Pets Benefit from Resident's Alternative Healing Techniques

As the owner of , a full service grooming business, Linda Meitz is a self-described animal lover. She's also a Reiki Master Practitioner for people and animals and is trained in small animal massage.

When Meitz bought Pedigree Junction four years ago, she did it with the goal of increasing awareness of Reiki and massage for pets. With the downturn in the economy, however, that end of her business has not taken off the way she hoped. Still, she believes in the power of alternative healing therapies to improve pet health and reduce stress in people's furry friends.

Meitz's interest in using these techniques with animals stemmed from a personal experience with Reiki.

"My husband and I had discovered it and were curious what it did to a person. We went once a week every week for three months. It relaxed us. Things didn't bother us as much," she said.

According to Meitz, the practice of Reiki is an ancient tradition that was rediscovered by a Budhist monk at the end of the 19th century. Rei and ki are two Japanese words that come together to mean "non-physical healing energy," she said.

The practice of Reiki relates to energy centers in the body called chakras, Meitz said. A Reiki session begins with a short prayer stating the intent of the treatment. Then, moving around the body, the practitioner focuses on each energy center, laying hands on or over that area of the body.

Reiki can promote healing and reduce stress in people and animals, Meitz added. She regularly practiced Reiki on her Shih Tzu, Buck, who suffered from kidney disease and felt that it improved his quality of life.

In addition, Meitz believes in the benefits of animal massage. It, too, can relax a pet and reduce stress. Massage also can be used to stimulate circulation, which is especially important after surgery, as it helps release the anesthesia from the body, Meitz said.

A former client of hers, a German Shepherd with hip displasia, showed marked improvement after each session.

"The owner said she was walking around fine for a good four to five days after I left," Meitz said.

However, she clarified that massage and Reiki are not substitutes for proper veterinary care. They should be used in addition to medical care, and the effectiveness of the techniques depend on the receptivity of the animals. Sessions last anywhere from 20 to 60 minutes.

"I have two regular massage clients, Beau and Bella. As soon as I get them in the room, they plop down on a blanket. They just love it," she said.

Pedigree Junction is a full-service groomer, offering baths, clipping, shaving, styling and nail trims, as well as blueberry facials (good for white dogs, Meitz said), other pampering services and a full line of natural pet food and products.