Tag animal behavior

Animal health info: what I do (and don’t do) with it

Nancy Crowe
Having Mojo tell me what he needed, and relaying that to his human and an equine bodyworker, helped us all help him feel better.

As a non-veterinarian, I do not diagnose or treat. As an animal communicator, I do sometimes get information about sore hips and hooves, tummy discomfort, itchy spots and more.

Sometimes the animal’s human caretaker tells me about any health issues going in. When I’m on rounds I always check in with the humans ahead of time for any updates (health included). Sometimes the animal himself will tell me about a health issue — or show me through images or feelings — during a communication session.

When a client arranges a session, “What does your vet say?” is one of my first questions. I want to make sure that any medical reasons for the cat not using the litter box or the dog’s increased anxiety have been addressed and ruled out.

Medical or otherwise, “what’s wrong” is never the focus of a communication session anyway. That’s because all of us living beings are so much more than our symptoms, illnesses, injuries and seemingly odd behaviors. No animal’s illness or trauma changes the fact that she is a unique creation with an inner light all her own.

After an animal communication session I relay any information the animal chose to share, including anything that might relate to health, to the human carer. The human can then choose to ignore it, keep an eye on it or share it with the vet. As I tell clients: Take from this only what resonates and is helpful, and leave the rest.

Much the same goes for my Let Animals Lead® sessions. In this specialized form of Reiki, the practitioner never “beams” energy to the animal (or any body part thereof) the way a practitioner might in a human Reiki session. Because Let Animals Lead® is meditation-based, a session is a quiet time to relax and reset. Though this method is not about fixing anything (and I keep the Serenity Prayer close), relaxation can only help with healing, whatever healing might mean for the animal in that moment.

It’s important to note that Let Animals Lead® is hands off unless the animal initiates contact. Many do, especially if they’ve been working with me for a while. Mojo, a Tennessee Walking Horse, once backed up against the fence between us and asked for hands-on energy. He showed me some pain in his hips and along the left side. I placed both hands on his hips and began my meditation. After a while he began licking and chewing, then walked off to join the rest of the herd. I passed this along to Mojo’s human and to the equine bodyworker who also worked regularly with him. After her session with him a day or two later, she sent me a diagram to show how she adjusted a misalignment on the left.

The codes of ethics I follow for both animal communication and Let Animals Lead® are clear about not dispensing medical advice or treatment. They’re also pretty clear about showing up and doing what we can do. It does take a village, and I try to do my part in it.

‘Am I making my animal sick?’

Nancy Crowe
Image by Mirko Sajkov from Pixabay

You’re in the thick of a stressful time, and now your animal friend is sick or has developed a puzzling behavioral issue. That’s hard enough.

Since the link between illness and stress cannot be denied — nor can the link between you and your animal — you may even wonder if you are part of the problem. Did the animal take on your stress? Were you so distracted that you didn’t notice your pet was having problems?

“Am I making my animal sick?” is a question I’ve heard from friends and my animal communication clients. I’ve heard it from myself, too.

Before you go down this rabbit hole (I’ve been there; would not recommend), remember that the first person to talk to is a licensed veterinarian. Take the opportunity to learn and make recommended changes in your pet’s diet, environment or routine.

For that matter, this could also be a great time to top up your own coping skills. Exercise, for example — more dog walks, barn time, or cat play sessions — could benefit both of you.

Benefiting both of you is what this is about.

When I’m communicating with an animal, he or she will often show me stress in the household or barn. That can come through in, say, the image of a person angry or downcast. It could also be the sound of raised voices or just a heaviness I can feel in my chest.

Animals may not understand what’s going on, but they feel it. Some animals are afraid, perhaps for good reason. Most want to help.

Bentley, a 12-year-old Westie mix, developed digestive issues just as his person, Aileen, was grieving a huge loss. The vet prescribed medication and a change in diet. Still, she wondered if her stress had exacerbated his condition. “Am I driving him nuts?” she asked.

That notion hadn’t occurred to Bentley, who showed me a grey fog surrounding Aileen and her heart intact. “We’re doing this together,” he told me. They both have continued to heal.

It reminded me of when I feared I was making my tiger cat, Idgie, sick. I took her to the vet, we began treatment for her hypothyroidism and I took some important steps to heal myself and my life. On the night before her thyroid surgery, instead of the usual worrying I sat down to at least try a meditation. She curled up in my lap and purred. “OK, I think you’re starting to get it,” I heard before she drifted off to sleep. She inspired me to take better care of myself as well as her, and we enjoyed several more years together.

I’ve never had an animal tell me their person’s distress made them ill. What they tell me instead is that they and their beloved humans are tackling stress, illness and whatever else as a team. They can’t solve your problems (though your shepherd dog would gladly try), but they will sit, stand and walk with you every step of the way. That may be the best medicine of all.

A year of wonder in animal communication, meditation

Nancy Crowe

There is such beauty in our animal friends. You know that already. Many, if not most, of the animals I’ve been blessed to work with this year in my animal communication and Let Animals Lead meditation practice appear in this short video.

In 2024, Indiana experienced some amazing beauty in the sky as well — the solar eclipse in April and at least a couple of Northern Lights displays. A few photos from these are included as well. 

Thank you to Camp Red Cedar for the cover image of the aurora borealis above the camp grounds; Chandu Prem Lal for the stunning capture of the eclipse behind the Indiana Soldiers and Sailors Monument; Heather Hoffmann for her beautiful scenes of the Northern Lights; Jenn Andrew for her photo of me at the pasture fence and everyone else who sent their best.

Even bigger thanks go to all of you who trusted me to listen to and hold space with the horses, dogs, cats, goats and other creatures in your lives. I look forward to doing even more in 2025.