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
Tuesday, 26 June 2007
Friday, 1 June 2007
HAZARDS IN THE HOME
I’ve been asked by a very good friend to do a piece on just a few of the dangers that could be lurking in our homes that may me poisonous to our furry little friends.
She was very surprised when I told her about some of these things and thinks that it would be good to share this information as a lot of other people may not know and although they may be an everyday thing for us, they can pose a threat to our cats.
There are many plants both in and outdoors that are dangerous to our cats but I’ll only be listing a few of the most common ones that we may go out and buy for our homes.
Lilies – these are quite often found in bouquets of flowers but believe it or not they are poisonous to cats.
I was just reading in a recent addition of your cat magazine that a lady went out one day thinking her house was cat safe and when she returned she found her cat collapsed on the floor having just eaten one of the lilies.
If like me you don’t like lilies this won’t be a problem but for those of you that like them then please spare a thought for that nosey, furry person that lurks in your house and cut out the stamens and place the vase up high so they can’t reach it.
Poinsettia – you can almost guarantee one of these will be in your house at Christmas time but is it worth it just for a few weeks. They may look pretty but what happens if your cats eat them, you could end up having a miserable Christmas.
Another must for some people at Christmas is mistletoe which is usually found hanging around the house but this too is another poisonous plant to cats.
My Mogwai has a special liking for plants that look like grass especially if they are dangling, they say that cats know which plants they can and can’t eat but I say why take that chance, cats are naturally nosey and in my experience will have their little noses in everything. Twice Mogwai has eaten a plant that has made him very poorly one was my spider plant (he was vomiting for 24hours) and the other was a plant from the sedge family. He was vomiting for 72 hours and had to go onto intra venus fluids to flush out his system, it was the fact that he is such a big boy that got him through.
CLEANING PRODUCTS
Whilst they are part of our every day life please spare a thought when using and storing them.
Some products can cause skin irritations in our cats. I have seen this from products used to freshen carpets or upholstery.
Bleach is another dangerous product and should be used with extreme care, always dilute it for cleaning and if you use it in your toilet always keep the seat down as cats like to drink from the strangest of places.
It’s not only in the house you need to be careful, there are also a number of products used on cars that can be poisonous to cats, car batteries and anti freeze can cause ulcers in the mouth if licked, these are extremely painful and take a long time to heal, they will also stop your cat from being able to eat.
LAMINATE FLOORING
Although not poisonous laminate flooring can be quite dangerous to all pets.
They make life very easy for us and they look nice but have you noticed how difficult it can be for our pets to run and play because they are so slippery. It could be the equivalent of us walking on ice without the proper footwear.
It may be humorous to watch but it’s very easy for our pets to slip or slide in an awkward position and hurt their back or legs which could end up with a trip to the vets and in some cases surgery, they can also cause tension patterens in your pets spine just as you would tense if you were on a surface that you were unsure off. I’m not trying to scare those of you that already have laminate flooring because I too have it in my house but to make life easier place a few rugs or vet bedding around the house until they get used to life on a slippery surface also it’s not always nice for them to sleep on a cold hard surface.
These are just a few of the things you should watch out for around the house, for a full list of poisonous and dangerous products for our cats visit The Feline Advisory Bureau’s website on www.fabcats.org then click on information for owners then poisoning and cats, you will also find all the information you may require for the health and well being of your naughty, furry little friend.
IF YOU SUSPECT YOUR CAT HAS BEEN POISONED THEN PLEASE CONTACT YOUR VET IMMEDIATELY AND GIVE THEM AS MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN POISONED WITH SO THAT THEY CAN TAKE THE APPROPRAITE ACTION NEEDED.
She was very surprised when I told her about some of these things and thinks that it would be good to share this information as a lot of other people may not know and although they may be an everyday thing for us, they can pose a threat to our cats.
There are many plants both in and outdoors that are dangerous to our cats but I’ll only be listing a few of the most common ones that we may go out and buy for our homes.
Lilies – these are quite often found in bouquets of flowers but believe it or not they are poisonous to cats.
I was just reading in a recent addition of your cat magazine that a lady went out one day thinking her house was cat safe and when she returned she found her cat collapsed on the floor having just eaten one of the lilies.
If like me you don’t like lilies this won’t be a problem but for those of you that like them then please spare a thought for that nosey, furry person that lurks in your house and cut out the stamens and place the vase up high so they can’t reach it.
Poinsettia – you can almost guarantee one of these will be in your house at Christmas time but is it worth it just for a few weeks. They may look pretty but what happens if your cats eat them, you could end up having a miserable Christmas.
Another must for some people at Christmas is mistletoe which is usually found hanging around the house but this too is another poisonous plant to cats.
My Mogwai has a special liking for plants that look like grass especially if they are dangling, they say that cats know which plants they can and can’t eat but I say why take that chance, cats are naturally nosey and in my experience will have their little noses in everything. Twice Mogwai has eaten a plant that has made him very poorly one was my spider plant (he was vomiting for 24hours) and the other was a plant from the sedge family. He was vomiting for 72 hours and had to go onto intra venus fluids to flush out his system, it was the fact that he is such a big boy that got him through.
CLEANING PRODUCTS
Whilst they are part of our every day life please spare a thought when using and storing them.
Some products can cause skin irritations in our cats. I have seen this from products used to freshen carpets or upholstery.
Bleach is another dangerous product and should be used with extreme care, always dilute it for cleaning and if you use it in your toilet always keep the seat down as cats like to drink from the strangest of places.
It’s not only in the house you need to be careful, there are also a number of products used on cars that can be poisonous to cats, car batteries and anti freeze can cause ulcers in the mouth if licked, these are extremely painful and take a long time to heal, they will also stop your cat from being able to eat.
LAMINATE FLOORING
Although not poisonous laminate flooring can be quite dangerous to all pets.
They make life very easy for us and they look nice but have you noticed how difficult it can be for our pets to run and play because they are so slippery. It could be the equivalent of us walking on ice without the proper footwear.
It may be humorous to watch but it’s very easy for our pets to slip or slide in an awkward position and hurt their back or legs which could end up with a trip to the vets and in some cases surgery, they can also cause tension patterens in your pets spine just as you would tense if you were on a surface that you were unsure off. I’m not trying to scare those of you that already have laminate flooring because I too have it in my house but to make life easier place a few rugs or vet bedding around the house until they get used to life on a slippery surface also it’s not always nice for them to sleep on a cold hard surface.
These are just a few of the things you should watch out for around the house, for a full list of poisonous and dangerous products for our cats visit The Feline Advisory Bureau’s website on www.fabcats.org then click on information for owners then poisoning and cats, you will also find all the information you may require for the health and well being of your naughty, furry little friend.
IF YOU SUSPECT YOUR CAT HAS BEEN POISONED THEN PLEASE CONTACT YOUR VET IMMEDIATELY AND GIVE THEM AS MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN POISONED WITH SO THAT THEY CAN TAKE THE APPROPRAITE ACTION NEEDED.
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