Animals enjoy the benefits of Neuro Integration too!Our pets have become an important part of our lives and are sensitive to and feel the effects of stress, such as abuse, neglect, illness, loss, and change in environment or routine, just as we do.
If a pet comes from a pet store or shelter, the experience can be overwhelming, stressful, even traumatic, resulting in unpredictable habits, behaviors, and illnesses that can be difficult to overcome.
As caretakers, they look to us for guidance and direction, but we communicate in different ways, so it's not always easy to understand what they are trying to tell us. Often, they use undesirable behaviors to express unhappiness, discomfort, or illness.
Neuro Integration helps quiet the reaction, reorganize how the brain receives information, and restores a healthy balance so you and your animal companion can enjoy a happy and comfortable relationship.
* Note: I returned from New Mexico in January 2009 after receiving additional training with animals and NI. Check out the Events, News & Notes tab for more information & events to help our furry creatures. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Help your Dog, Cat, Horse, Cattle, etc.:Reduce anxiety, stress, panic & separation fearsEase surgery recoveryRelieve physical pain / discomfortImprove loading onto/backing out of stall/trailer processEase weaning processRelaxReduce food / digestive issuesEase performance anxiety (agility, arena, stage, etc.)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Daphne
I met Daphne during a dog rescue mingle at my work. She was a frail terrier mix and couldn't have weighed more than 9 lbs. She was in rough shape: she had hives, hot spots, a heart condition, partial blindness, deafness, ear infections, allergies, and had almost all her teeth pulled a week or so before. The rescue volunteer said they only anticipated her to live about 6 months. Something about this dog really connected with me, so I decided she would come live with me and I would help her enjoy the last few months of her life in luxury.
Little did I know how much this amazing creature was going to teach me!
This was my first time being the owner of a small dog, especially one with special needs, so I had to keep a close eye on her at all times. She was an explorer and was happy to go wherever her nose took her, so I really had to tune in.
Less than a month after her arrival, I attended my first Neuro Integration training and was excited to hear that it was possible to work on animals! Daphne sure came to the right place at the right time.
I started NI with her as soon as I walked in from training and noticed significant changes within days!
Between Neuro Integration and a healthy diet, exercise, chiropractic treatment, and a loving home, (complete with cat who loved to tease her, and a big dog to look out for her), she became a beautiful lady, taught me how to love more than I knew possible, and honored us for 2 years and 2 months…more than we could have expected.
~Kara
Mimsy
Mimsy is an 8 year old Jack Russell / Fox Terrier mix. I was at my friend’s dog park on a July day in 2007 when they had a rescue mingle and saw this little creature zip by…I had to meet her.
Here was this little dog, as skinny as could be (you could see almost all her bones), with her back legs bandaged up to the thigh, dirty from dragging them on the ground. She was a rescue that arrived about 1-2 weeks prior. She had been a stray, did not have use of her hind legs, and was desperately looking for a foster or new home. Already having my hands full with one special needs dog, taking in another would be a huge undertaking, so I offered Neuro Integration for Mimsy as my way of helping.
I made arrangements to work with Mimsy in 2 weeks, meanwhile still being requested to foster or adopt her during calls to set up an appointment time. Well, it came time to see her and the rescue was concerned that she was not improving without proper supervision and attention and did not want to resort to drastic measures. I met this dog and knew she was spunky and healthy…she wasn’t ready to go and it certainly was not her time.
...well, Mimsy enjoyed the ride home…I was now a foster parent...knowing my hands were full, but ready to help her get to a better place. We stopped for food and supplies on the way home and started the healing process: hand feeding, changing bedding, bandaging legs, treating sores, changing diapers and closely monitoring every move.
Neuro Integration quickly became a regular routine for Mimsy and her changes were regular, constant, and always noticeable. She enjoyed NI so much, she started asking for it more regularly.
I adopted Mimsy at the end of November 2007 and she still asks for NI, sometimes wanting to include specific family or friends. She weighs about 13 ½ pounds now and can use her legs some, but still finds it easier to drag when she wants to run after another dog or move around the house. The hope is she will gain full use of her legs, but in the meantime, she is a happy, healthy, loving dog who now enjoys being a dog.
Update: On November 30, 2008, Mimsy took her first full "walk" to go out to play. "Walk" means that she did not drag her legs and managed to get them under herself and use them repeatedly. She is doing this on a more regular basis and getting better every time, especially when we take walks using the leash.Update: June 2009...Mimsy continues to improve. We relocated to a large home a few months ago and she has learned how to go down stairs on her own (she is very, very quick & skilled at it) and started using a doggie wheelchair/cart so we can take walks as a pack now! She was a natural her first time in it and is very proud and eager to walk and explore. My lab mix, Amos, is her guide and teacher on the walk, so she is becoming more confident and we fully are becoming a pack!!Update: August 2009...on yet another trip to the dog park, Mimsy now has the courage & confidence to explore the water independently! She now jumps off the ledge on her own and spends most of her time in areas where she can lie in the water and keep her feet on the bottom. Of course, every now & then her excitement to chase another dog puts her in deeper waters, but she swims back to the safety of shallow areas. She keeps going & growing and we all love her new freedom!Update: December 2009...Mimsy is standing and walking more regularly and consistently on her hind legs these days. Her usual routine now is to actually "walk" through the yard when she is out. This has been a nice improvement since she rarely has scrapes on her feet from dragging them behind her. It's also quite common for her to "walk" into a room and look at you wagging her tail. Such an amazing and beautiful change!Update: January 2010... Mimsy is usually known for heading down the stairs and where she stops she stays until I come by to pick her up and carry her back up with me. I happened to come up the stairs and as I came around the corner saw Mimsy completing a "solo" climb up one of the stairs to the hall landing. I believe it may have only been one step that she climbed, but since she is never known to climb any of the steps, this was quite amazing! Yay!
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Testimonials
"Max is an 8 year old Shiba Inu. He was not acting his usual self for about 10 days. Usually the first at the door to go out or eat at meals, he was not eating, not going outside, not playing. I had to resort to putting a leash on him to encourage him to go outside.
I asked Kara to see if she could find out what was troubling him. Historically reluctant, this was the first time Max willingly allowed her to conduct a Neuro Integration session with him. During the session, Kara discovered his food was not agreeing with him and recommended a change in diet. Within 2 days, he was back to his old self and we were playing our daily fetch once again. I was very relieved!"
Celeste
Canal Winchester, OH