About Giffy, pt. 3: Why holistic?

Kunda, 11 years old
courtesy of Barbara O'Brien

As I was learning about soft training methods, I was also dealing with dogs that had allergies and emotional challenges. By a stroke of luck, I was exposed to Contact Reflex Analysis (which uses muscle testing to find the health of the body’s underlying systems) and Emotional Freedom Technique (tapping) after my dog Kunda developed severe allergies, so severe that she was literally tearing off her nipples. I took her to veterinarians, explored options, put her on ridiculous doses of Benadryl (12 per day, actually), and she was still miserable. It took 6 weeks for her spay incision to heal. Her white blood cell count was low, and her clotting time was slow. My vet told me that she’d need blood transfusions for any major work. Because she was suffering so mercilessly, I began to consider euthanizing her. Don’t mistake me, I loved Kunda desperately, but watching her suffer every day made me question her quality of life. Before making such a drastic choice, I decided instead to try an alternative approach. That’s when I was exposed to CRA and EFT. It changed my life. And hers.  

After 3 visits to the new vet, Kunda was assigned a combination of supplements in 3 rounds, things like acidophilus, milk thistle, olive leaf extract, and Echinacea C. We weaned Kunda off all Benadryl, and after the third treatment, she was no longer symptomatic. I ran new blood work at a vet who did not support alternative modalities, and her numbers were normal.

Kunda lived a healthy-happy life for another glorious 7 years; in fact, she died of degenerative myelopathy at the ripe old age of 11! 

Reggie, closeup of skin

The only way I could stop Reggie from scratching

Reggie after treatment

I tried dog after dog with the same types of results. Whether emotional or physical (frankly, the two usually go hand-in-hand), it worked. Time and again. Sarah, who was 25 pounds under weight and couldn’t keep down food. Reggie, who was tearing off his skin, and whom I could only protect by putting him in toddler’s pajamas—with socks and a cone around his head. He looked ridiculous, but it prevented him from scratching himself raw. There were many more, but these two, coupled with Kunda, convinced me. Dogs, after all, didn’t understand the placebo effect. I decided to learn the practices myself.

I’ve been studying muscle testing and tapping since 2008, formed a study group in 2009, attend seminars and workshops, and supplemented that with intuitive and energy healing training. Today, I practice tapping with dogs

And even now, I find myself amazed at how useful the practice can be—for anything from anxiety and fear, emotions associated to muscle pain. It’s an incredibly useful tool.