But there must be something I can do

My pattern of behaviour when someone dear to me has a health problem is to panic. Then I go into denial, going into overdrive researching alternative treatments. I like alternative therapies because of their holistic nature, in contrast to the standard western culture which is to ‘fix the broken bit’. I also have a habit of feeling hugely, possibly overly, responsible. This is made worse by the fact that my special interest in life is how our own emotions affect our dogs, so it MUST be my fault.

Physician Heal thyself

I know my emotions affect my dogs. If I was consumed with the feelings of guilt and shame for causing Archie’s problem it was going to be bad for both of us. In ‘Your Dog is Your Mirror’ Kevin Behan writes how the number one problem afflicting modern dogdom is human guilt.

“Energetically, it means to a dog that the person is holding back energy, and this is what a dog doesn’t trust about another being”

Kevin Behan, (2011) Your Dog is Your Mirror. Novato, California, New World Library

Could changing something in me help? How we feel, and what we do about how we feel, matters. Changing ourselves is hard. It’s a lifetime practice, as far as I’m concerned. The starting point that I find helpful comes with increasing self-awareness.

Working with Feelings

First I had to notice and accept my uncomfortable feelings, admitting to myself how bad Archie’s limp made me feel. I have tried ignoring uncomfortable feelings in the past and ‘just got on with it’. It hasn’t ended well. Sooner or later they bubble up to the surface, and the longer they have been suppressed, the bigger the explosion that results.

The trouble is, if I don’t ignore them then I have to face them – “I’m a bad dog guardian”, “I’ve done everything wrong”. That is really uncomfortable. Who likes to feel bad? That leads to judging myself and getting into a downward spiral of ‘I’m not good enough, what’s the use?’

An alternative approach I might have is to say ‘I feel really bad about this, its probably all my fault, but I’m going to make it better for Archie’ and march into battle, metaphorically speaking. All my energy goes into finding a solution to Archie’s lameness, through gritted teeth. That was my initial approach here. The trouble is, when I haven’t worked through my own issues my intention is skewed. The solution for Archie’s health is tied up with my need to feel better about myself. If he’s feeling what I’m feeling that’s a lot of pressure to put on a dog with a limp.

Eventually I started to sit with the discomfort. I listened to it, like a kind counsellor, nodding and saying to that part of me ‘yes I can see you are unhappy about that, its very difficult’. I find when I am brave enough to be honest about how I am feeling, the discomfort passes more quickly.

Other Techniques

I use journalling when I’m fretting about something. Writing down the concerns I have churning around in my head helps me join things up and can give me insights that I wouldn’t otherwise notice, so I did lots of writing.

I also used other self-help techniques, for example Emotional Freedom Technique and Jin Shin Jyutsu, to work with the emotions that were coming up (read on for more information these modalities).

The power of Visualisation

The benefit of ordering a CT scan was having pictures of what was going on. I wondered about the power of visualisation for changing situations and achieving goals.

If you’re not familiar with the power of visualisation you might find Dr David Hamilton’s book How your mind can heal your body interesting. One particular account has stuck with me. A man had been smashed up in a motor-bike accident and his doctors told him they weren’t sure he would walk again. But he had plans to run a marathon the following year. His doctors were sceptical but one of them promised to donate a substantial sum of money to his fundraising if he succeeded. Which he did. He put his recovery down in part to his focussed intention and visualisation on mending his bones. On checking his later x-rays the doctors remarked that his bones looked like they had been sanded and polished. He told them that was exactly what he had been visualising.

I know I am mixing things up a bit, like it wasn’t my limp, but I wondered if I could neutralise the gloomy prognosis the vet had given me and visualise the bones in Archie’s elbow joint re-moulding into a healthy version of themselves. I even came up with an affirmation – Archie’s elbows are healing. He is moving with ease, elegance and efficiency. Well, its worth a try.

Alternative Therapies

In my search for other therapies there are two I wanted to share. These are Debono Moves, from Mary Debono and Jin Shin Jyutsu for your Animal from Adele Leas.

Debono moves

Mary Debono has developed the Feldenkrais method (an educational system that uses movement to teach self awareness and improve function in humans) for use with dogs and horses. The approach focusses on using small gentle movements to allow the body and brain to better reconnect and let go of unhelpful movement patterns that have become habitual.

After watching a few of her free videos I downloaded her book ‘Grow Young with your Dog’. The book gives case studies of dogs that she has helped as well as access to a great resource of video and audio recordings of more exercises for you and your dog. Mary encourages you to consider how your own body is moving while you work with your dog. As I became better at this I found it a soothing practice for both of us. I also found out how stiff I am!

I arranged a couple of zoom sessions with Mary (one of those silver linings coming out of the COVID cloud, as she’s based in California and I’m in Scotland), and she coached me to work on Archie. The sessions were recorded so I can go back to them for reminders.

I do think the moves make a difference. I had noticed that Archie seemed reluctant to stretch his back legs out over the few months since his lameness started, despite the physio and painkillers. It was as if he was avoiding putting weight over his elbows. The morning after the second session with Mary he voluntarily stretched his back end when he got up in the morning. Over the last few months he has got much more confident stretching front and back.

Jin Shin Jyutsu for Your Animal

Jin Shin Jyutsu Healing Art Form

Jin Shin Jyutsu (JSJ) is another healing art form that brings balance to the body’s energies, to promote optimal health and well-being, facilitating our own profound healing capacity through our hands. It uses twenty-six “safety energy locks” along energy pathways. Each energy lock has a particular purpose. When one or more of these pathways gets blocked, our energy flow can get disrupted, causing ill health. By using our hands as ‘jumpering cables’ we can learn to harmonise the energy and release blockages.

JSJ with Archie

I have enjoyed my JSJ sessions with Archie and tried a daily practice for myself. I’m not so good at making time for myself but it has definitely helped me to feel calmer and more grounded.

Exploring this practice has been interesting. One day, I couldn’t put my hands where I thought I should because Archie was fidgetting. As an alternative I decided to hold the points on his elbows, (number 19, meaning ‘Authority and Leadership’, the practical use ‘harmonise/balance digestion) which he accepted, until a noise distracted him. I waited for him to settle down, but a few minutes later he moved towards me and started squatting and moving like he wanted to pooh. It was odd behaviour. The moment passed and he settled back down beside me. It seemed like energy had been moving. Other times I have just touched the energy locks on his body that he presents to me. I really enjoy learning to take his lead in this practice.

All along I have been told to keep be careful with his exercise – enough to keep his joints healthy and build up muscle that had wasted, but not too strenuous to encourage inflammation. At first we were doing three 15 minute lead walks, which was pretty demoralising for both of us. I was desperate to get something which was a bit more enjoyable for both of us.