Canine Therapy

I recently had a new client today regarding her little dog. In fact the dog is my 'client'. At first he was very unsure about what I was doing to him as he constantly turn round and bite me. His muscles were very tight and it was a new experience for him. Loosening his fascia and kneading into his muscles can be quite uncomfortable in the first treatment and subsequent treatments. I knew that he wasn't trying to hurt me and for the better part, he is a very sweet dog. The poor thing suddenly loss the use of his hind legs hence overusing and over compensating on the other muscles. I'm not writing about this client as every client I see have got their records and are confidential. What I am writing about is about the benefits of therapy. Some call it massage. Yes in layman's terms I guess you could call it that but it is more than just laying my hands on the dog and stroking him. There is a certain amount of pressure that I will apply on the dog, manipulate it's fascia to loosen any adhesions in the dog's body which can be uncomfortable. There are certain strokes that I will apply and sometimes I apply TTouch on the dog when it's too painful using the stroking action. Many times I get asked, 'Do you put a muzzle on the dog if it's aggressive?'. There is one of two answers: 1. I do not muzzle the dog because it isn't a punishment and the dog will not relax as it associate muzzle negatively i.e. to stop attacking people. 2. If the dog bites and breaks my skin, I will refuse to continue any further. After all I need my hands to work on the dog.

I get asked how long is one session. The maximum time that a dog will allow me to 'massage' him/her is 30 minutes. In fact 30 minutes is sufficient to complete the therapy. Now back to the client I first mentioned, after a few minutes, he relaxed and his muscles were no longer reacting to the massage. If anyone of you think that this is easy, well, first learn up on the musculo skeletal of the dog. I do not do this blindly. I have learned about the muscles and skeleton of the dogs. When the therapy can be applied and when I cannot do it. Contraindication of when I cannot give a 'massage':
1. When there's a spinal injury
2. Cancer
3. when they are under pain killers

So the next time someone says to you or the pet shop states, we massage dogs as well as groom, ask them, what kind of massage they do then ask them, what qualification do they have.

Experimenting with props

Recently, I was so inspired to take up my camera again to take photos on pets. So, I decided to put a few things together, and coaxed my two little ones to pose for me. It was very challenging for the most part. They just would not sit still!! Such are challenges when dealing with pets. But it was fun. Here are a few shots I took.

Season of ticks

It is that time of the year, or rather it's all year here it seems for ticks to appear in your dogs. I have this problem and tackle it constantly. At first I applied spot on which is the recommended 'medicine' to prevent ticks for your dogs by vets and pet shops but what few realize is that some ticks become so immune to it that it stops to work. Such is my case. Spot on just doesn't work on my west highland terrier. Plus, few do not realize, spot on has got a little poison that seeps into your pet's skin in order to deter and kill ticks. How much poison does it have? I assume a minimal amount but when you apply it every month which is recommended and for the rest of the dog's life..it does work up to alot. It will slowly build in your dog. So what do I do now? I've resorted to holistic approach and it works. Sure I still find one or two ticks but at least it isn't a whole infestation on my dog.

Why do tick like to 'hang' on to my westie? Well, it has alot to do with his blood. Many do not realize that if the dog's blood is thin, ticks love it and therefore you will find ticks on him/her. Dogs that do not have sufficient nutrition, will be exposed to ticks. SO what do I do? Well, I am currently giving him homeopathic remedy which is given orally and an organic spray to deter ticks. The homeopathic remedy is to enrich his blood giving my westie the necessary defence against the ticks and hopefully deter the ticks. When dogs are healthy, they live a happier life and tick free!

Exercising your pet

Pet ownership, especially if you own a dog, carries along a new set of responsibility. A pet is not something you buy or adopt because your child wants it, nor is it something you can discard when you are bored or ignore once they are in your home. They are a part of your family and should be treated like a part of your family. They want to feel love, wanted and to be taken out for walks. Every morning and evening, my dogs look forward to their walks. They will sit in front of us in the evening telling us, it's time to go out. In the morning, our female will wake up, jump off the bed and nudge us with her cold nose to get up so that she can go for her walks. I want to tell you today about exercising your dog(s). Exercising your pets is essential for their health. The benefits you will get from your dogs are boundless.

Walking with your dog has so many benefits for owners and for the dogs:
1. It gives you a workout. You don't have to pay a huge amount of money to the gym for a brisk walk with your dog.
2. It creates a stronger bond between you and your dog and make you both closer to each other.
3. It keeps the dogs muscles supple and keeps the dog healthy
4. Dogs that do go for their daily walks, exercise or runs, will be less likely to suffer from dementia when they are older. It is a very sad to see dogs that are going senile in their old age.

Every dog that I have had, I've had a special bond with them all. My first west highland terrier, was with me through my ups and downs. I would take her out for long walks in London when I was living there and we would have such fun. The joys of having to walk her off the leash and watching her jump in and out of lakes was priceless. Then to see a smile on her face was so precious. I know in Malaysia, walking your dogs off leash is impossible, the restriction imposed by DBKL, the cars on the road would be unsafe as there are no parks that your dog can walk unleash. Also there is the problem on irresponsible owners that just do not pick up their dog's waste (that's in my last blog).

Practise responsible ownership. Exercise your dogs and pick up your dog's waste because it will create a more positive atmosphere between non dog owners and dog owners.

Responsible pet ownership

It is a horrid experience for anyone doing their morning exercises around the housing area to step on dog faeces also known as DOG POO. Some pet owners do not pick up after their dogs. While I am an animal lover, it is very annoying when I step on dog poo!! In fact, I find myself swearing under my breath and cursing the irresponsible dog owner. Now, here's something to think about. I am a dog lover and already find the experience horrid. Now imagine a person who hates dogs. This is the situation we are facing today. It is irresponsible when the owners just open the gate, allow the dog to run out and do their business then come back into the house without facing any consequences, just because they don't want the dog to soil the house compound. It is very ignorant and irresponsible to think that if the pets have gone out on their own accord, they've already had their exercise. First there is the problem on who will pick up their poo? If the owner thinks that, it's ok, the rain will wash it away, there's a misconception there. It doesn't wash off immediately. Where is the consideration for their neighbours? We live in a day and age that people are so selfish and only think about themselves. Next, what if your dog gets hit by a car? Do you then start to feel the responsibility or the guilt? Worse still, they go out and get another dog. Do we really need to give DBKL more reasons to restrict on dog ownership?

The responsibility of owning a pet is not only to feed your pet and to ensure he/she has enough water, it is the quality time spend with your pet, the love you shower your pets, that also includes walking your pets, which ensures he/she gets enough exercise and picking up after your pets. Is that so difficult to do? Dogs aren't just there to take care of your house, they are a part of the family and should be treated like a part of the family. Adopting a dog is a noble thing to do. I applaud those who do. What happens after adoption is entirely up to the new owner. How you treat the dog is what really matters. It isn't enough to just tie him / her up and leave her outside and feed her. He/ she needs love and companion. Give your pets a chance into your heart and you will see how rewarding it is.

Please pick up after your pets. Do not allow any more reasons for those who dislike dogs, to hate them even more.

Foods to avoid giving to your dogs

Hi All! I was just sitting by my computer and realized that many people do not realize that there are certain foods that your pet dogs should not be given. Not only should it not be given, but it is also dangerous to your dog's health if eaten. I will list 10 most common 'foods'
1. Chocolate
2. Raisins
3. Grapes
4. Caffeine
5. Pet or human drugs (I know some pet owners do give benadryl to their pets)
6. snail or slug poison
7. Insecticide ( this is obvious)
8. Toads (there are plenty around that your pet might just put his/her mouth around it)
9. Household chemicals (make sure they are kept away from pets)
10. Certain plants can be harmful for your pets.

Prevention is better than cure. So for the loving pet owners out there, please take note. :)

Animal Communication Workshop with Rosina Arquati

It was about a bit over a year ago that this workshop caught my attention..Animal Communication workshop. It is the first time that this workshop has been brought to Malaysia and I have been wondering whether I can communicate with animals as I have a passion for them. So I enrolled into this workshop and the rest as they say is history. I am a qualified animal communicator after completing all three levels and a healer for animals. The journey has been long and it is still ongoing. So I was excited that Rosina, my teacher is now coming back to Malaysia for a level 1 workshop. Anyone who loves their pets, who are curious as to what your pets are thinking, and how to help them, please attend the workshop. It is a once in a lifetime experience. This workshop provided me to understanding that I need to help my pets and others as well. It is not animal training/behaviour training..it is what it is..animal communication i.e. communicating with you pets mentally. Open your heart and belief you can talk to your animal. Everyone are able to communicate with their pet. Below are the details on when the workshop will be:
When: 26-27 February 2011
Price: RM800 net for both days
Time: 10am-5pm
Venue: Sri Wangsaria Condominium (for details on how to get there, please contact me)
Contact: Irene Lim
Email:happydogz13@gmail.com

For those in Singapore or would like to attend the Singapore workshops Level 1,2 and 3, details are in their blog:
http://zeuscommunications.blogspot.com/2011/01/animal-communications-workshops.html

For more info on Rosina, goto http://rosina.wordpress.com or click on the right hand side of my page under Rosina Maria Arquati.