heal a pet

Alternative ways to heal your pets

Healing modalities are known to help with physical and psychological ailments. Soulveda speaks to experts on how these therapies can help animals.

When we’re distressed, we know we can ask for help. We talk, we describe our issues and seek out doctors, therapists, and healers. But our furry friends are not so lucky. More often than not, they suffer in silence. Rarely do they even shed tears. It’s not until we realise that our darling four-legged creatures might be in pain or distress that they get help.

The veterinarian is, of course, our foremost option. Sometimes, taking our pets to the vet might not be enough. Just as we seek out therapists and healers, our pets too might need a specialised, alternative therapist. There’s a wide range of healing modalities that can be adapted to heal animals–acupuncture, pranic healing, myotherapy, crystal healing, reiki, homeopathy, and many more.

Except for myotherapy, which works on the physical body, the other modalities work on the aura (energy body) of the subject, to help relieve them of their problems. Just as humans have auras, so do animals. In his book, Aura Energy for Health, Healing & Balance, parapsychologist Dr. Joe H Slate writes: “The auras of animals are typically less complex in structure but more intense in coloration than human auras.” The intense colouration Dr. Slate refers to is probably correlated to the density of the energy body; many energy healers observe that animal auras are denser than human auras. However, the healing works on similar principles anyway, be it for people or pets.

When applied to animals, these healing modalities are known to help with physical and psychological ailments. While they might not be replacements for allopathic medicine or behavioural training, they are certainly strong complementary therapies and can be very helpful in pain management, stress reduction, and better quality of life. Soulveda speaks to experts on how these therapies can help animals.

Myotherapy is muscle therapy for dogs, wherein they are closely evaluated with respect to how they move–walking, sitting, getting up.

Pranic healing or Qigong

Pranic healing, also known as Qigong, is a healing technique whereby the healer cleanses the subject’s aura of dirty, diseased, and negative energies, and energises it with fresh prana. Salomi Singh, a pranic healer, has used this technique, as a complementary therapy with allopathic medicine, on her own pet to great effect. She narrates, “My cat Rumi had been puking blood for three days. When I got him tested, the vet found two lumps in his stomach. The vet put him on drips on the third day, but Rumi didn’t stop puking.” So, on the fourth day, Singh began healing him extensively. “The next day, he coughed up two hairballs and bits of a broomstick! He didn’t puke blood after that, but he was very tired. That’s when the drips began to help,” she recounts.

Myotherapy

Myotherapy is a musculoskeletal therapy that can relieve a subject of muscle stiffness and pain, and improve circulation by working on the trigger points (weak spots) in the body. It treats nerves, joints and muscles in the problematic area in the body. It helps strengthen the muscles and increase the range of movement. Myotherapy works just as well for animals, as it does for people. In fact, Sindhoor Pangal who’s a myotherapist for dogs, believes the therapy works more easily on animals. Having worked on several cases, she observes, “Animals are far more intuitive than humans. So if we try to actually read them, they are able to guide us very well on what is right for them. In myotherapy, we work without any restraints, muzzles or leashes. We rely on closely reading the animal and providing the treatment as dictated by the dog.”

Crystal healing

Crystals help modify the energy structure of the subject. The unique energy frequency from the crystal can harmonise the structure by emitting an energy pulse. The pulse in turn works on cellular levels, converting unwanted energy into healthy energy. Karen Ryan, an energy healer, has used crystal healing on animals to great results. She had to heal a pet. A horse that was bleeding after being bitten by another horse in a playfight. Ryan used an amethyst crystal for the purpose, and in less than a minute, the bleeding stopped. She could even see the scar tissue forming within minutes!

Acupuncture can stimulate a subject’s brain and spinal cord to release pain relief hormones called endogenous endorphins.

Homeopathy

Homoeopathy is the science of healing by enhancing immunity and letting the body fight ailments. There is no symptom suppression in this modality; homeopathy encourages the body to develop its own fighting mechanisms to help in its healing. This modality can treat animals for physical complaints like allergies, skin infections, gastric issues, ticks, paralysis, arthritis, cardiomegaly, and the like.

Celebrated homeopathy therapist Dr. Farokh Master remembers the time he treated a cat for full paralysis. “It was a case of a tumour over the spinal cord. The vet had said that the cat would never be able to walk again, and she will remain paralysed for life. Within 15-18 days of treatment with Homoeopathy, however, the cat was running about in the house,” he says.

Sometimes, homeopathy could simply ease the pain and improve the quality of life for an elderly animal. Dr. Velankanni Selvan remembers one such case. “Frosty had acute renal failure, with a history of infection. The dog was already 11 or 12 years old, so the vet didn’t see a good chance of survival. He referred the owner to me. I treated Frosty with homeopathic medicine and we saw considerable improvement. He lived for another two years without much discomfort.”

Acupuncture

Acupuncture can stimulate a subject’s brain and spinal cord to release pain relief hormones called endogenous endorphins. Acupuncture has been accepted in the veterinary field for its pain management utilities. This healing modality is an effective aid in helping pets suffering from spinal cord diseases, nerve injuries, paralysis, arthritis, and chronic kidney diseases. Dr. Prathmesh Deshmukh, a veterinary acupuncturist, recalls the time he treated a four-year-old male Lhasa Apso, who was suddenly paralysed in his hind legs and lost bladder control. “He had a spinal cord compression due to a herniated disc. I treated him with acupuncture sessions for over two months. After that, he fully regained his ability to walk, and is now back to his normal self,” Dr. Prathmesh says.

FAQs

What are alternative healing modalities for pets?

Alternative healing modalities for pets include acupuncture, pranic healing, myotherapy, crystal healing, reiki, homeopathy, and more.

Can alternative healing modalities replace traditional veterinary medicine?

No, alternative healing modalities are complementary therapies and should be used alongside traditional veterinary medicine.

How can alternative healing modalities benefit pets?

Alternative healing modalities can provide pain relief, reduce stress and anxiety, promote relaxation, and support the pet’s natural healing processes.

Are alternative healing modalities safe for pets?

When practised by qualified professionals, alternative healing modalities can be safe for pets.

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