Tag animal Reiki

Anxious dog on suitcase

Ease anxiety of travel without your pet

Nancy Crowe 1 Comment
Anxious dog lying on top of suitcase
Where do you think you’re going? Use simple animal communication techniques to relay important details to your pets.

Friends of mine used to check their rescue cockapoo, Holly, into the kennel a day or two early so she wouldn’t see them packing. Holly, of course, knew they were going away long before the suitcases came out.

I have fought back tears when pulling out of the driveway or dropping somebody off at the vet clinic for boarding. Even when you trust those caring for your precious family member, when the moment comes, there may be pleading looks, trembling, and whining. The animal may not take it well, either.

One of the things I do as an animal communicator is prepare animals for change, whether it’s a trip to the trainer’s or a new home. Here are a few basic techniques you can use to make travel more tolerable:

Give it to ’em straight. With pictures.

Tell the animal what you’re going to do, who will care for him or her and where, and when you will be back. As you speak, calmly hold the corresponding images in your mind, because these — just as much as or more than your words — will get the message across.

For example, you could tell your dog: “We are going to visit Grandma next week, and Susan is going to come stay here and take care of you. Remember how much fun you had last time she was here? We’ll be back in four days.”

While you’re saying these things, picture Grandma … then Susan … then the dog playing with Susan last time … then the sun rising and setting four times … and finally, you coming back in the door with your suitcases.

Acknowledge any challenges.

“I know you got upset the last time you went to the kennel, and that was hard for me, too. We’re going to try it again. I’ll try to be braver and hope you will, too.” Again, picture it.

This respects both of you and sets the intention for a better outcome. It also affirms you as the decision maker. Again, get in charge of your own state of mind first; if you are angry or anxious, that will drown out whatever you’re trying to communicate.

Check in while you’re away.

While you’re gone, you can call and have someone hold the phone out to Fluffy while you talk to her. Then you can listen as the human comes back on the line and tells you Fluffy twitched her ear and stalked off. Or you can skip this potential awkwardness and touch base telepathically. Yes, you can; there’s a reason some dogs (and cats, and birds, and horses, etc.) know when their people are on their way.

Find a (relatively) quiet moment, bring your animal companion to mind, and just say hello. Tell her you’re thinking of her, that you love her, and remind her when you will be home. You can leave it at that, or you can ask a question and listen for a response. Either way, she will appreciate you checking in.

Try one or more of these next time you travel, and please be safe. For more help communicating with your animal friend, or for supporting both of you with a Let Animals Lead® session, visit me at www.njcrowe.com.

Reiki helps animals (and us) re-set

Nancy Crowe 1 Comment
Photo by Alek B from Pixabay 

When an animal we love develops behavior or health problems, our stress level rises. Which is natural, but it doesn’t help the animal’s health or emotional state. Even beings who love one another can get stuck in vicious cycles. I’ve been there. 

Often, all that is needed to break such a cycle is a time-out. Not the kind of time-out that lands your dog in another room for a few minutes, but a time for both of you to pause, relax, and help each other heal.

Reiki, a Japanese stress relief modality, is perfect for this because it works with both people and animals — and because it works from a distance. (You don’t need Zoom, WiFi, or even a landline.) You don’t have to get in the car, go into an office, or lie on a massage table.

During a distant Reiki session, you and your animal can relax in the comfort of your home or barn — on a bed or sofa, in your yard, or in a stall. Some clients tell me they and/or the animal fell asleep during the session, but you can go for a walk or ride if you wish. 

With the Let Animals Lead method I practice, there is no focus on an illness or problem. The aim is not to fix anything, but to set up the circumstances for healing — whatever that might mean for the animal — to happen. When we take time out to relax and regroup, we are better able to recover. We can see solutions that elude us when we are anxious. 

When you contact me for a distant Reiki session, we’ll set an appointment. At that time, I will send the energy for about half an hour, then phone you to check in. I’m also an animal communicator. Please be advised that I cannot diagnose; Reiki is always in addition to, never instead of, veterinary care. 

Whatever you and your animal friend are facing, you deserve peace. 

Caring for those who care for animals

Nancy Crowe 2 Comments

pexels-tima-miroshnichenko-6234604 (1)

Veterinarians have adopted a host of measures to keep pets healthy, humans safe, and clinic doors open during the pandemic. These changes have added stress to a profession that already has its share.

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study showed veterinarians died by suicide at between two and 3.5 times the national average between 1979 and 2015. Mounting student debt (without the salaries “people” docs get), the physical and emotional strains of the job, scathing public criticism, and the ever-present shadow of death were among the reasons cited in a Washington Post story.

A second-career vet in the story struggled with debt, depression, and chronic illness that fueled gossip and anger in real time and online. A conversation with an “old friend” was the last straw. She wrote goodbye letters and, using drugs meant for euthanizing animal patients, prepared to end her life. Then she looked into the eyes of her dog and couldn’t do it.

Another veterinarian regularly treated animals who suffered some of the worst humans can do. On the way home from work one night, he considered driving off a California highway. Shaken, he sought help. He later became a founding board member of Not One More Vet, which seeks to support vets and staff members who may be on their own dark roads.  

Others, such as well-known vet and trainer Sophia Yin, are no longer here to take that one more chance.

A veterinary well-being study in 2020, this one by Merck Animal Health in partnership with the American Veterinary Medical Association, also found high rates of suicide, substance use disorder, and burnout. Just over half the vets in the study would not recommend a career in veterinary medicine. 

The researchers called for every practice to discuss these issues and encourage people to seek help if needed. Employers without employee assistance plans were urged to adopt them. Self-care measures such as stress management plans, limiting time on social media, and working with a financial planner were encouraged for individuals. 

All of these efforts are great, but the rest of us — pet parents, others who work with animals, and animal advocates — have skin in this game. (Shouldn’t we all be watching out for each others’ skin anyway, just ’cause?) If difficult human clients and a lack of support from the wider community are part of the problem, for heaven’s sake, let’s fix it.

Here are a few thoughts about what we can do:

Respect the profession

Veterinarians have gone to school, learned multiple systems (“people” docs only have to study one), and done work most of us could not. Though I am not a fan of unquestioningly accepting whatever experts say, if you’ve done your homework and chosen a good vet or clinic, trust them.

Practitioners of complementary and alternative modalities such as massage, Reiki, essential oil therapy, etc. as well as vet techs, kennel owners, trainers, groomers, and more — would do well to work with vets as much as possible. We may not always agree, but we’re all in the business of helping animals and the people who love and care for them. Our collective efforts might just surprise us.

When a client wants to address a particular question or problem through animal communication or animal Reiki, my first question is always: When was the animal last seen by a veterinarian, and what did he or she say or do regarding the issue? I make it clear that I am not a medical or veterinary professional and do not diagnose. Anything I do is in support of — never instead of or against — veterinary care.

Show appreciation

Does your veterinarian administer the dreaded annual vaccinations in such a way that your dog barely seems to notice, let alone mind? Was your veterinarian exceedingly kind and gentle with your cat … and with you … when you faced the gut-wrenching decision to put her to sleep? Did your veterinarian come in on a Sunday when your dog got stung by a bee … again? Is your veterinarian patient even when your little darling is doing a spot-on Tasmanian devil imitation?

Notice. Say something. Your comment, however small it may seem to you, could make a big difference if your vet just had to put an animal down because the pet’s owner basically didn’t care, if an angry review just turned up on Facebook or Yelp, or if it’s simply been a long day.

Be aware, and use discretion

If you have reason to believe your veterinarian is struggling with a physical or mental health challenge, especially if it’s affecting his or her work, carefully consider the most kind, fair, and discreet way forward. You’ll have to decide whether you feel comfortable asking him or her directly or taking your concern to the clinic owner or even a state licensing board.

Whichever option you choose, do so in the spirit of help and accountability, not getting even. Likewise, anything you say on the subject to others in real time or on social media — and the best choice may well be to say nothing — should be in that same spirit.

Do your bit during the pandemic 

Yes, “doing your bit” was a World War II homefront thing, but surprise! The concept still works. Follow instructions. Be patient. Offer a smile (genuine, please) instead of a sigh when the vet tech picks up or returns your dog to your car. On the phone or online, offer an encouraging word instead of a criticism. If what you’re about to say on social media isn’t true, kind, or helpful, delete it and log off.

During these angry and confusing times, or in seasons of your own pain, it may seem that nothing you do matters.

Trust me, it does.

(Note: This updates an earlier version of the story to include the 2020 study and the changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.)

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko from Pexels