Top behaviourist Maya tackles the topic of pet Reiki

Ayrshire Life’s new animal behaviour expert Maya McLaughlin will be helping you with your animal problems each month.

This month she talks about her passion for animal Reiki and how, in comparison to humans, open to the therapy the animals are.

On my travels I have known many dogs who suffered canine cognitive dysfunction ( dog dementia) and it is heartbreaking to see them waiting patiently at the wrong edge of a door to go out, getting stuck in a corner, being cued to eat and drink and becoming hopelessly lost in the home they have lived in all their lives.

I was not a qualified Reiki practitioner back then but if I was I would have known how valuable the Reiki tool is for those who suffer from these conditions.

Whether human or animal, watching a loved one’s brain being systematically destroyed is beyond heartbreaking and all we want to do is to make things as peaceful for them as we can.

Now a Reiki ( Usui) practitioner, I understand how deeply the Reiki energies help Dementia and Alzheimer’s sufferers and it is pleasing to see that this form of ancient healing is more acceptable now than ever it was before.

Using Reiki to help the carers is also much increased and this is every bit as important for those of us who love and care for our animals.

Reiki as an energy works on all sentient beings so dogs can certainly benefit.

It is my belief that Reiki for all kinds of animals should be more widely practiced in the UK and Reiki for dogs is a treatment I promote wherever possible.

Three reasons why Reiki works so well ( or better!) on dogs:

1. Dogs are accepting of all things that feel good – and Reiki feels great.

2. Dogs do not try to reason why it works or what you are doing.

3. Dogs are not suspicious and tend to fall into a nice relaxing sleep during treatment.

Reiki is a quiet, touching therapy so if the dog is used to being stroked or groomed then it is likely he will enjoy Reiki.

If he is a rescue or unused to human touch Reiki can be used in distance form which can help calm him down before he is approached by those who wish to help him. Reiki works alongside all types of medical and physio treatments the dog may undergo.

It also works equally well on puppies, mature dogs, seniors and dogs with all types of medical or behavioural issues.

At the moment I have canine, feline and equine clients and have even had a poorly gerbil.

I used Reiki on my feral friends back in my days in the Middle East and India and since then it has been natural practice to use Reiki on every animal I see who has behavioural issues.

But Reiki is also invaluable for dogs who suffer dementia as it is non- invasive and extremely calming.

After giving Reiki to dogs, I always offer it to the person looking after the dog as it can be every bit as draining as desperately sad and lonely caring for a dog with dementia as it can be caring for a human.

Finally Reiki is a beautiful gift to a dog at the end of his life, helping him to move on to cross that Bridge with courage and peace and assisting his human companion with the love and courage to let him go.

For more information on Reiki for dogs visit my website at www.mayacaninebehaviourist.com.