HOW CAN REIKI ANIMAL HEALING HELP MY PET?
Animals love reiki healing energy. They are very sensitive beings and once the energy has started they will often come to me checking out where this new energy is coming from. They may come lay between my hands, on me or near me soaking up the beautiful, peaceful energy they are feeling. It is sooo relaxing and most can’t resist nor would they want to. The energy goes where it is needed, could be for balancing the energy through the animals body or helping with physical discomfort. Sometimes your animal will just hang out while the session is going on or guide me through their healing by moving closer, further and pushing their bodies into my hands in a certain spot. Sometimes I will have both you and your fur buddy enjoying the session together. You both receive the benefit not only from the healing session but your bond becomes stronger which is an extra beautiful perk that of course everyone loves. Who doesn’t want to have a closer relationship with their buddy.
WHAT ABOUT VETERINARY CARE?
This is not a substitute nor a replacement for regular veterinarian care and advise, does not claim to cure diseases and does not diagnose physical ailments. A vet should always be your first call when you are worried about the health of your animals and pets.
MY HORSE/DOG LOVES TO EAT EVERYTHING. HOW DO I KNOW SHE ISN’T SELECTING THE PLANT EXTRACTS BECAUSE SHE IS HUNGRY?
Your animal will be selecting what are called secondary metabolites (medicine) as opposed to primary metabolites (food). Primary metabiltes are used for your animals growth, reproduction, repair and contain proteins, enzymes, carbohydrates that provide them with energy and are not bitter. They may eat a bit more that then is stored in their body.
Secondary metabolites that are used in my Zoopharmacognosy practitioners kit are basically chemicals that the plants use for their therapeutic needs. They don’t provide the animal with any metabolic purpose and can’t be stored as fat and are often bitter. The body tries to get rid of them rather than storing them by using detoxification enzymes to break them down into products that can be easily removed from the body. They affect how the cells end up communicating with each other and how the messages end up being sent from the cell’s surface to its DNA.
Once they have selected what they need they will stop. If the animal is in need of the plant the taste and smell will change to something palatable, and then when it is not needed it will go back to being bitter and not desired anymore. It is amazing and fascinating how nature works on our behalf to help us heal on so many levels.
WHY DO SOME ANIMALS POISON THEMSELVES?
One of the reasons is for example the added sweeteners to a food such as chocolate. It contains theobromine which we humans can metabolise but a dog cannot. When sugar or “natural flavors” are added it prevents your animal from being able to detect the compounds that would be hazardous to him. Anti-freeze another example as for dogs they don’t have the detection mechanisms in place for artificial chemicals that taste appealing. It makes sense. Hunger when an animal has no other option for food they will resort to whatever they can find. Sometimes it will be a toxic plant as something is better than nothing
HOW IS MY ANIMAL ABLE TO KNOW WHICH PLANT EXTRACTS TO CHOOSE IF THEY HAVE NEVER ENCOUNTERED THEM BEFORE?
Plants each have many different types of chemical constituents that are part of many different plant species across the planet. They are able to detect the therapeutic constituents over their long course of evolution. Since these are found in many different plants all over the world they are able to self select what they need. An example is the chemical constituent called Linalool which is found in over 195 species of plants throughout our world. It is found in Lavender which is grown in many parts of the world, cinnamon (southeast asia) and even coriander (North Africa, Asia).
WHAT IS ZOOPHARMACOGNOSY?
It is the study of how animals self-medicate in the wild. Zoopharmacognosy the word was coined by Dr. Eloy Rodriguez who was a biochemist at Cornell University. “Zoo” meaning animal, “Pharmaco” meaning remedy and “gnosy” meaning knowing. Animals know how to self-medicate. Applied zoopharmacognosy was developed in the early 1990’s by Caroline Ingraham who is a pioneer in the field. It works with most captive and domesticated animals by introducing secondary metabolites into their environment and observing their behavioral response. It involves offering choices of macerated oils, essential oils, herbs, nutrients, hyrdrosols and dried plants for self-selection. Animals may inhale, ingest or use the oil topically. Your animal will show me what it needs through its body language, facial expressions, breathing, and other ways that help me know what to offer and where they need it. If it is needed topically many times, for example, a dog will lay on its back and open its legs to where it is needed or lift up a back leg or front or position itself near my hands. A horse may position itself or point with its head. You have to experience it, and you will have a new appreciation and a closer bond with your animal after the session. Animals with a wide variety of issues including physical problems, skin problems, anxiety, poor digestion, low immune system, behavioral and emotional problems benefit. It has been found by Caroline Ingraham that more times than not a behavioral problem is caused by an underlying physical issue and once that is addressed the behavioral problem gets resolved and goes away.
ARE ESSENTIAL OILS TOXIC TO CATS?
There are many people on the web putting out information along the lines of essential oil toxicity in cats. The facts are that there is very little info on this topic. You can write anything on the internet unfortunately without actually citing the sources for the information you share. There are 2 Caroline Ingraham said she was aware of that involved the use of tea tree.
The issue is that cats have a very low glucuronryl transferase activity which is an enzyme involved with breaking down some foreign chemicals including alcohols and more importantly phenols. Ingestion or topical application of essential oils can be potentially toxic to cats. There are only a small number of essential oils that contain significant levels of phenols, the most commonly used being , yellow birch, clove, wintergreen and cinnamon and the phenol rich chemotypes of thyme. Most of the cats will select oils through inhalation.
There are no reports on the toxicity of other essential oils with cats and not even a mention in two popular veterinary toxicology report. There are plenty of mentions of toxic household plants but none of these feature in the applied zoopharmacognocist’s kit.
The concern with cats over other species is more theoretical than actual. It is my experience, Carolyn Ingraham and her many students over the years that it is incredibly rare for a cat to select any of these oils, and in the odd case where there has been a selection it has almost exclusively been through inhalation.
HOW DO YOU OFFER ESSENTIAL OILS TO CATS?
Essential oils are offered through inhalation which allows the cat to receive and process the aromatic molecules. The delicate molecules pass. through the nose lining into the blood and the brain. Once they enter the limbic system of the brain emotions and relaxation responses are triggered within the body leading the cat to experience the healing properties of the oil.
HOW CAN ESSENTIAL OILS EFFECT MY CAT?
Your cat’s response will vary depending on the condition being treated and the oils that are chosen. Signs that your cat is processing from the oil are staring, deep breathing. sighing, licking and blinking. These are just some of the signs I look for.
It may also happen that your cat may be perceived as having an “aggressive” response (hissing maybe or even howling) after oil is offered but this is just a release of some blocked emotion or energy that usually lasts less than a minute. Following is a period of deep relaxation as the cat processes the released emotion.
SHOULD I BE CONCERNED IF MY PET HAS DIARRHEA OR PURGES AFTER TAKING THE EXTRACTS?
Not at all in fact, your animal may select certain remedies so that he can purge toxins and help him to feel better. It is natural animal behavior and you should notice signs of improvement from whatever ailed him within 24 to 48 hours. There have been cases of dogs purging rope, pieces of balls and incompatible food. Cats mainly have purged hairballs.