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	<title>Animal Massage Guide &#187; Guest Posts</title>
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	<link>http://animalmassageguide.com</link>
	<description>Complementary Health Care Options For Animals</description>
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		<title>Animal Massage Guide Anniversary and Featured on Voice of the Animals</title>
		<link>http://animalmassageguide.com/amg-anniversary-and-featured-on-voice-of-the-animals/</link>
		<comments>http://animalmassageguide.com/amg-anniversary-and-featured-on-voice-of-the-animals/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 May 2012 14:05:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>cattie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Guest Posts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anniversary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[birthday]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[featured]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://animalmassageguide.com/?p=3509</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>I just this past weekend realized that today marks the fourth anniversary of Animal Massage Guide! I can’t believe it’s been that long since I started this blog, which I did on a whim, really. I had no idea how to set up a blog, install plugins, add photos and links, or even how to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I just this past weekend realized that today marks the fourth anniversary of Animal Massage Guide! I can’t believe it’s <a href="http://animalmassageguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Happy-Birthday.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-3508" title="Happy Birthday" src="http://animalmassageguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Happy-Birthday.jpg" alt="" width="448" height="273" /></a>been that long since I started this blog, which I did on a whim, really. I had no idea how to set up a blog, install plugins, add photos and links, or even how to publish a post. Html was a new foreign language to learn and CSS another challenge to tackle. But with the help of a great blogging mentor (thanks, Court!), stubborn determination and LOTS of trial and error, AMG was born.</p>
<p>While I might have a glass of champagne tonight to celebrate, the main reason I’m tooting my own horn like this is to say <strong>THANK YOU!</strong> to all of you who visit, read, comment, and participate in this blog. It has been four years of meeting (both in person and online) and getting to know an amazing group of wonderful, generous, and gifted people dedicated to the well-being of animals.</p>
<p>Julie Lines of <a title="Voice of the Animals" href="http://voiceoftheanimals.org.uk/blog/" target="_blank">Voice of the Animals</a> recently invited me to write a guest post about myself and AMG for her blog, and I didn’t realize at the time that it would coincide with this anniversary, but what perfect timing! Hop on over there if you want to <a title="Voice of the Animals" href="http://voiceoftheanimals.org.uk/a-special-guest-post-from-cattie-coyle-founder-of-the-animal-massage-guide/" target="_blank">read more about how AMG came to be</a>, and also to learn about all the wonderful work Julie does (and don’t miss her post about <a title="Julie Lines" href="http://animalmassageguide.com/animal-communicator-julie-lines-of-voice-of-the-animals/" target="_blank">how to communicate with animals</a> here on AMG).</p>
<p>I mention in my guest post that I am getting a new kind of allergy treatments, and so far, I have had some pretty promising results, but want to make sure that they are real and lasting before writing about it. And I recently started studying a new (to me) complementary health modality which I am so very excited about. It&#8217;s one of those things that just feels right, I love learning and practicing it, and the best thing is, even if I do still have a tiny bit of allergies to dogs (which supposedly I do not any more, but still testing) I can still do it. Sorry to be so mysterious, but all this is in the beginning stages. I promise you will hear all about it eventually.</p>
<p>As for AMG, I am going to continue to explore all aspects of holistic animal health, and I have a few new projects that I’m currently working on as well. Here’s to another year of amazing discoveries! And again, thanks for sharing this journey with me.</p>
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		<title>Animal Communicator Julie Lines of Voice Of The Animals</title>
		<link>http://animalmassageguide.com/animal-communicator-julie-lines-of-voice-of-the-animals/</link>
		<comments>http://animalmassageguide.com/animal-communicator-julie-lines-of-voice-of-the-animals/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 May 2012 12:28:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>cattie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Alternative Animal Health Practitioners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alternative Therapies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Animal Communication]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Complementary Animal Health Practitioners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Complementary Pet Health Practitioners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Guest Posts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Holistic Animal Health Practitioners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Holistic Pet Health Practitioners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Integrative Animal Health Practitioners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Integrative Pet Health Practitioners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[animal communication articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[animal communication training]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[animal communication with humans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[how to become an animal communicator]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[principles of animal communication]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://animalmassageguide.com/?p=3442</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Today’s post is a guest post from Julie Lines, founder and owner of Voice of the Animals in Newton Solney, Staffordshire, England. Julie is an animal communicator and she started Voice of the Animals to raise awareness about the importance of animals and to show how we can create better relationships with them and re-establishing [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Today’s post is a guest post from Julie Lines, founder and owner of <a title="Voice of the Animals" href="http://voiceoftheanimals.org.uk/" target="_blank">Voice of the Animals</a> in Newton Solney, Staffordshire, England. Julie is an animal communicator and she started Voice of the Animals to raise awareness about the importance of animals and to show how we can create better relationships with them and re-establishing a sound balance, not only between us and the animals, but with nature itself. Julie also wanted to give the animals a chance to be heard, and to teach us how to connect and communicate with them in order to learn from them.</p>
<p>Julie teaches animal communication courses and workshops (I always include them on the <a title="Events &amp; Workshops" href="http://animalmassageguide.com/holistic-animal-health-events-workshops-uk-may-june-2012/" target="_blank">Events &amp; Workshops</a> lists here on AMG), organizes retreats (the next one, “Learning from the Heart of the Herd”,  is coming up August 18-23 in Kamloops, BC, Canada) as well as the annual conference “Awakening to Animals” (the next one will be June 22-23, 2013 in England). She is also working on a book, “The Purpose of Species” which is a collaboration between Julie, the animals, and others who communicate with them. It’s a very interesting concept, check it out on the <a title="Purpose of Species" href="http://thepurposeofspecies.org/" target="_blank">Purpose of Species website</a>.</p>
<p>I’m sure I’m not the only one who has tried to learn animal communication but felt I didn’t have that “special gift”, and given up on it. So earlier this year when Julie and I happened to cross paths in cyberspace, I asked her if she would be willing to share her approach to how to communicate with animals with us, and she graciously agreed:</p>
<div style="width: flexible; border: 0px solid #666; padding: 10px; style=align: left; background-color: #FFEFD5;">
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Yes, You Really CAN Communicate with Animals Intuitively!<br />
By Julie Lines<br />
</strong></p>
<p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://animalmassageguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Julie-Lines1.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3459" title="Julie Lines" src="http://animalmassageguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Julie-Lines1.jpg" alt="" width="373" height="250" /></a></p>
<p>Could you describe your animal companion’s personality or tell me what sort of mood they are in? Most people I talk with say they could. If I asked you what they were thinking, feeling or asking for, not so many would be as confident.</p>
<p>Believe it or not, in order to communicate intuitively with animals you are simply heightening your sensitivity, that is becoming more skilful at noticing incoming sensory information that is already all around you, which we sometimes call our “gut feeling” or our intuition.</p>
<p>The concept of using our intuition is an age old one. At certain points in time it has been revered and honoured, and conversely at other points was punishable by death! Thankfully times are changing again. More and more people are realising that there is far more to animals that we have been led to believe and that we hold the key to tapping into their world and “hearing” them in a very wonderful way.</p>
<p>The challenge is whether or not we allow ourselves to open our minds. We have to shift any of our old beliefs that block us from allowing our skills to develop further. It’s not a case of if we can communicate with them but whether we will we let ourselves. Beliefs like; “I don’t have this ability and only certain “special” people do” or “I would get it wrong and feel a fool” or maybe “I have never had much in the way of intuition, so I’d be hopeless.”</p>
<p>These and other beliefs like this are simply incomplete. Wherever you are at this point in time you are able to learn and develop this sensory ability. Yes, even you!! :0) It is a skill and takes effort and consistency to practice and improve, like anything new. Yet with effective practice and guidance you can learn to be just as effective as any other person.</p>
<p>Many of the doubts we have are due to the conditioning that we have been party to in our lives, we are often conditioned as children that intuition is silly and make believe and that we must be realistic and see things the way they really are. There is a great deal of conditioning that we receive around animals being dumb creatures, having little intelligence and not being able to feel or experience emotions. These beliefs are INCORRECT. That’s a huge understatement… Animals, in fact, are some of our best and wisest teachers and can share truths with us about life and love that are truly humbling and incredible. We can only learn from them once we remove any beliefs that block us from being open to receiving their wisdom and teachings and then only once we have developed the skills to be able to tap into their communication.</p>
<p>Another one of those big barriers many of us may encounter are the memories of Mr Ed, the talking horse or Dr Doolittle. To reassure you, NO of course animals don’t use human language, they have their own. They think in pictures, sounds, feelings including touch, taste, smell and emotions.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://animalmassageguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Dr.-Dolittle1.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3460" title="Dr. Dolittle" src="http://animalmassageguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Dr.-Dolittle1.jpg" alt="" width="296" height="234" /></a></p>
<p>So how does animal communication work? All living beings emit thought forms/waves in a continuous stream, whatever the species (including us of course!). These waves spread out around us like the ripples from a pebble thrown into a pond. Animals allow these ripples from other beings to permeate their bodies, they allow themselves to receive, it’s a natural instinct. How else do our dogs/cats know when we are coming home or to disappear just before a vets appointment? They receive our outgoing messages and translate them into a form they understand, just as we do when we become open to receiving, a universal translation occurs. (Read The Language of Miracles by Amelia Kinkade, the quantum physicists explain how this occurs.)</p>
<p>We humans, however, have also been conditioned to clutter our mind and bodies with all sorts of noise, constant mental analysis (left brain thinking), using mobile phones, computers and televisions. All of these noises/waves block our receptivity, preventing us from receiving the incoming signals from other life around us.</p>
<p>So often we are blocking ourselves in two ways, firstly we block ourselves with limiting beliefs and secondly we allow so much noise in and around ourselves that we just can’t receive the incoming signals. It’s no wonder then, when we do these in combination that we don’t know what our animals are trying to communicate to us!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://animalmassageguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Cat-closeup1.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3453" title="Cat closeup" src="http://animalmassageguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Cat-closeup1.jpg" alt="" width="289" height="194" /></a></p>
<p>So how can we change this and allow ourselves to receive as well as send? It is actually a VERY simple process, and yet it’s not always that easy…</p>
<ol>
<li>We must quieten our mind and our external environment.</li>
<li>We must ground ourselves (connect to the earth).</li>
<li>We must be willing to connect to a power greater than ourselves.</li>
</ol>
<p>In doing this, practicing a number of possible methods, we find our centre. What a great space to be in at any time or place.</p>
<p><strong>How do you do this?</strong><br />
Well for me there is no better way that to get out into nature. Go out by yourself as much as you can, surround yourself with peace and other beings in the form of trees and plants, minerals and rocks and, of course, other animals of all species.</p>
<p>Give yourself permission to leave all your mental clutter behind and simply become present in the moment. Focus on all of your senses and notice in detail what you can see, hear, feel, smell and taste as you walk, sit, lie. Each time your mind tries to take you into past or future, gently bring your awareness back to this moment. Feel your experience through your heart, through your body, through your mindfulness of what is, in this moment. Feel your connection with the earth, through your body, legs, feet and imagine going into the earth. Feel the earth beneath you and how you are deeply connected to it. Feel your connection upward to the sky and all around you, all of the knowledge and wisdom that you are already connected to, when you remember to still yourself. Know that you are part of everything and everything is a part of you. Stay in this place/space as long as you can, as often as you can.</p>
<p>If you are already creating reasons why you can’t, this is your mind trying to stop you from accessing this incredible place/space where you will find your true self and your connectedness to all things. Thank this voice and make plans to get out into nature anyway. Maybe 15 minutes today. Maybe 10 tomorrow. If you don’t allow yourself to do this, you can guarantee you won’t get any closer to being able to connect with animals. So you will prove your limiting beliefs right…</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://animalmassageguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Dog-closeup.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3462" title="Dog closeup" src="http://animalmassageguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Dog-closeup.jpg" alt="" width="329" height="247" /></a></p>
<p>Once you have achieved this present state, connecting with your animals is far easier. Having practiced being still for a good while, and once in this state with an animal, begin by sending them waves of love and appreciation. Be deeply respectful of their species way of being, for example, cats do not like direct eye contact. Learn about animals codes of conduct and adhere to them to show your respect. Give them your complete focus, be in the moment with them, in a quiet place. Continue to stay present with them for a while and simply notice if anything comes to you; it might be a picture, sounds, feelings or even a voice. If you do hear a voice it may well be different from your own inner voices, with practice you learn how to discern the difference.</p>
<p>Often these thoughts will turn up very rapidly. You must be willing to simply accept and note down whatever comes up. Sometimes these things will be our own thoughts that creep in, as we practice more and more we learn to discern the difference more easily. Write them into a notebook. Stay present and continue for as long as seems appropriate.</p>
<p>As we practice more and more we also learn to notice; our analytical minds need to judge, when we are trying to give instant meanings to things that have appeared, if we discount things are being silly or not making sense, when we ignore or distort the messages, to name but a few. We notice them, as an observer and place them to one side. We go back to being centred and quiet and tune in some more. Your skill level increases the more easily you can quieten your mind and the more you are able to accept whatever turns up, not labelling it and simply going with it, asking clarifying questions if you want more details.</p>
<p>Like any conversation, when it is time to end it, remember to thank them and also to act on any information you are given. If an animal shows you pain in their left fore leg do everything you can to advise and get the appropriate person to check it out. Taking responsibility here is crucial to the trust and respect you have with your animal friends.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://animalmassageguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Peacock1.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3458" title="Peacock" src="http://animalmassageguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Peacock1.jpg" alt="" width="335" height="225" /></a></p>
<p>Yes, as we practice we get in the way of ourselves. We may ignore messages, misinterpret them, get caught into solving the mystery with our analytical mind or telling ourselves we are just no good at this. We may bring our own “baggage” into a communication and lose what is our stuff and what is theirs. It’s all part of the learning process. As we continue to practice effectively we learn how to discern the difference between authentic incoming messages and the other things our logical mind gets up to!</p>
<p><strong>The rewards of practice? Here are just a few examples;</strong></p>
<p>A horse was about to be sold because the lady was very afraid of her. By being listened to and acknowledged, this mare changed her behaviour towards her person dramatically, on first seeing her following my connection with her the mare walked calmly up to her and placed her head on her chest and stood there in silence for a good few minutes. Her person learned more about why this mare was behaving the way she was and took steps to alleviate her fears and insecurities. Their relationship changed dramatically from that point on.</p>
<p>Connecting with a dog that lives in France, via a photograph, this dog described to me his whole house in pictures and all the favourite places he liked to sleep. He showed me a rainbow and him lying in it. I asked the people what this was, they explained a new fire with a glass front throws rainbow light out each day the sun hits it, he loves to lie in the light!</p>
<p>A horse described to me in feelings and pictures exactly how their person needed to change their riding position to be in greater balance with them when riding.</p>
<p>How would developing these skills change your relationship with animals, with yourself, with other people? What would this mean to you and your own animal companions? Have a go, you’ll be amazed and delighted.</p>
<p><em><a href="http://animalmassageguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Cheetah.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3463" title="Cheetah" src="http://animalmassageguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Cheetah.jpg" alt="" width="237" height="239" /></a></em></p>
<p>If you are interested in learning more about this incredible skill then please do take a look at my website, I offer a range of Playshops designed for the complete beginner to an advanced student. I’d be delighted to talk with you more and to assist you in reconnecting to your sensitivity and ability to communicate and connect with all life. There is so much for us to learn from all species.</p>
<p><em>Blessings and love, Julie Lines</em></p>
</div>
<p><em></em>To learn more about Julie, her animal communication classes, and her work with the animals, please visit her website <a title="Voice of the Animals" href="http://voiceoftheanimals.org.uk" target="_blank">http://voiceoftheanimals.org.uk</a>. Julie can also be reached by email at julie@voiceoftheanimals.org.uk</p>
</div>
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		<title>Animal Physiotherapy</title>
		<link>http://animalmassageguide.com/animal-physiotherapy/</link>
		<comments>http://animalmassageguide.com/animal-physiotherapy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:58:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>cattie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Complementary Animal Health Practitioners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Complementary Pet Health Practitioners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Guest Posts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Holistic Animal Health Practitioners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Holistic Pet Health Practitioners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Integrative Animal Health Practitioners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Integrative Pet Health Practitioners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Practitioners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[animal physical therapy rehabilitation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[animal physiotherapy assessment treatment and rehabilitation of animals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[animal rehabilitation australia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[animal rehabilitation information]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[animal rehabilitation physical therapy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://animalmassageguide.com/?p=3375</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>I was recently contacted by Brooke Marsh, who is an Animal Physiotherapist based on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. The term Animal Physiotherapy was new to me (a bit of research revealed that it’s called Veterinary Rehabilitation, Animal Rehabilitation, or Animal Physical Therapy here in the US) and I asked Brooke if she would be [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I was recently contacted by Brooke Marsh, who is an Animal Physiotherapist based on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. The term Animal Physiotherapy was new to me (a bit of research revealed that it’s called Veterinary Rehabilitation, Animal Rehabilitation, or Animal Physical Therapy here in the US) and I asked Brooke if she would be willing to share with us what it is, how it works, and a bit about herself.</p>
<h3>Brooke Marsh</h3>
<p>Brooke is a human Physiotherapist and a qualified Titled APA (Australian Physiotherapy Association) Animal <a href="http://animalmassageguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Brooke-Marsh.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-3372" title="Brooke Marsh" src="http://animalmassageguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Brooke-Marsh.jpg" alt="" width="286" height="206" /></a>Physiotherapist. She completed her Masters of Animal Physiotherapy 2005 at the University of Queensland and is amongst Australia’s leading animal physiotherapists. As the Chair of the Animal Physiotherapy Group of the APA, she is highly motivated member of her field.</p>
<p>A trained Pilates instructor, ex-gymnast and acrobat who practices yoga daily, Brooke enjoys transferring her skills across to her 4 legged clients for more specific rehabilitation and progress the high level athlete. She says “after all, yoga postures came from observing animals in the wild e.g. &#8220;downward dog” and &#8220;upward dog!”</p>
<p>Brooke, who is the founder and owner of <a title="Holistic Animal Physiotherapy" href="http://www.holisticanimalphysio.com.au/" target="_blank">Holistic Animal Physiotherapy</a>, has always had a passion and affinity for animals, and now works full time at <a title="North Coast Veterinary Specialists" href="http://www.ncvs.net.au" target="_blank">North Coast Veterinary Specialists</a> (NCVS), a busy small animal clinic on the Sunshine Coast, where she rehabilitates a wide variety of acute and chronic conditions and provides holistic management to her clients.</p>
<h3>What Is Animal Physiotherapy?</h3>
<p>Animal Physiotherapy is a complementary therapy, which is carried out under veterinary referral (in most States in <a href="http://animalmassageguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Brooke-stability.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-3373" style="margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 4px;" title="Stability" src="http://animalmassageguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Brooke-stability.jpg" alt="" width="152" height="229" /></a>Australia) and works in much the same way as Physiotherapy (“physical therapy” in the US) in human medicine. The same conditions are assessed and treated with a specialized knowledge of anatomy, biomechanics and rehabilitation.</p>
<p>Physiotherapists use a wide variety of techniques and with the help of a combination of Eastern and Western medicine, the goal is to relieve pain, improve overall function, stability of the joints, strengthen to ensure prevention of recurring injuries, and also to educate the owners.</p>
<p>Brooke believes it is important to treat the animal as a whole, and the greatest success comes from having a multi-modal approach, and from working intensively with the clients and patients to progress in health and recovery. When examining a pet, Brooke palpates from <a href="http://animalmassageguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Brooke-underwater-treadmill.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-3374" title="Underwater treadmill" src="http://animalmassageguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Brooke-underwater-treadmill.jpg" alt="" width="238" height="172" /></a>nose to tail. Animals are very good at compensating and without verbal feedback gained from humans, her &#8220;hands-on’ skills have been fine tuned to accurately assess and treat. She also uses an underwater treadmill &#8211; “a fantastic tool to help with gait assessment and treatment.”</p>
<p>A home program is also very important to maintain the condition in between sessions. Owners are taught massage and stretches, given advice about appropriate exercise at home and how to improve the overall quality of life of their pet.</p>
<p><strong>Physiotherapy benefits include:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li> Acceleration of rehabilitation process and restoration of function</li>
<li> Reduction of pain and inflammation</li>
<li>Improvement of joint range of motion and muscle strength</li>
<li>Prevention of further movement dysfunctions or injuries</li>
<li>Optimization of performance in sport/show</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Conditions treated include: </strong>(Much like a human case load)</p>
<ul>
<li> Orthopedic – cruciate ligament/cartilage of knee (stifle); fractures; hip/elbow dysplasia; muscle and tendon injuries, patella luxation</li>
<li>Neurological – including spinal injury, peripheral nerve<a href="http://animalmassageguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Brooke-acupuncture.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-3371" title="Acupuncture" src="http://animalmassageguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Brooke-acupuncture.jpg" alt="" width="240" height="162" /></a></li>
<li> Pre and Post surgical for any musculoskeletal/neurological condition</li>
<li> Degenerative joint disease (osteoarthritis, geriatric)</li>
<li> Back pain/ injury</li>
<li> Soft tissue/ sporting injuries</li>
<li> Poor conditioning (e.g. following cancer treatments, obesity, cardiovascular)</li>
</ul>
<h3>Animal Physiotherapy in Australia</h3>
<p>Animal Physiotherapy is an emerging and rapidly growing profession in Australia. The Australian Companion Animal Council reports that there is an estimated 33 million pets in Australia living in 8 million households (i.e. 63% of households own a pet) and that Australia has one of the highest pet ownership rates in the world. 36% of households own a dog and 23% own a cat. There are also (approximately) 18.4 million fish, 8.1 million birds and 1 million other pets including horses, rabbits, guinea pigs and other small animals.</p>
<p>Pets have become an important part of the family and are increasingly being viewed as equals. Owners are progressively more aware and concerned about their pet’s health and wellbeing and are spending extra on preventative and elective veterinary and complementary medicines. However, because of the recent world economic downturn, pet ownership numbers declined and people turned to owning less expensive pets such as fish and birds. Now as the economy recovers and disposable incomes are starting to thrive again, it is anticipated that people will once again start spending more on their pets. The growing population is also anticipated to increase pet ownership numbers.</p>
<p>With advances in veterinary medicine and owners spending more on veterinary services, the lifespan of the dog is anticipated to lengthen, increasing the number of elderly pets who are likely to require ongoing care. It is thought that people who access complementary medicines such as homeopathy, acupuncture, chiropractic and physiotherapy are more likely to seek similar treatments for their pets. Having pet insurance has also become more common due to the increasing demand for veterinary care. It is anticipated that the demand for complementary medicines will continue to rise and will become more mainstream in the next 5 years. As this demand increases, veterinary clinics will need to start offering an option to access alternative animal treatments in order to compete with other clinics and to satisfy the wants of owners.</p>
<h3>Is Animal Physiotherapy covered by pet insurance in Australia?</h3>
<p>Animal physiotherapy is expected to become more mainstream as owners seek out complementary medicines, and are increasingly concerned for their animal’s well being. As demand for physiotherapy becomes apparent, veterinarians will need to offer or refer for these services to keep up with trends and in order to keep customers happy. Some Pet Insurance companies now cover Physiotherapy and Brooke is working with her professional body (APA – Australian Physiotherapy Association) to start to align the medical insurance benefits similar to her human clients.</p>
<h3>Who can become an Animal Physiotherapist in Australia (i.e. what are the prerequisites)?</h3>
<p>In order to become an Animal Physiotherapist in Australia, an undergraduate Physiotherapy degree is required. After a few years of clinical experience, you can move on to a Masters degree in Animal Studies (Physiotherapy). Such a course was offered from the University of Queensland in 2002 and was open to International Physiotherapists, but unfortunately it is on hold at present. The Animal Physiotherapy Group is working with the APA to develop another educational pathway for Physiotherapists, and we will hopefully see another Masters program start at the University in 2013.</p>
<p>If anybody would like any further information on how Animal Physiotherapy can help, feel free to send Brooke a question via the <a title="Brooke Marsh Online Consultation" href="http://www.holisticanimalphysio.com.au/online-consultation.htm" target="_blank">Online Consultation</a> section on her website.</p>
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