For Pet’s Sake Do Something! Book Three - How to heal your Pets using Alternative and Complementary Therapies (For Pet’s Sake, Do Something)

369 Pages·2008·1.55 MB·English

by  Dr. Monica Diedrich

For Pet’s Sake, Do Something!
Book Three How to Heal Your Pets Using Alternative And
Complementary Therapies
Dr. Monica Diedrich
For Pet’s Sake, Do Something!
How to Heal Your Pets
Using Alternative and Complementary Therapies
Book 3 of the Do Something! Series
Copyright 2008, Dr. Monica Diedrich. All rights reserved.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a
mechanical retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by electronic, video,
laser, mechanical, photocopying, recording means, or otherwise, in part of in
whole, without written consent of the publisher.
This book is intended as a reference manual only, not as a medical or veterinary
manual. The information given is designed to help the reader to make informed
decisions about the health of pets. It is not intended as a substitute for any
treatment that may have been, or may be, prescribed by a veterinarian. The
author, the editors, and the publisher shall have neither liability nor
responsibility toward any person or entity with respect to any loss, damage, or
injury caused, or alleged to be caused, directly or indirectly, by the information
contained within this book.
Published by
Two Paws Up Press
P.O. Box 6107, Anaheim, CA 92816-6107 Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.petcommunicator.com
Printed in the United States of America
Acknowledgments
N
ow that I’ve been writing for at least ten years—in addition to teaching and
talking to animals for even longer than that—I’ve reached a point in my life
where I need to stop and look at where I am today. How did I get here,
especially when it comes to the books I’ve written?
The five books I’ve published are among my favorite personal accomplishments.
But whenever I think particularly about my second, third, fourth, and fifth books,
I remind myself every day that I only realized my dream of publishing them
because of the help and dedication of a single person. She worked side-by-side
with me for four years to complete each one. Her heartfelt desire to help you
give your pets the best of care is very similar to my own.
I could even go so far as to say, with 20/20 hindsight, her name should have
been included on the covers of all four of these books. Though we didn’t happen
to do that, her name will always be written in my heart with deep gratitude.
That’s how I feel about Colleen Fox , who has blessed me with her friendship,
time, knowledge, and expertise, as well as her research, writing, and editing
skills.
I met her as a client just one time ten years ago, along with her two Westies,
Casey and Peaches. Neither of us knew then what the future would hold. The
Universe, however, had a definite plan in mind for the two of us, and we were
finally brought together again six years later when Casey became seriously ill
and departed this life several months later.
At that time four years ago, I was writing my second book and wanted to include
Casey’s story in the chapter about “Lessons Learned.” I also asked Colleen if
she’d review the first three chapters of the second book to see if she thought the
material would hold the interest of my readers. She agreed the material was
definitely very interesting, but as a former teacher in one of her four professional
careers, she asked if she could show me what I could do to improve the
presentation.
The rest, as they say, is history. From then on, I became the recipient of the
wonderful gift she’s given me during our four-year collaboration. That gift has
included untold hours of research, writing, and revising, as well as constant
attention to detail. She was able to turn only a few pages of my written material
attention to detail. She was able to turn only a few pages of my written material
and research into full length interesting and informative
I Dr. Monica Diedrich
chapters by adding a wealth of information from her own knowledge,
experience, and discovery.
It’s she who’s responsible for creating structure and establishing flow for all I
was trying to say while writing in English as my second language. I can’t count
the number of times she’s read my mind, and my heart, and translated my
thoughts into words that accurately express all the ideas I most wanted to
convey. To me, she’s the best ghostwriter/editor I could possibly have had for a
project like this.
Along the way, I also had the valuable help of a number of other people I want
to recognize, and to whom I want to express my sincere thanks. There’s:
. . . Tony Stubbs , the production editor for my first and second books. He
predicted I’d be writing more than one book. I didn’t believe him at first, but I
do now!
. . . Paul McNeese , from OPA Author Services, the production editor for my
third, fourth, and fifth books. He not only handled all of the production details
from the time we gave him each manuscript, but he also helped me make each
book ready for print and for distribution in e-book format. In addition, he
researched and drafted the initial versions of the acupuncture, acupressure, and
hydrotherapy chapters when we were deep in the throes of a time crunch.
. . . Sue Cramer, who devoted herself to working with the two of us on the
second book. Because she taught us so much about the technical editorial
process during that time, our work on the third, fourth, and fifth books was made
ever so much easier.
. . . Lorena Pollard, of LP Editorial Services, who also joined us when we had
to complete an initial phase of work on this last book two months earlier than we
originally planned. She gathered and organized some of the additional material
for the original drafts of the chapters about Emergency Supply Kits, First Aid
Procedures, and Poison Proofing Your Home and Garden. She also contributed
significantly to the final technical editing of this last book as well, by giving us
the benefit of her twenty-five years of proofreading experience.
Several people offered to read single chapters and provided me, and you, with
the benefit of their expertise in one or more of the books in the For Pet’s Sake,
Do Something! series. They include:
. . . Dr. Leonard A. Sigdestad, DVM, Dr. Jacqueline DeGrasse, DC, Dr. Robert
E. Woods, DVM, Dr. Basilio Toledo, DVM, Marie Cargill, Susy
II
Guerra, Nancy Allah, Ellen Atkins, Kathleen Widdison and her husband, Fay
Jones, LAc, as well as David Roden, owner of Ecclecstacy Arts, and Vicki
Meals, owner of Rainbow Sky 2 (formerly Rainbow Sky Trading), who both
made many valuable contributions to the chapters about incense.
Others, like Cyd Tanimura and Nancy Rubow, provided me with information or
simple suggestions that literally flooded my mind with ideas. My many clients,
too numerous to mention, were also there for me, listening and encouraging me
to put everything into writing.
I also want to say a special thank you to Dr. Jacqueline DeGrasse, DC , for
introducing me to animal chiropractic. Through her love for animals, and her
ever-positive attitude, I’ve continued to learn that we can always “Do something
” for our animals.
To my husband, Albert, my constant friend and companion, I owe a never-
ending debt of gratitude for his faith in what I do, his loving encouragement, and
his patience during my many hours of research and writing.
And last, but not least, my thanks to all of the animals who have confided in me
over the years, and to Chop Chop, my loyal and beloved Shih Tzu friend,
companion, and teacher who crossed over The Rainbow Bridge on February 22,
2006 at almost 14 years of age. I’ll be forever grateful to him for his admonition
to me to “Do something,” when he was near death at the age of two, because his
words became the inspiration for this series of books.
III
Introduction
“W
hat can I do to make my pet more comfortable when he or she has to cope with
pain, illness, or a chronic condition?” “How can I improve my pet’s overall
health?”
I can’t begin to tell you how many people have asked me these two questions
during individual consultations and workshops. At times, their requests for
information have compelled me to search for more effective answers than I was
able to provide at the moment. For that reason, I’m very grateful to my clients
and students since they’ve often piqued my curiosity to learn much more about
topics I might never have researched any further on my own.
Because of their queries, while I was writing my second book, Pets Have
Feelings, Too! , ideas were already swirling around in my mind for a third book
—a “how to” book that would help as many pet parents as possible by answering
those two questions, and more.
My dream was to compile information, all in a single book, about as wide a
variety of healing modalities as I possibly could. However, the single book
quickly grew so large it soon developed into a series of three books. They’re all
published under the umbrella title For Pet’s Sake, Do Something! and they’re
each about how you can help your pets heal and enjoy optimum health every
day.
I first discovered the importance of “doing something ” myself when one of my
own dogs seemed to be giving up on life. At the tender age of two, my Shih Tzu,
Chop Chop, was in severe pain because of hip dysplasia and a pinched nerve. He
spent hours lying with his eyes fixed on the horizon as if his life had no more
meaning for him. I felt I’d most likely have to make a decision soon to give him
the final respite he was looking for. Meanwhile, I was both desperate and
discouraged because there didn’t seem to be anything more I could do to help
him.
He’d already been seen by two different veterinarians and each one had given
him only a bleak prognosis. Not only that, but medications were no longer able
to provide the hoped for relief. It seemed he was very close to death, and the
next day, I would probably have to make a final decision for him. That night, all
I could do was to lie beside him on the floor, crying buckets of tears, but at least
I was keeping him company and comforting him as best I could.
I’d known, ever since I was eight years old, about the special intuitive gift I had,
but at that moment, my gift for being able to talk with animals was the farthest
thing from my mind. I was unable to think creatively or sense anything
intuitively at all.
What happened next, though, as I lay on the floor beside my precious pet,
feeling utterly miserable and totally helpless, would be one of the greatest
lessons I would ever learn.
As clear as day, I heard Chop Chop say to me, “You call yourself a healer . . . so
do something !”
At first, I had no idea what I could do to bring him any other relief. In fact, his
words played over and over in my mind for awhile before their meaning even
became clear to me. Finally, with a flash of insight, I realized there was
something more I could do.
I’d been using the technique of Cosmic Healing Energy to help people for some
time, but I’d never before thought about using it to help pets. However, now that
Chop Chop was prompting me to be an active participant instead of a helpless
bystander, I set aside my sense of desperation and immediately began sending
him healing light energy. I not only sent him healing light myself, but I also
asked the angels, saints, sages, and healers of all space, times, and dimensions to
join me, as well as guide and help me be an effective transmitter of Spirit’s ever
present healing light and love.
Even when I consciously thought I was finished with the treatment, my hands
intuitively kept moving as if they knew exactly where to touch, press, and pull.
When the flow of healing energy stopped, I thanked everyone for their help and
was filled with gratitude and reverence.
When I went to bed that night, it was with the confidence of knowing I’d now
been able to “Do something ” positive for Chop Chop’s highest good, regardless
of what the outcome might be.
What happened the next morning was nothing short of miraculous. He stood up
on all four legs and shook his mane! He hadn’t been able to do either of those
things for quite some time because his hind quarters had been paralyzed. Within
a week of receiving regular healing treatments, he was completely back to being
his normal self!
Most of you won’t ever be faced with quite such an extraordinary situation, and
it’s important to realize that not every spiritual healing
V
treatment brings about a physical cure as this one did, but you will have many
opportunities in everyday life when your pets need healing help in a variety of
other ways, too.
That’s why it’s been so important to me to write this series of books—to
empower you to be an active participant instead of a helpless bystander. By
implementing some of the healing techniques I’ve shared with you, you may be
able to help your pet maintain optimum health, manage more comfortably
through chronic illness or pain, or even recover from a serious illness or injury.
This third book of the series is designed to provide you with guidelines for using
alternative and complementary methods of healing. Many of them have a long
and successful history of use, and many, that at first may seem to be
unconventional, are actually scientifically supported. Some you’ll be able to use
right away after reading about them, while others will require study or further
research on your part in order to use them correctly. You’ll also learn about
various healing modalities a professional can provide for your pet.
The topics we’ll cover in this third book of the series include:
• Flower Essences for restoring spiritual balance to help relieve both physical
and emotional symptoms
• Essential Oils that quickly and effectively transport oxygen and nutrients into
every cell of the body for physical and emotional healing
• Homeopathy—a healing system based on the principle that like heals like
• Magnetic Therapy, Reflexology, and Massage for pain relief, relaxation,
reducing anxiety, and promoting overall wellbeing
• Sound, in its many different healing forms, which serves as a bridge between
body, mind, and spirit
• Color that can influence how a pet feels and behaves
• Crystals as an effective means for focusing healing energy
• Incense fragrances for healing emotional and behavioral imbalances
• Animal Communication and the importance of healing at every level—
spiritual, mental, and emotional—to bring about lasting physical healing
• Acupuncture and Acupressure to eliminate blockages in the body’s energy
system
• Chiropractic to correct misalignments in a pet’s body
• Hydrotherapy to promote healing in a weightless environment Another chapter
you may find helpful shows you how to pretest remedies before you buy or use
them. Using the techniques I’ve described may help you discover ahead of time
whether or not a certain modality is the right one to use for your pet, or this type
of pretesting may save you from spending money on something that wouldn’t be
beneficial for your pet. It’s also important to know how pets age , what
emergency kit supplies to have on hand and first aid procedures to use, as well
as how to provide for your pets when you’re no longer there , so I’ve included
chapters about these topics also. If you’re able to ease your pet’s pain, or provide
a better quality of life by implementing any of the healing techniques described
in this book, or in any of the books of this series, the time and money you’ve
spent will be well worth it.
My teacher and beloved animal friend, Chop Chop, finally did pass on at almost
fourteen years of age, but what he asked me to do, when he was only two years
old, touched not only our own lives, but also the lives of many other pets and pet
parents as well. Though he and I were both on the verge of giving up many years
ago, he taught me that I didn’t have to be a helpless bystander and that I could
“Do something!”
I hope you’ll “Do something” for your precious pets, too!
Remember, we can’t always do great things in life, but we can do small things
with great love. This is exactly the lesson our animal friends teach us—whatever
you do, do it with unconditional love.
*
You can learn more about the contents of each book in the series by turning to
the Epilogue at the end of this book.
You can read Chop Chop’s entire story in Chapter 1 of my first book, What
Animals Tell Me .
You can also learn how to use Cosmic Healing yourself in Chapter 6 of Book 1
of the series For Pet’s Sake, Do Something! How to Communicate With Your
Pets and Help Them Heal .
Sometimes, my clients will ask if I still use Cosmic Healing to help people as
well as pets. Many years ago, I did, but there are so many animals who need my
help today that I now devote all of my time to working exclusively with them.
VII
*
Be Sure to Note . . .
Before you begin to use alternative forms of healing, always remember to
consult your own veterinarian, or find a holistic veterinarian in your area who
can correctly diagnose your pet’s condition and provide any necessary forms of
traditional treatment. It’s always important to provide your pet with every type
of treatment that will help speed his or her recovery.
VIII
1: Flower Essences
T
he healing benefits of flowers have been used throughout human history but it
was the distinguished British physician, Dr. Edward Bach (1886-1936), who
gave us such ready access to flower essence remedies today.
Substances such as traditional medications, herbs, and homeopathic preparations
all act on the physical body, but flower essences act at a completely different and
much more subtle level. They affect our energy (or Ch’i) by interacting with our
very essence. They help our personalities reconnect with the spiritual side of our
being so that harmony and balance can be restored.
Because they do work on such a different level, one of the beauties of flower
essences is that they’re compatible with practically all other forms of treatment
and with traditional medications.
Are flower essences similar to the homeopathic remedies you’ll be reading about
in Chapter 6 ? Only in the sense that they’re diluted, and a small amount is very
potent. One primary difference between the two types of remedies is that many
plants used in homeopathic treatments may have poisonous qualities, but the
plants used in the thirtyeight BachTM Original Flower Essences are all nontoxic.
Another key difference is that plants used in homeopathy treat symptoms of
disease, while flower essences are used to heal the cause of disease at a much
deeper level.
Both people and animals experience very beneficial effects from using flower
essences, but to better comprehend why, we must first understand the connection
between the personality and the Soul, or Higher Self.
Understanding Dr. Bach’s approach
Dr. Bach believed every human being has an immortal (eternal) Soul and a
mortal (temporary) personality. When the personality is in harmony with the
Soul, the individual remains balanced and enjoys good health.
So why, then, does disease occur? Dr. Bach believed there are two errors which
So why, then, does disease occur? Dr. Bach believed there are two errors which
are the real cause of disease: 1) the personality temporarily loses the conscious
awareness of its Soul, so that it’s now aware only of what it can see, hear, taste,
smell, and touch, and 2) the personality has begun to act contrary to the
intentions of its Higher Self, or Soul. This kind of behavior creates a negative
state within an individual.
This negative state is manifested whenever we see fear, anxiety, worry,
frustration, impatience, anger, greed, excessive control, domineering behavior,
etc. If these negative feelings are allowed to persist, eventually we see signs of
disease. This is true for animals as well as for people.
These negative feelings, which keep the personality separated from the Soul, are
not symptoms to fight against. Instead, these negative conditions should be
corrected at a spiritual level. The personality needs to find the way back to its
Soul qualities, and when it does, disease may effectively disappear.
Dr. Bach taught that negative feelings can be overcome by utilizing the higher,
harmonious, effective energies of the right plants. He believed that flower
essences cure, not by attacking disease, but by flooding our bodies with the
beautiful vibrations of our Higher Nature. When this happens, to use his own
words, “disease can melt away like snow in the sunshine.”
What are flower essences?
Flower essences are dilute extracts of flowers which come from what we might
call plants of a higher order. Some ordinary plants may be used to relieve many
symptoms, but those of a higher order can effectively help us reconnect with our
Soul qualities.
The flowers are first gathered from entirely natural locations where they grow
freely. They’re picked when they’re at the point of perfection and ready to drop.
They must always be free from any toxins and pesticides, and they need to be
prepared quickly after being harvested in order to preserve as much of their
energy as possible.
Science recognizes four essential elements, and each one contributes to the
potency of a flower remedy. The flower grows naturally in the earth. The air and
the sun (the element of fire ) release the soul of the flower. Pure spring water is