some time with a number of changes in their remedies.
I have used the remedies in a number of elderly cats and continue to use them in my own cats if they become ill or we’re having a change at home.
For more information or to find your nearest Bach Practioner for animals visit the Bach Centre website on http://www.bachcentre.com/

MASSAGE
Massage is a wonderful thing to use on all animals to help with arthritis, general aches and pains or even just as a bonding exercise for you and your pet. It improves blood flow, releases toxins in the body and improves oxygen levels for tissue repair. It is also good for helping with pain and encourages the body to heal itself.
I’ve been massaging for a number of years now and even though I’m fully qualified to massage people I much prefer doing it on animals as you can see the benefits better and they won’t tell you they like it even if they don’t, the other great thing about massaging animals is they will usually give you the part of them that needs to be massaged (at least they do in the case of dogs).
I use massage on my Mogwai as his shoulder sometimes causes him to limp especially when he’s been lying down in the same position for a long time. At first he didn’t like it as it was a new experience for him coming from me so as soon as I could see he wasn’t enjoying it I would stop and try again another time now he absolutely loves it, the look on his little face when he is being massaged looks like sheer pleasure and you may be wondering how I know he likes it well it’s simple if he didn’t want me to do it he would get up and leave, animals make it quiet clear when they are unhappy with anything you are doing.

REIKI
Reiki has been around for centuries, it uses the earths energies channelled through your practioner to heal the emotional side of your pet, this in turn gives them the opportunity to cope with whatever illness or emotional problem they may have. The amount of time an animal will take reiki does vary so your practioner has to be well aware of the subtle or sometimes not so subtle signs given by your pet.
My Oreo always comes to me whenever he needs a bit of reiki and will give me his backend which is usually where he wants it, when he has had enough he will simply get up and walk away, not every cat is quite that nice about it as I have found out, my Thomas would turn around and try to bite me when he had enough and just recently I was doing reiki on a friends British Blue and after 5-10mins she stood up and went to swipe me (it was a very new experience for her so she didn’t know how to react).


TELLINGTON TOUCH
Not many people have heard of TTouch but it has been around for over thirty years.
TTouch uses a number of different subtle movements, groundwork and body wraps to help teach your pets self confidence, self control and self awareness.
Many animals carry tension in their body which we are not aware of, this can affect their balance and posture but can also effect their behaviour, by changing the way they would usually do things (this can be simple as asking them to walk on different textured mats to using a harness instead of a simple collar and lead in dogs) can change the way they carry their body and make them more aware of what their back end is doing.
Over the past four years I have used TTouch in a number of different situations but there are a few that stick in my mind there are too many for me to put in this article so will add a case study page so you can read some of my successes with all complimentary therapies.
For more information or to find your nearest TTouch practioner visit TTouch Uk website on http://www.tilleyfarm.co.uk/


There are a number of websites explaining in detail about the different types of complimentary therapies for animals but please always make sure your therapist is fully qualified.
Alternatively ask your veterinary surgeon if you would like further information on any complimentary therapies as they may have a number of therapists already working alongside them.

PLEASE NOTE: Complementary Therapies are not intended to replace conventional treatments but can be used alongside them and all consultations are done under veterinary referral