Rest & Re-Center, Both People & Pets
Hey there,
Relaxing and winding down. We all need it, not just over the holidays, but all year round. This includes your pets too!
Our pets are our family, so it’s only natural that we might ask whether treatments that work for us can help them – and vice versa! The answer is typically YES. I’ve gathered a few techniques that help the whole family relax and rejuvenate. Let’s rest and re-center with these 6 health trends that help both people and pets.
DON’T FORGET: Make sure to review any medical treatment for your family (animals and humans) with your health care provider prior to treatment, and get their approval before beginning.
1. Acupuncture
It may sound ouchy, but acupuncture has been soothing pain in both humans and animals for thousands of years. Tiny needles activate your central nervous system, releasing chemicals that stimulate your body’s natural healing abilities. Developed in China, this ancient, and often pain-free practice is used to provide relief for pain, inflammation, and more.
2. Reiki
Reiki is an ancient form of Japanese healing that promotes relaxation through gentle touch, lessening the impact of stress in both people and pets. Feelings of peace, security, and wellbeing follow this “laying on of hands,” according to people who have experienced it, and pets seem to be calmed by the quiet, gentle touch as well.
3. Cold Laser Therapy
Cold Laser Therapy certainly doesn’t sound calming, but its low levels of light stimulate healing, providing relief from pain and inflammation. It is a relatively new therapy used to ease arthritis, soothe soft tissue injuries, and promote wound healing.
4. Massage
Massage feels so amazing because it releases “feel good” endorphins into your body and reduces the stress hormone cortisol by up to 53% in humans. Dogs and cats seem to enjoy it, too, which makes sense since their physiology is so much like ours. No wonder they love being petted! Look for a certified or veterinary-recommended pet massage therapist, or you can even take a course to learn to soothe your own pet with a massage. Our very own trusted paw-partner The Balanced Orchid - Animal Massage & Bodywork also offers awesome in-person classes.
5. Music Therapy
Music Therapy uses the mood-lifting power of music to stir feelings of well-being. Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine discovered that music helped reduce the nervous shaking, barking, and heart rates of shelter dogs. What’s the best music to soothe your anxious dog? Reggae and soft rock worked in shelters, and classical music helps calm dogs, too!
6. Soothing Shinrin-Yoku
Also called Forest Bathing, time spent in nature can boost your mood and relieve stress, strengthening your connection with nature. And you can do it with your dog at your side! Studies suggest that canine cortisol levels of shelter dogs were reduced under a Shinrin-Yoku protocol, too. You certainly can see the bounding joy that dogs show when hiking in nature, and their happy hours of relaxation afterward. Morty & I love our walks in nature and it’s one of our favorite things to do together. Oh so chillaxing! It is equally important to allow time for both you and your pets to decompress, rest, and re-center after a hike.
It’s hard to believe that relaxation needs to be taught, especially to our pets. But they are fast learners and sure can appreciate some (if not all) of those treatments. Miss Morty has tried them all, and her all-time favorites are massage and forest bathing. Have you and your pets tried any of them? Let us know how it goes. Love to hear from you.
Enjoy some downtime together with your adored beast.
PS. Check out Morty’s bonus infographic: 6 Health Trends that Help People & Pets: Taking the human-animal bond to healthcare! A Win-Bark-Win!
