Reiki can be beneficial to a huge variety of dogs. Whether it’s calming them because they are nervous or anxious, relieving their stiffness due to old age or helping them release bad experiences, it can help them in many ways.
Animals use energy all of the time, they know how you are feeling as soon as you walk into the room. They can tell if you are sad or angry, even if you are smiling, as they are reading your energy. Therefore, when Reiki is offered to them it is something they are already familiar with.
Animal Reiki is a gentle, yet effective complementary therapy that promotes deep relaxation and natural healing. It works by using energy to heal the animal on many levels - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. It is non invasive and uses no pressure or manipulation. It is a holistic therapy treating the cause of the problem and not just the presenting condition. Reiki is suitable for all dogs and it works safely alongside veterinary medicine.
What can Reiki do for my dog?
The following list shows the conditions/issues that Reiki has been known to help with:
Physical
such as injuries, stiffness, stomach trouble, loss of appetite, post operative recovery
Emotional
mistreatment/bad experiences, nervous or timid dogs, also helps with bereavement and loss
Behavioural
separation anxiety and behavioural issues
Owner / Dog relationship
develop a closer bond
Healthy animals can benefit from Reiki too. Let your animal enjoy a deeply relaxing treatment that will enhance their general well being and happiness.
What happens during a treatment?
All dogs are treated in the comfort of their own home and each appointment includes a chat before and after the treatment to discuss progress and findings. To give Reiki to a dog is a simple process. They will guide me as to whether they want to receive the healing sitting on my lap, laying next to me or moving freely around the room as they wish during the treatment. Then I will either gently lay my hands on the animals body or from a short distance away, depending on how they wish to receive the energy.
The great thing about using Reiki on animals is that you can “see” it working. Your pet will most likely relax and some will lie down and go into a deep sleep next to me. If they are having a release of some kind they maybe fidgety and unsettled for a while. Dogs can react in different ways and some may not show any obvious signs of relaxation during their treatment. They will wait until they are alone and then go to sleep to enjoy the healing energies. No matter how your pet responds, Reiki is giving them what they need.
Treatments lengths vary depending on the individual dog. Some will only need a short session of healing energy while others enjoy longer treatments of around 35 minutes. Your dog will decide how much they have and it what circumstances.
Following a treatment it is best to leave them for a couple of hours to fully absorb the energies and allow the healing to continue. They will feel calm and relaxed or they could be energised as every dog responds in their own way. They may drink more water than usual and pass more wind/faeces. This is normal as Reiki helps the body to re balance and release what is not needed.
How many treatments are needed?
Depending on what issues the dog is facing, one or two treatments can be enough to bring the results you require. In other cases, the dog may benefit from a course of Reiki to achieve the best outcome. This entails up to 5 treatments and progress is reviewed at each session.
Dog treatments currently cost £30.
***IMPORTANT***
Veterinary permission is no longer required before treating your dog, it is now the responsibility of the owner to ensure that the therapist is fully qualified and insured. I recommend that you contact your vet if you have any health concerns about your dog.
Reiki is not intended to replace or act as an alternative to conventional treatments given by a vet. The Veterinary Surgery Act of 1966 (amended 1996) prohibits anyone other than a Veterinary Surgeon to diagnose ailments and giving of advice on such diagnosis. The Protection of Animals Act 1911 requires that if an animal clearly needs treatment from a Veterinary Surgeon then the owner must obtain this.
The healing of animals by contact healing, by the laying on of hands or distant healing is legal. To give emergency first aid to animals for the purpose of saving life or relieving pain is permissible under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1996.