It's Your Life Summer 2016 | Page 17

SUMMER How Holistic Animal Care Can Change the Lives of Your Animals Kim Shotola What is Holistic Animal Care Holistic animal care looks at the whole animal – the body (physical), mind (mental and emotional), and spirit or soul (spiritual). Each is an integral part that plays a vital role in the animal’s overall wellbeing. Holistic animal care is sometimes referred to as natural or integrative care. The different modalities are commonly referred to as methods, practices, remedies, or therapies. All can be done in the comfort of the animal’s permanent or temporary home, whether it is a house, apartment, boarding facility, shelter, sanctuary, or zoo. Why Holistic Animal Care Can Help While some health issues are a result of improper nutrition or environmental factors, it is thought that the majority of illness and disease is the result of unresolved emotional issues. In other words, animals get stressed out just like we do. Now for a little science to help us explain why holistic animal care can help. Einstein stated that any physical matter is composed of energy. Animals are made up of energy, just like we are. Did you know that people and animals are composed mostly of water? Water is sensitive to vibration, and vibration is simply a subtle form of energy. So what does this mean? If water is sensitive to energy and people and animals are 17 mostly water, then any energy based healing modality has the ability to have a profound impact on a physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual level. You may have never heard of some of the holistic animal care methods listed here. That is ok. It is never too late to learn when you have your animal’s best interest at heart. Whether you are a pet parent or an animal professional, anyone can learn how to offer holistic animal care to the animals in their care. Kinesiology & Nutrition Applied kinesiology, also called muscle testing, is a method used by professionals such as holistic vets, naturopathic doctors, and chiropractors. Muscle testing uses the muscle system of a person or animal’s body in the presence of a product as a source of information. Some refer to it as body wisdom. If a muscle tests weak in the presence of a product that you are trying to determine is good for a person or animal, the body is saying this is not the right product or proper amount at this time. It is possible the product is not needed at this time or of poor quality. The person or animal may be allergic to that product. Did you know that many health and behavioral issues are a result of allergies to food, topical products, or environmental factors? You can use muscle testing to help determine what is right for your pet. For instance, you can take any food item and see if it is right for you or your animal. This is very helpful when you are trying to find the right nutrition as there may be an allergy to a certain ingredient. Just because you are feeding your pet a holistic brand of food does not mean it is ideal 2015 itsyourlifemag.com