Anxiety Blankets

Nestle is enjoying modeling the new anxiety blanket.
Nestle?  You awake?

When I drape this blanket over someone's shoulders, the look that washes across their face is testimony enough to the wonderful affect of experiencing a weighted blanket.  Their shoulders relax and their face softens and the smile is pure blissful magic.

More popular and known amongst the autistic community (I somehow missed that news flash as did my mildly autistic son) for helping calm their sensitive nervous system.  You don't have to be autistic to enjoy the amazing feeling of these blankets, the nervous system absolutely loves it and it's very, very calming.  Just look at old Nestle there....thirty seconds under the blanket and he's in doggie heaven.

I played around and made several of these in various sizes and weights depending on the size of the dog, of course.  Each blanket has an outer fleece case for easy washing and long wearing.  Inside is a cotton blanket quilted with poly beads creating the weight.  Each can be used separately or together.  The poly blanket is washable but please dry it on low to preserve the beads.

Now available over there in the TTouch shop which has been completely updated.

Healing TTouches

This has been the year of Nestle and his Sterile Nodular Panniculitis which raised its ugly head late last March.  In addition to the knots that popped up all over his body he also had dangerously high fevers that honestly frightened the crap out of me.

Nestle was prescribed a mixing bowl of medications including Prednisone to suppress his immune system.  He'd begin with a high dose and begin the long process of reducing the dose every couple of weeks.   About six weeks into this and at a certain point in his steroid reduction he'd experience a resurgence of the Panniculitis fever and back we went to the full dose to begin the long process again, and again.  In the mean time the steroids were having their affect on the poor little guy and essentially he was getting weaker and weaker.

In October as the Prednisone dose dropped to that "milestone" level, the fever came back.  Nestle was done.  I was done for him.  It had been six months of torture already.  But!  The vet changed his steroid and I was to continue the long slow drop in dosage with the prednisone till it was done.  Every two weeks I would give one quarter less of his pill.  At first the continued dosage drop looked great, his energy was increasing and the abdominal swelling began to reduce.  Then as the last two weeks of his long drawn out Prednisone experience he really got weak.  Nestle had a hard time maintaining his balance and often times would fall over, and he always had a very hard time getting up.  There were good days and there were worse days, but the issue of his ability to maintain motor control was certainly there, not painful, just weak.  I asked the vet about this of course, as I was very concerned.  I was asked to give it some time; Nestle's been on steroids for a long time and his body has been through a lot.

Naturally Nestle has gotten a lot of TTouch and energy work during this time.  The picture above shows him wearing two wraps, the Half Wrap as well as the Buckle Wrap to bring awareness to his rear end, hips, and spine, while offering the most gentle of support.  The wraps aren't snug at all, he's just little, so they're slightly loose.

He slept a lot the first week of his Prednisone-free life; a lot, a lot.  It occurred to me that he was sleeping as much as a being recovering from intense illness or surgery.  So, I let him rest, kept him warm and did loads of TTouch work on him.   After that first week Nestle began to "wake up" a bit, he has been more alert with each passing day as well as more mobile and much more steady on his feet.  The magical spark of my little man has begun to shine again and I am forever grateful as Christmas day approaches; after all, it was only a couple months ago when Nestle pretty much let me know he was "done", and I didn't think I'd have my little friend around for the holidays.

The Power of Intention

When I was going through the TTouch training one thing that came up often was "intention":  i.e., "change your mind, change your dog".

Hugh?

Before I get into the nuts and bolts of intention, here's what I've experienced:

I read Lynne McTaggert's books on the subject ("The Field" and "The Intention Experiment") and gave this far out concept a try.  My son was intrigued by the concept and decided to do a science fair project on a small group of plants.  We purchased four identical spider plants and placed them in different areas of the house so that the experiment on each didn't affect the others (no cross intentions).  Each plant was to receive a different intention:

1.  "Happy" ~ this plant was to receive "good" and "happy" thoughts towards it.  When being around this plant one was to think of happy and positive things, "good vibes".

2.  "Angry" ~ this plant was to receive "negative" thoughts from anger to sadness, including envisioning trimming off the plants leaves.

3.  "Neutral"  ~ this plant was to receive any and all emotions, from very happy to very sad and everything in between.

4.  "Control" ~ this plant simply received water and care with no intentions given to it whatsoever.  This plant was to measure the effectiveness of the other plants intentions, if any.

All the plants received the same water and light requirements during the experiment which lasted (if I recall) about four to six weeks.

The results were really interesting!  Happy and Neutral showed the most growth with more fullness as well as overall growth.  Happy was a bit fuller and taller than Neutral.  Control came in second/third with noticeably less fullness, height and overall growth.  Angry came in dead last (ha!  No pun intended), with the least amount of growth, no fullness and really,  this plant was just hanging in there compared to the others.

I was astounded.  Intention can affect a plant?  Who knew?!  Sooooo.....if it makes a noticeable difference with a plant, what's with this stuff and dogs?

We know dogs are more sensitive than humans when it comes to the vibrations of things unseen.  Dogs know that stranger is bad news long before we do.  Dogs know that other strangers are pure gold, sometimes we pick up on that, sometimes we don't.  It's often said that dogs have a sixth sense, and yes, it's something like that, for sure.  They are far more tuned into "The Field" than we are, but we can put our intentions out there and they do pick up on it, no doubt.

If a dog can be receptive to intention, it sort of makes sense that when Fido is pulling on the lead and the human is focusing on the pulling, the pulling continues.  That's not to say that you can change the pulling behavior with just thoughts alone, but thought does play a key role.  Placing your thoughts where you want the dog to be does actually help the dog to get there.  While training/conditioning a dog not to pull, putting strong thought into a well balanced dog on a loose lead actually does help the dog to understand what's what and he/she learns to not pull more easily and more quickly.

I took my old Dachshund to Tractor Supply a while back.  It had been a very long time since he had been out in public and you'd expect that he'd be straining at the lead in this new and stimulating environment.  Although I expected it too, I kept my mind trained on the vision of him walking comfortably at my side without any pulling as we walked through the store.  He knows how to do this, but excitement easily makes that "knowledge" fly out the window.  Guess what?!  He was a perfect gentleman and never pulled once.  He walked comfortably by my side the whole time.   This is a little dog who's had a ton of TTouch training and has learned to "tune in" to me.  He is not an obedience dog.  He's had the basics of obedience, but that's pretty much it.  He has no other job other than to enrich my life, really.  And there he was out in public being a super star and performing as well as my competition obedience dog from decades ago!

On the wilder side of intention, I was on my way back to East Tennessee from Florida one Christmas and found myself racing a wicked snow storm coming into the region.  I don't do snow.  Last time I drove in snow I ended up in the hospital for a week.  I do not do snow.  I was scared.  There was snow all around and as I drove through Atlanta accidents were happening all around me and roads were getting horrid and dangerous.  There I was driving my intention at full volume, imagining clear roads around me and a "bubble of safety".  I made it the whole way home with snow and bad roads all around, but I was fine!  The road and other drivers around me all remained safe and clear.   My family was absolutely astounded.  I should have been snowed in in Atlanta.   Honestly, I can't explain it.  Maybe my intentions made a difference and The Field actually heard me.  Maybe it was angels.  Maybe I'm just crazy.

Intention does help, though.  Along with giving calming signals to a barking dog if you imagine quiet and calm at the same time, it increases the volume of your message tremendously.  This I actually know....because I use it all the time.  Intention works the same as the law of attraction; put it out there and make it true.  We receive what we give.

Many folks who know me simply say that I have "the touch" with animals.  That "touch" comes from my toes, through my heart and intention to the animal.  I always see the potential, wish the best for them and believe they receive this message and react to it accordingly.   We know when we meet a good person with a genuine heart, it's an intuitive sort of thing, very akin to intention.  It's right up there with having that gut feeling when a stranger enters a room....how do you know whether they're truly friendly or approaching to do you harm?  You just do.  That's the power of intention.

Give it a try and share what you experience.  Remember, believe what you put out there....that's key.  Come from your heart.  Trust and let it be true.  This is one of the hidden keys to TTouch.

Tale of an American Mastiff

My dear friend loves life in a large way and I was thrilled when she tentatively asked me to ride shotgun with her up to Ohio to pick up a new family member, Carolina, a four year old American Mastiff.   Carolina had spent her life as the foundation brood bitch on an immense farm.   She was being retired from "breeder duty" and needed a forever home.  My friend was their first pick.  A great match if I ever saw one.  Cathy hails from the Cumberland Plateau where she lives on a very large farm with her herd of exotic warmblood horses, her other American Mastiff, a humorous and tolerant husband and a small band of cats and birds.

Being a TTouch prac, I towed along my "kit" on this adventure "just in case".  After all, a 200+ pound animal that spent the bulk of her life in an immense barn, in an immense kennel and not well socialized....well, I had some concern and wanted the very best for this dog and her new family right from the get-go.  No 200+ pound dog was going to make a drag-along out of me or my good friend....and honestly, it's what I expected to be addressing with this large dog.

This breed and this gal, Carolina, totally blew me away.  She reminds me of a Clydesdale in that her size is balanced beautifully by her quiet, tranquil demeanor.  She never once pulled on her lead, not even a little bit.  Carolina was calm, relaxed and completely compliant.  Ha!  The joke was on the TTouch practitioner....this dog is just fine!

Other than a huge reluctance to get into her new vehicle (and who could blame her....the "in" was a big jump into the back of a Volvo wagon instead of a step-in to a huge van), she had no issues with anything.  She traveled just fine and slept most of the way if she wasn't resting quietly.  No signs of stress were associated with this dog.....at all.

Carolina arrived to her new home late, after I was dropped off at home.  Waiting for her was her new housemate, Chunk, a younger American Mastiff from the same kennel and boy was he ever thrilled to meet his new pal!  Despite the attempt to separate these guys at first, Chunk made his way over to Carolina who was amazingly gracious and patient with her new young friend as well as politely parental when necessary.

In all my years of dog doings, I've never met a breeder dog who was so well emotionally balanced and level headed.  What a stellar dog Carolina is and I'm thrilled for my friend!

Client Spotlight: Lucy

This is my best TTouch success story ever...!

Lucy is a three year old Border Collie/Australian Shepherd mix, medium sized and with the expected activity level of both breeds.  Lucy came to her forever home at about the age of 1.5 years, after being re-homed several times.   Over the last 1.5 years since Lucy found her forever home, she has been quite a bit of a trial for her new family.  She doesn't have a mean bone in her body and is really a very sweet, affectionate dog, but she had some very significant issues that were troublesome to deal with and I'm sure were the basis of her multiple re-homings.  The owners had hired several trainers to work with her in their home, with some improvement in keeping her mind active and learning new skills, but not in learning to manage her anxiety and maniacal fits with any vehicular.  They were nearing the end of their rope.

Lucy's main issue was cars.  What this means is that Lucy could not be taken for walks, was not tolerable traveling in a vehicle and even raised cain in her own home when seeing or hearing vehicles pass by.   Her reactivity to cars consisted of the most impressive manic activity I've ever seen with barking, spinning, and general "coming complelely unglued" behavior.  Can you imagine having your sweet, kind dog turn into a wild "Jeckel & Hyde" every time a car passed your house?  Window drapes were left closed as were the doors to obscure Lucy's view of the street.  Eventually Lucy was taken to see a behavioral vet at the UT Vet School who referred the family to me.

Although Lucy's parents are older, their love for the Border Collie breed is huge as is their love for Lucy herself.  She is at least their third Border Collie.  However it does present challenges when you're older and your dog is behaving like a maniac.  Lucy is a well behaved dog and it's obvious she's been worked with as she responds to commands very well.  As long as no cars are moving.

At first Lucy was a bit resistant to TTouch.  It wasn't that she disliked it, rather it was new and her mind was just too busy to grasp this new "thing" in her life.   She did warm up to it (as we all do) and we began to see significant change within a couple of weeks.  First and foremost, she calmed herself enough to readily accept TTouch.  Now the magic could begin.

That huge first milestone came on a pleasant afternoon when my client had her front door open letting light in through the storm door.  Lucy was laying on the rug by the front door, looking outside while her Momma sat in a nearby room at her computer.  Then, a car passed the house.  The owner looked up and towards the front door because she realized that "nothing had happened" when the car passed.  Lucy was still there by the door, unmoved and unchanged.  The owner was shocked and she continued to watch Lucy quietly.  More cars passed intermittently, six in all, and Lucy simply laid there and watched.   No barking wildly, no clawing, jumping, pawing, or racing around the house all obsessed and possessed.  None of that.  She was simply relaxing by the door watching traffic.

We then moved on to working with Lucy's car.  Lucy had a new car and was not too crazy about it at first because it was different.  With TTouch and treats she learned quickly that her new car was really okay and the world became whole again.  Except for actually going on rides.   One step at a time.

Lucy needed help with the visual stimulus of cars in her life if she was ever going to learn that relaxing was achievable and a way better option than flipping out.  We fit Lucy with a ThunderCap from the makers of ThunderShirt and got her Rescue Remedy to help dial in her calm.  The Thundercap is a little jewel designed by TTouch practitioners from our use of wraps on the head to help calm.  Lucy didn't do well with head wraps due to her small, slick head where the wrap would slide right off.  I fitted the cap to her head and took her outside in her front yard to see how she did with cars.  Already the change was astounding, but being only her first time there was plenty of room for improvement.

Next came the car ride.   Lucy sat in the back seat with me, her ThunderCap in place and my large Melissa & Doug stuffy (black Labrador) on her other side.  I know it sounds crazy that maybe a stuffy could influence Lucy by not reacting to the things that set her off, but it's worked for other dogs, so my stuffy, Darwin, happily came along.   When the traffic picked up, Lucy was snuggled next to Darwin, nice and quiet and watching the cars go by.  She was visibly relaxed....a first!  It was her first "normal" experience that I'd seen with vehicles.  This sweet dog had finally laid her groundwork for overcoming her car issues!  Her next car ride was considerably longer and included a lot more traffic, including plenty of trucks.  She barked three individual times and settled quickly between each incident.  In fact she settled down more than she got excited and she was much more at home wearing her Thundercap.  Huge step forward for our furry rock star!

I can't convey enough how proud I am of this sweet girl, Lucy!  My heartbreak for her owners being confined by their dogs inability to leave the house safely was huge but equally I was impressed by their commitment and dedication in improving their beloved pets life.   Honestly, Lucy was miserable being so driven and reactive to "life" essentially.   I'm deeply thankful that TTouch can help such a sweet and deserving dog improve her quality of life and increase her comfort level by an order of magnitude.  The stress level in her home has gone way, way down.

Thanks to TTouch, Lucy has a new lease of life.

Honey!

Honey is sweeter I ultimately turned to after the shit hit the fan and I was broken and fat and needed to do something, anything to help my leg heal.   One huge factor in healing my broken leg was losing some weight.

I wrote a lot about the wonders of honey in my new book, which means I did a fair amount of research.  One of the little tidbits that I learned about honey was its use as a wound salve.

Hugh?!

That's what I thought, too.  Why would anyone want to dab some sticky sweetener on their wounds?  So, I actively ignored this one tip.  I wasn't interested!  I didn't even consent to give it a try.  I didn't want to!   However, my cystic acne recently changed my mind.  I have vicious acne for a 50+ year old human.  Sometimes I get flair-ups with huge plugs that will hurt, burn, sting and not come out for anything!  I've used antibiotic ointments and other stuff on these acne flair-ups and nothing has worked.  Nothing helps these plugs come out.  Nothing helps the area heal.

UGH!

Recently my active flair-up was driving me crazy and I had to put something on it to soothe it.  I finally came around and decided that it couldn't hurt to try a dab of honey on my raw sore of acne hell.  I only keep raw honey because of pollen benefits for allergies, so that's what I used, naturally.  I put a small dab on my sore, covering it completely and licked my finger of the excess.  Nice perk!  Try doing that with antibiotic ointment!  To my shock, the honey stayed in place and didn't run hardly at all; in fact, it soaked in to my skin and helped create a barrier, a sticky one, but a barrier none-the-less.  Then!  Then it began to burn!  Not a vicious burn where you have to wash it off immediately, but a mild ache/burn similar to that of hydrogen peroxide but without the foaming action, and the sensation lasted much, much longer.  A good twenty minutes.  Then, the area felt much better, soothed rather than irritated.  The honey had soaked in for the most part and formed a sort of scab with just a tad of tackiness rather than all-out stickiness.

Impressive!  

It gets better.  I have never seen any of my acne flair-ups heal as well as this one and the horrid, painful plugs practically extruded themselves.  That is a first!

So, I'm rather sold on the whole "honey on sores" thing.  I really seems to do the trick!  I would suggest a bandaid to keep the honey in contact with the cut, sore, burn, whatever, till it's soaked in; about twenty minutes.  After that, it doesn't seem to matter if the honey on the surface is removed or not because it's soaked in and doing it's thing killing bacteria, microbes and whatnot.

Pretty cool, eh?  If you give it a try, post your experience in the comments and let us know what you think, how it did and all that jazz!  Even your dog!  We know honey is good for dogs, so it's going to help their cuts and stuff, too.  There's just that whole licking issue...so I'd love to hear what you do with honey and your dog and how it turned out.

And there you have it!  I never thought I'd try food on skin issues ..... oh, wait....  Mom swore by the use of meat tenderizer on bee stings (make a paste with water).  Dad kept bees, so he was "tenderized" by Mom on a regular basis.  LOL!  I just try and avoid getting stung.

I Always Wanted To Write A Book....

I started writing stories before the age of ten, then puberty hit and I began keeping a journal which I still do....over forty years later.  I guess you could say that I really like to write about stuff.  So, as much as my life is wrapped around the company of animals you're probably asking, "Why on earth did you write a book about weight loss?"

Right?!  If you has asked me at anytime up until about three years ago if my first book would be about dieting and weight loss...I would have looked at you cross-eyed!  I was fat, so what did I know about losing weight?!  Besides my oldest dearest project is still in the works and it's that title I would have pegged for my first publication.

It all comes down to a matter of timing and maybe some divine intervention.  I love to write.  That's a huge factor.  I had been in a bad accident which resulted in an ongoing lawsuit, so back then, it was imperative that I document everything.  I kept a daily log of my recovery in fine detail.  So there was that.  Then, there was the other huge key to the puzzle; I was fat and broken and I needed to get my shit together and get my leg back.   It all just came together at the right time and in the right place.  So, that's how an average Joe like me wrote about something that dogs every American woman's experience:  diet.

So this book is an inspirational story about how I came back from a bad, bad accident and managed to drop some serious pounds along the way.  And you know what?  Pounds was not my main focus.  I had a crushed leg.  That was my main focus.  Anyway....cool story packed with how I did it.  How I made the change, how I learned a new exercise that changed my life, how I dealt with the mind viruses.

I have met countless people since I began this journey who are amazed and inspired by my story and that's what I wrote it for.  I'm sharing my story to give hope,  a reason to smile and a road map to help get there.

If I can do it.....

Yeah, you can too!

CLICK TO ORDER YOUR DIGITAL COPY

If you would prefer a hard copy, physical book, don't give up the ship!  It's simply delayed for one more formatting change and should be available in about 10 days.  You'll here from me when it's ready!  

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A Practitioner's Observation

Highlights And Observations From A TTouch Practitioner At The Dog Show


I had a wonderful time at the dog show this past weekend!  I am so deeply grateful for the opportunity to meet new folks and their lovely dogs, as well as reconnect with treasured friends.  I'm grateful for having had the experience of working with a few dogs and witnessing the pure joy and delight of their owner when they experienced noticeable improvement after their TTouch session.  Isn't that simply awesome?!  I think so.  It's a very challenging environment for most dogs to feel any calm.

Clark is my "client spotlight" from the show.  An adorable little Terrier (Fox? I didn't ask!) with a very sweet Mom who was a bit heartbroken that Clark had broken down in the ring on Saturday.  She was competing in Open A obedience.  Clark's first time in Open, but not hers.  The little guy froze once he discovered the balcony and observers up there.  The judge felt the owners pain as she was excused.

I worked with Clark for thirty minutes Saturday afternoon, just body work as there's no space for ground work in a 10x10' area.   Clark had a huge reoccurring theme with many dogs at the show.....his butt and hindquarters were like stone and he was terribly out of balance.  After several minutes of body work and going over with his owner "all about TTouch and how it applies to Clark", he visibly more relaxed and very much liked wearing his new half wrap.

Clarks next class was Sunday morning, before I got there.  I was absolutely thrilled when Clark's owner stopped by with (a much more relaxed) Clark and a huge smile on her face!  Clark had disqualified again, but he was so very much better in the ring!  He wasn't as bothered, he didn't freeze up and he didn't blow the long down stay.   I never promise that TTouch works like plugging in the toaster.  It does take some time for change to occur.  But it does.  Sometimes very quickly.  It all depends on the dog.  The point is that Clark did improve dramatically, less than twenty-four hours after only 1/3 of a full TTouch session.  That's huge!!  What I loved most was seeing Clark more comfortable in his own skin along with the huge amount of happiness and renewed hope in his owners heart and face.  It doesn't get much better than that.

Congratulations Clark!

***


It's amazing what you see when you see with different eyes.  All these absolutely gorgeous dogs in a really challenging environment which you'd sort of expect them to be totally used to it, right?  As impressively well as every dog manages his/her experience at the show, a good eighty percent are absolutely stressing out, big time.  Many carry that stress into the ring and it affects their performance, including gate, stance, and overall movement throughout the body.

The consistent things I noticed were tight and clinched hindquarters, a classic physical stress location.  Because the rear end is tight, the dog is then out of balance and more weight is carried on the front end.  All but one dog that I worked with had a very hard time lifting their front legs in conjunction with having a very tight rear.  Shoulders were tight as were ears and facial areas.  These dogs were easy to spot in the ring with their rear end simply "along for the ride" rather than balanced and more graceful and fluid in motion.

TTouch was first introduced to the horse world over thirty years ago and was later adapted to companion animals.  TTouch with horses (called TTEAM:  Tellington Touch Equine Awareness Method) has been proven to improve equine performance.  An animal that moves more freely and in balance will always perform better, mentally and physically.  It's just like having all the tires on a car at the same pressure and properly balanced.  Without that, the car may look fine but it rides horribly and that imbalance directly affects other parts of the car over time.

Linda Tellington-Jones came to discover TTouch quite honestly.  Her Grandfather through his success with horses, came to manage the Czar of Russia's race horses back in the early 1900's.  The horses in his care were greatly successful out on the track.  The great back story is his horses received a complete body rub down for thirty minutes every day after their workout.

Many of the clients that come to a TTouch practitioner come with rather severe "last resort" behaviors that have frustrated everyone else.  It's our unique approach through cooperation and mutual understanding that's different.  TTouch builds self confidence, not compliance through fear.

But my goodness, that doesn't mean you have to be at that "last resort" place with your pet before seeking out TTouch.  It's sure is nice to know it's there if that's where you're at.  It's even nicer to know that no one has to "settle" or "endure" the behavior till it gets to that point.

My point is, whether your dog is destroying everything in site or just not doing well in the show ring ~  TTouch can help.

***

ETT is now on Angie's List!  If you are, or have been, an East Tennessee TTouch client, please take a moment and leave a review!  I'd be very grateful and deeply thank you for your time!

angieslist.com/review/9144025

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Next Post:    Client Spotlight:  Lucy

***


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Have a great day!

TTouch Around East Tennessee

East Tennessee TTouch is now on Thumbtack!

A nice little place to look at reviews and read about the great work that TTouch has done for dogs and their owners.

*****

November 4-6, 2016 is the Great Smoky Mountain Dog Show in downtown Knoxville, at Chilhowee Park; featuring breed and obedience competition.  East Tennessee TTouch will be there in the Jacob's building offering introduction to TTouch and TTouch related items for sale.  Stop by and say hello and give TTouch a try!   Please keep in mind that if you're not exhibiting a dog, don't bring it.  Just come on by and we'll chat!

*****

East Tennessee TTouch will be introducing weighted anxiety blankets at the Smoky Mountain Dog Show!  A great calming item for reducing stress.
Each washable and durable blanket includes a fleece cover.

Client Spotlight: BB

A very calm and relaxed BB

Ahhh, we had a very progressive week here at East Tennessee TTouch!  Here's a client spotlight on a sweet dog who suffers from anxiety and OCD with eating virtually anything.

Please note:   I'm very adamant about the confidentiality of my clients.  Images and names used with permission.

BB was referred to me by a university veterinary professor specializing in behavior.  BB is a beautiful, male, three year old Lagotto Romagnolo.   He was having issues with anxiety that presented itself in chewing and eating everything imaginable, including (but not limited to) clothing, bedding, and furniture.  The owner was justifiably concerned that this behavior would lead to an obstruction at some point which would result in surgery, or worse.  BB also paced and showed general anxiety in life.  Otherwise a very sweet natured dog and very willing to work with his person and a delightful companion.

On BB's first day at East Tennessee TTouch, he was very tense.  His tail was clamped to his body and he was glued to his owner's side.   There was a good deal of physical tension throughout his body.  BB was medicated at the time and I could see it aiding his calm, but physical tension hides from no one.  He had a moderately difficult time negotiating the confidence course in the beginning, he was tight and out of balance.   After a thorough TTouching and evaluation, his owner was taught several TTouches and a body wrap to do on BB, as well as areas to pay particular attention to when doing TTouch on him.

BB's third TTouch session was fairly recent, approximately a month after his first.  Bobby arrived calmly laying down on a dog bed in his van (rather than in his crate).   He greeted me calmly and happily, responding instantly to my TTouch by relaxing into me and smiling up at me.  This is the dog who wouldn't have done that a month earlier.

NOTE:   TTouch is wonderful in that it teaches the dog to respond much like the Pavlov's dinner bell thing.  They body recognizes the soothing and familiar TTouch and responds as it has been conditioned to do so (no matter who's doing the TTouch).  This is great for when the dog is at the vet or any stressful environment.  Imagine the affect when the vet or vet tech comes in and preforms a few familiar TTouches on the dog?  Ahhhh...things relax right away.

In going over BB's body with TTouch, I was immediately overwhelmed with how physically relaxed he was.  He was alert, responsive and wonderfully calm.  His eyes were bright and he was truly happy.  His owner reported that she is able to trim his nails.  BB hasn't chewed up or eating anything bizarre in "quite a while";  and he is learning to self calm very well.  What that means is that he'll go find a comfortable place, lay down and just chill.  No necessity to chew or mouth anything.  No pacing.   This is a new and welcomed behavior!

Darwin models the "Racing Stripe" wrap

BB handled the confidence course like a pro, his body in balance and walking beautifully on a loose lead.  He had one new obstacle (a squishy "FitBone") he was reluctant to touch, but he got there, to a small degree.

With still some residual tension in BB's hindquarters, his owner was shown a new wrap to target the area (right).

The owner also shared that she has a second dog at home that barks ~ a lot.  She was shown the Calming Cap wrap (below) to use on the dog as well as some of the specific TTouches she already knows to help with that dog.   After all, two calm dogs are better than one.

Nestle is modeling one of the stages of putting on a "calming (or thinking) cap"

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A Rescue Thank You

ETT gives a huge thank you discount to rescue dogs

I had to sit down and do the math.  Five out of the nine dogs I've owned in my lifetime were rescues.  That's pretty cool, that's over half.  Two were born in my home, neither rescues nor purchases.  Five dogs were purebreds, two of which were rescues.   None came from pet stores, shops, etc.  Two came from breeders.  Two came from either a shelter or rescue.  Two of the rescues were strays that I picked up and they stayed forever.

I love rescues but I understand that some rescues could really use some help adjusting after their traumatic experience.  Some experience their own version of what we know as PTSD.  Can you blame them?  Chewing, licking, pacing, cowering, leash pulling, anxiety are all signs of stress.  When is living in a shelter not stressful?

My little Dachshund Nestle is a rescue.  He went from the breeder to his new home to a rescue group all within a week.  And got neutered somewhere along the way.  He was three months old when I adopted him, so he was tiny when his trauma occurred.  Even the rescue group still remembers dear Nestle eight years later as their, "problem child."  He was a mess.  He was a mess for many years and still has his moments.

Nestle was about three years old when he first experienced TTouch.  He went to all six of my Tellington TTouch certification trainings.  Although he would have greatly benefited from TTouch at the time that I adopted him, it was still hugely beneficial and he made great changes.   TTouch made a huge difference in our bond, his behavior, and greatly increased his comfort level with being in the world.   He's also a great ambassador for, "keep TTouch a regular routine."  He's a master at digressing!


So here's the deal!  Literally

East Tennessee TTouch is celebrating pet adoption by offering new adopting owners a huge savings off their first TTouch session.  Because you and your new friend deserve getting things off on the right foot and East Tennessee TTouch wants to help you both reach your potential of many happy years together.

Head on over to the "TTouch Store" page for details under "Client Session Pricing."

Nestle making first contact with the latest addition
to the confidence course, a "FitBone".

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TTouch & Pet Health

Nestle is wearing an overly large wrap to fully support his abdomen

Nestle is my 8 year old long haired Dachshund.  He has spent a great portion of this year being rather ill and teaching me a lot about the importance of TTouch in supporting physical health.

Being my furry kid, he gets TTouch a lot.  So it was that sort of relationship that helped me out when this illness came up.  One of the symptoms of Sterile Nodular Panniculitis (SNP) is a development of nodes or lumps on the body.  Believe you me, when this illness began and the lumps popped up, he suddenly felt very scary!  And it was due to TTouch that I discovered these lumps because his curly, fluffy, frizzy hair hides a lot and they couldn't be seen otherwise.  That is, till they got large.

Nestle came down with SNP in late March, early April.  He presented with astonishingly high fevers that would last about 24 hours, then go away for several days.  This went on for weeks and his energy was completely drained.  He barely had time to recover from one fever before another would hit.  Believe you me, I was visiting the vet A LOT!  And then the lumps came.  The vet did a biopsy and that's when this SNP was figured out.  That was somewhere around late June, early July.

Nestle also has hypothyroid and seizures so he takes medication for those.  On top of that he has been taking a long list of medications for his SNP.   Since refilling prescriptions is a regular thing, I keep my vet up to date on all things Nestle.  This week my concern was his belly, so we went in for a look over and an x-ray.    Turns out that the side effects of his meds have been rough on the poor little fella.  Basically, the meds are causing him to mimic the symptoms and signs of Cushing's Disease:  increased appetite, water consumption, urination, panting, and a bulging, pendulous abdomen.

His poor belly!!  Now that I know he's not just exploding from food (because he shouldn't be!), but rather, he's swollen and uncomfortable, I knew that giving him some relief would be welcome.   When I got home from the vet, I found a much too large wrap for him so as to really support his very large little belly.  Nestle is usually pretty funny about wraps.  He has to "freeze" for the first few seconds after one is put on.  Not this time!  The little guy smiled up at me and looked much more comfortable walking around.  He was clearly very happy and much more comfortable!  I left it on for about an hour then put it on again later when he went with me to the vet and could show off his wrap (while I got more meds).  I took the wrap off when we got home.

Nestle is experiencing water retention, adding to that large abdomen.  One thing I noticed when I took his wrap off was that his abdomen didn't appear so painfully large.  The wrap may have helped expel retained fluids from the lymphatic system, which I'm sure felt better as his behavior after the wrap was removed suggested that he was indeed still feeling much more comfortable.  Then later he had a good, long nap.  Astonishingly, the reduction in his abdominal swelling stayed down for several days following this one wrap session.

This SNP is taking forever to (hopefully) resolve.  When we began to come down from the strong steroid dose the first time, the lower dose resulted in a resurgence of the fevers and lumps.  So, he had to have his steroids bumped up again, and for a longer period.  We're still there, pumping in the steroids and hoping.  Honestly, it's killing me to watch this sweet little angle suffer so.  But, it's a blessing to know that I can do something to give him relief and comfort.

Thank God for TTouch.

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TTouch & Pet Health

To witness how powerful TTouch is with physical bodily function is quite amazing.

TTouch is not meant to replace veterinary treatment, but rather, it complements it.  In fact, one of the first things a practitioner inquires of the owner is if the behavior in question has been looked into by a vet.  It is common for behavior problems to stem from physical issues.  It is also possible for medical issues to arise from behavior problems.

Here's some of the technical stuff..... A '87-88 study suggested there were changes in the brainwave patterns of animals that were treated with TTouch and that both sides of the brain were activated.  Later studies proved the studies findings.  .....A 2009 study showed immediate and cumulative benefits from TTouch that were reflected on the EEG of an anxious mare.  ......In humans studies have shown that using TTouch 5 minutes before drawing blood significantly lowered heart rate and blood pressure.

There are so many great personal testimonies of TTouch helping with the physical self.  I wouldn't confine it to "issues" because the work complements a healthy body, too.  There is something quite magical about applying TTouch around a fresh injury and witnessing no swelling, bruising and much faster recovery with much less pain.

Here's just a few of the physical issues complemented by TTouch:

Itching is one of those things (in dogs) that can all too often be a symptom of something else going on.  Itching should always be looked into by a vet.  Because treatment can be a long-term thing, there's the owner's issue of the poor dog scratching.  TTouch can give the owner an easy tool that won't cure the underlying problem but will offer the pet relief and gives the owner a positive activity that is welcomed by the pet.

TTouch therapy is a fantastic addition to orthopedic ailments and care.  TTouch can improve mobility and releases muscle tension.  The TTouch groundwork improves posture and balance while training the muscles to prevent atrophy.  Leash pulling causes pressure on joints and can lead to physical problems.  Dogs with orthopedic problems requiring surgery really, really need to "not do that anymore" (pull on the lead) before the procedure so they don't re-injure themselves afterwards.   TTouch uses specialty leash configurations to re-balance a pulling dog (without force, fear, or physical hardship) where it not only ends immediately, but the dog learns to walk in balance, on a slack lead.

Here's where I side note....

I've trained and worked with horses and dogs off and on my whole life.  It's what I do.  It's my passion.  I love helping others especially when there's fur involved.  Nine years ago I had a bike wreck that tore up my hands up pretty badly and required surgery.  I was quite literally "hand-i-capt".  I still am to an extent, I have a hard time with ziplock bags, and other lids and my hand strength just isn't there like it was before.  At the time of the wreck, surgery and recovery,  I had a 145 dog.  He was not a leash puller.  But you know how dogs are and sometimes leash pulling happens.  Well, I couldn't afford for that to happen.  If he tugged ~ he'd be free.  I had no way to hold him.  None.  So, I had heard about TTouch and I was eventually able to attended a TTouch workshop taught by Linda Tellington-Jones herself.  I was completely, absolutely, blown away!   A year later I was enrolled in the 2-year certification training course.  And you know what?  I can walk a 145 pound dog and not worry about pulling.  And I can teach it to someone else and their dog will stop pulling, too.  It's completely awesome stuff!  As a dog trainer from way back, this complementary way of working with animals really opened up my perception and practice.

Okay, back to health stuff...

TTouch is a wonderful complement to anesthesia.  Dogs who are nervous beforehand will relax after a few minutes of TTouch, lowering pulse and blood pressure.  One clinic in Germany has their veterinary technicians do TTouch on animals for 5 minutes after surgery.  TTouch supports a quicker, smoother recovery.

For geriatric care, all-over TTouch sessions complement a variety of age-related physical issues.  TTouch ground work increases cognition and mobility.  The owner learns new ways of guiding their aging friend on-lead while the aging dog's trust in the owner's guidance increases.  A boon in the bond, so-to-speak.

TTouch can be a real gift when it comes to end of life issues.  It's a hard place to be and every pet owner gets to go there, at some point.  Because TTouch so beautifully increases the bond, daily TTouch sessions certainly help the owner in recognizing "it's time".   TTouch before and during that final injection is very relaxing and comforting to both owner and pet.  It's honestly, a really beautiful way to go.

TTouch increases the human/animal bond, mutual trust and cooperation.  From that, a lot of good happens.




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The Power of Play

Toys, puzzles and mental stimulus play a necessary and positive roll in a dog's life.  Lynne McTaggert is the author of, "The Bond", a fascinating book that I highly recommend.  So, today we're going to explore a bit of her chapter on environmental influences.

In a study, several mice were born with retarded mental capacity.  These mice were exposed to a room full of puzzles, games and other stimulating objects over a period of several weeks.  At the end of the study these "below average" mice were indistinguishable from the "normal mice".  There was a measurable increase in neural activity with the "below average" mice.  These mice had increased their own learning potential through experiencing a stimulating environment.

Hey, that sounds just like the TTouch confidence course!

But, if you don't have a labyrinth or other TTouch ground equipment hanging around to play with....

1.  Make up your own

A labyrinth can be pretty simple.  It does not have to be the shape that I and other practitioners use.  What you want is an outlined path with turns that is negotiated with a handler calmly guiding the dog through the course and stopping to "check in" before and after each turn is negotiated.  Pretty simple stuff.  Pool noodles, garden hoses, PVC, lumber, just about anything can be used to lay out a labyrinth.

Ladders, hula hoops, burlap, textured surfaces,  2x12 board (elevated on blocks, or not), can also easily be used to add to a stimulating confidence course.

Know someone who's into dog agility?  Ask to borrow their equipment!  Unlike them, your goal is *not* to race your dog through the obstacles.  Slow and methodical is the key.  Meet your dog where he/she is at.  Most dogs are curious and will want to investigate.  That's good!  Curiosity builds confidence and gets those neurons firing.  Racing through the obstacles (for a dog that's not trained to compete) is a sign of stress.

2.  Toys and puzzles

We can't all go outside every day and stroll through a confidence course with Rover; fortunately there are toys and puzzles now specifically targeted to "keep a busy animal occupied" but it also fires up those neural connections and opens up the learning potential.  And you just thought it was keeping Rover out of your hair.  Companion animals need both physical and mental stimulation (exercise) to remain in balance physically and mentally.  This reduces stress in the body as well as emotional stress.

Dogs are individuals and that means that different dogs will enjoy different types of toys.  Rover may love challenging puzzles, where Spot finds them frustrating or lacks interest all together.  Start out with an easy game or puzzle for the beginner and go from there. The reasoning is that you want to develop confidence and curiosity and foster interest in the game or toy.   Just like a teenager beginning to drive ~ no matter what they might think, learning to drive the old Honda is going to be way more successful and instill more confidence than learning on a Ferrari.

Why do we want to encourage confidence and problem solving with puzzles and games? It simply makes for a more grounded, mentally balanced animal. When they're content, so are you. When they have developed healthy mental skills, they make better choices.  Imagine if your life didn't include mental stimulus. You eat, you drink, you wander around, nap, get talked to on occasion and finally you go to bed. Thoughts of such an existence alone is rather brain-numbing. We've all had that momentary feeling of “jello brain”, where we hunger for something ~anything!~ “exciting” to do.  Our pets are the same way. Anxious, unfocused, hyperactive animals can learn to focus and calm from the benefits of mental stimulus that is kind and rewarding and it's way better than whatever destructive idea your dog may come up with for his or her stimulus.

Nina Ottosson produces some amazing toys and puzzles for the companion animal ~ designed to promote mental stimulation with the reward of a favorite food. Her website gives valuable information on her products as well as the positives of using mentally stimulating games. Although she's in Sweden, her products are available here in the good ol' USA thanks to the Internet.  Nina offers many levels of toys so that your animal never “out grows” or becomes bored as there's always a toy sure to challenge your pet. Her toys are pricey, though well made.  I recommend a visit to her website just to become familiar with the products and philosophy.

“Busy Buddy” makes a fine selection of toys for the puzzle lovin' pup who likes some physical activity with their mental challenge. We know those dogs, right?  Great back yard fun with a purpose that is more stimulating than the time honored “throw the ball till he drops” approach. These are great for the busy dog who isn't ready for the more challenging mind games.

Mind-stimulating games take focus, and in some dogs focus will need to be learned and developed over time.   Your dog may need some assistance to get started and certainly will take some time to make those neural connections that'll make puzzles and games fun!  We all take time to learn new things (and that includes animals), so don't expect your dog to hit a home run the first time at bat.

One version of the Star.
 The dog is wearing a wrap for added focus and calming.

The Ladder.
A harness and two points of contact increase cooperation and give clear signals to the dog.

Labyrinth (with other obstacles in the foreground)

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Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!


                                         

Your Dogs Behavior & TTouch

What is the limbic system and how does this relate to animals and TTouch?

I'm so glad you asked!  

The limbic system is the innermost part of the brain, located just below the thalamus on both sides of the brain and is comprised of a set of complex brain structures.   These structures are responsible for emotion (fear, anger, pleasure, happiness, etc.), some of the structure is also involved with memory.

Emotions are constantly being processed by the body ~ the brain and the body are exquisitely intertwined and constantly interacting with the surrounding environment.  Because the senses are also involved with this system (sight, smell, taste, sound, touch), the more senses that are involved in an experience, the more the brain remembers it and the deeper the imprint.  

Here's my analogy...

My dearly departed Border Collie, Mac, was a talented obedience and agility dog.  He was also deathly afraid of thunder.   His show career came to a screeching halt not long after getting in the AKC ring .... it was something like his second or third show, ever.  We were in Alabama.  The obedience rings were inside a large open building with huge doors that could open all around it's perimeter.  It was late spring, I think, when we were there.  Warm and nice, but not hot.  It was early afternoon and my class was in the ring, Mac and I waiting our turn ringside.  Then he began to shake.  He never did that...unless....a storm was coming.   

By the time we were "on deck" for our turn in the ring, you could clearly hear the thunder and the sky was black as ink.  All the outside doors were lowered.  I had a withering pile of pure fear shaking in my lap.  Our turn came and like an absolute idiot, I obligated myself to carry on and in we went.  It didn't go well.  The poor boy couldn't even heel on lead.  We were in and excused in just under a minute or so.  We exited the ring and I found my seat, Mac leapt into my lap and came apart while the storm rolled over.  I wasn't able to compete with him again, taking him in the ring had imprinted that terror with that setting.  I tried and tried conditioning with group training, matches, etc., but nothing would help his body recover from the trauma he experienced in that show ring in Alabama.  He did great with agility, hiking, pet therapy, all that, just no obedience in a show setting.  

What I didn't know back then was that there was a way to help.  I didn't need to "retire" him.  I just didn't know about TTouch.  Had I used it on him, he would have had a far better potential to come back around and go on to compete in obedience trials without issue.  Because, TTouch speaks kindly to the limbic system through physical touch and engaging new experiences.  It's simply powerful stuff.  

The mouth carries the closest connection to the limbic system.  Mouth work stimulates the salivary glands which triggers the relax-promoting parasympathetic nervous system.  That quiets the sympathetic nervous system down (fight or flight response) which means relaxation and less reactivity happens.  The animal learns to respond rather than to react.  Mouth work is a part of what TTouch does and I've seen remarkable improvement in behavior and performance.

And now you know the rest of the story.

***

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Diet And Your Dogs Behavior: tea

Have you ever considered giving tea a try ~ for your dog?!  

In my book, "My No Diet Revolution...", I explain how a diet loaded with chemicals and preservatives lowers our bodies sensitivity to herbal, natural foods.  So, unless your dog is eating your cheerios, drinking your sodas, and downing junk foods regularly, chances are your dogs system will be highly receptive to the wonders of herbs and herbs can be very beneficial to their health as well as behavior.

Ever have a cup of chamomile tea?  Were you able to relax and then go to sleep more easily?  Could your dog use such a benefit?  Absolutely!

Here's my two favorite teas that I fix regularly for the dog in my life and how to do it:

Chamomile
This is a very mild and gentle herb, safe for use with puppies and kittens (and I have).  This is what the actual plant looks like:

Fresh is always, always best for flavor and potency;  after that, loose-leaf tea.  Last on the potency list is bagged tea.  I fondly refer to bagged tea as "floor sweepings"; if you ever tear open an unused bag and compare it to loose leaf, you'll know why.  That said, even I have to resort to bagged tea on occasion.

Chamomile has stellar sedative qualities but is also an effective wormer, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and pain reliever.  It also is wonderful for relieving anxiety and insomnia.   It is also useful for gas, vomiting, and indigestion.   A calming tummy tamer.

Have I used it and did I see a difference?  Uh.....YEAH!  Give it about 3 days, using daily.



Ginger
Pretty sure we've been here already in an earlier blog post.  Ginger is better and safer than naproxim sodium at reducing inflammation and relieving the associated pain.  I'm not saying in any way shape or form that naproxen sodium is safe for dogs (it's not!), but I am saying that I am living proof of that and I go into great depth on the benefits of ginger root in my book.  But!  Ginger root is safe and beneficial for  dogs!  And being similar to us, of course this reduces inflammation for them and the associated pain.  Reducing pain and inflammation can certainly improve behavior!  I act better when I'm not in constant pain.....a dog will too.

Ginger root can be added to the dogs food in several ways.  I grate about 1/4 tsp of fresh ginger directly into my dogs food bowl and add boiling water to steep it (and melt his coconut oil).  When I add his dog food (from the refrigerator) it cools down the 'tea'.


How To Prepare Tea For Dogs
This literally could not be easier!

To make a tea, add several tea bags (or about 1/2 a tablespoon of tea leaves) to a mason jar.

This is 3 chamomile tea bags and fresh ginger root slices.  The ginger will turn the water cloudy as it steeps.

Add boiling water & close with a proper canning lid and band.

Set your jar aside and let it fully steep till cool.







Once you've opened your jar, refrigerate till it's used up.
Add to your dogs food once daily.
I use about 1/4 cup for a mini Dachshund.

Here's the finished tea.  Chamomile doesn't get very dark, so this is a fairly strong tea.  I chose to leave the tea bags & ginger in there....it won't hurt!  I just don't include the ginger slices in the tea I use because they're a bit large and ginger has some serious "bite" to it that way.








I'll be honest and say that I've used chamomile tea with my dogs on an infrequent basis but after being reminded of the benefits for this post, I'm giving it a go ~ again!   My little Dachshund has been sick most of this year with an obscure condition that has him on copious amounts of medication.   He is swollen, uncomfortable and drinks tons of water (side effect of one of his meds)...so, he has to pee a LOT.  This means that he has not had a full nights sleep since early spring.  Which means I have not slept well since early spring!

So, I made this tea and I've been giving it to him every morning.  This tea has his ginger in it already (which he's been taking since the spring), the only addition to his diet being the chamomile.   At this present date, he has had the chamomile for two days and for two nights in a row he has slept through the night in his favorite place on the bed, by my head.  Nestle is also "running" after toys and showing more energy ~ another first since last spring.   Huge, noticeable change.

I am not going to say that the chamomile is making all the difference, but I'm certainly going to continue monitoring this!  We might be on to something here.



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Diet And Your Dogs Behavior

There's tons of diet tidbits that can be linked to behavior.  We'll look at some of the more obvious ones and even explore simple herbs that can be added to the diet to make noticeable difference.   For today, let's take a peak at corn and protein.  

Enjoy!

Corn
A long time ago I had a very large Coonhound who developed diabetes.  There's nothing quite like discovering this after that 145 pound dog has had a huge, wet, sticky accident in the house!   YUK!!  Diabetic urin can be very sticky, like spilled soda pop.  Long story short (novel for me!), the vet prescribed a veterinary kibble for this dog that was targeted for diabetes (along with daily insulin shots, of course).

I'm a very trusting soul and I purchased a bag of this diabetic kibble without question.  I switched his food over within a matter of just a few days.  And then the accidents started happening again.  WTH?   I was stumped!  There was no reason for this mess to be happening again.  I chatted with a close friend of mine about this (who happens to own a feed store & really knows her dog foods!) and she woke me up to the realization that I should read the ingredient label on the dog food.  Hey,  good idea!  

Well, there it was as plane as day on the food label; the first ingredient was CORNMEAL!  Are you familiar with what corn really is?  Yeah, it's a vegetable and it's high in fiber (which is why the manufacturer put it in the diabetic dog food), BUT corn is also a carbohydrate and though it's a "complex" carbohydrate, it is the rocket fuel of complex carbohydrates!  Cornmeal has the highest glycemic index of all the natural carbohydrates out there, beating out wheat, barley, oatmeal and brown rice.  It also has a rather unremarkable nutritional value and low digestability unless it's ground, and grinding it increases the glycemic value as well as the digestibility index = rocket fuel.

A dog on a corn based diet (first ingredient on the label) can be hyperactive, unfocused, unbalanced and a host of other issues along with taxing the pancreas and spiking his blood sugar on a regular and ongoing basis.


Protein
We've all heard the ads and manufacturers have us thinking that "more is better", right?  Nope, not really.  Too much protein in the diet can certainly affect behavior:  anxiety, aggression, restlessness, light sleep and depression.  It can also exacerbate existing health and nervous system issues such as PTSD.  This comes from a lack of serotonin in the brain which regulates mood.   Serotonin comes from tryptophan, present in fish, eggs and wheat flour.

The average, everyday adult dog living in the family home has a protein requirement of about 18% to maintain weight.   On the other end of that scale is the working dog, such as search and rescue, competition, hunting, protection dogs require a 25% amount of protein in their diet ~ they actually use it.

Most dog foods out there are marketing protein levels closer to the 25% mark and most dogs just do not need that much.  These higher protein foods are typically expensive because they're using higher quality meat sources.

Lower protein foods (where most dogs are at), while affordable, often times contain lower quality protein sources which actually drops the protein percentage further because it's basically crap and less digestible.

Protein sources labeled as, 'animal', 'meat', or 'poultry' is very likely to be a low quality source of protein.  Look for actual animals such as 'chicken', 'beef', or 'lamb'.  ....The word specifics manufacturers use can be very misleading.   (Don't even get me started on the whole commercial egg market!).

So, what do you do to level out the protein intake while keeping the quality up?  Look into "mature" foods which are typically lower in protein.  Poultry and eggs are excellent sources of protein and tryptophan, so finding a good chicken based food of suitable protein percentages will help.  You can also supplement a low quality protein dog food by adding an egg white.  Eggs are an excellent source of protein and tryptophan without adding a lot of calories.



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TTouch & Health

TTouch does so much good to a body whether it be a behavioral issue, a training issue, healing from an injury, or (what we're chatting about today) using TTouch with a health issue.

This is Nestle.  He is a long-haired miniature Dachshund who is 8 years old.  A little over two years ago he began having seizures.  If you've never experienced a dog with seizures, I pray you never have to.  If you do, than you know how gut wrenching a seizure is and how absolutely helpless you feel when it's in the midst of happening.  You want to help, but you don't know how.  If you knew how you could help, the whole thing would be much less horrible, don't you agree?  

TTouch is something you can do during and after a seizure that will help a whole lot ~ because trust me, this isn't fun for them, either.   The best perk is that doing TTouch on your pet will not only help him, it'll help you, too.  

Let's take a look:

Your dog has gone into a full blown seizure and there you are with your stress hormones hitting an all-time spike in panic.  I do it too.  For me, it only lasts a moment because I get right over to Nestle and begin my work.  As soon as I lay hands on him, I'm concentrated on helping him and I've taken a deep breath as I begin.  Now, I'm calmer, focused and more centered.  

Once the seizure has passed, it's typical for Nestle to experience a few moments of confusion or physical imbalance (or both).  He may not be able to walk well, he may be disoriented or confused and he might even be manic.  You just never know!  As soon as his seizure has finished, I'm still working on him, only now I shift my work to using connecting TTouches all over his body to get his nervous system get back on line.  

With the use of TTouch, Nestle's seizures are:

Shorter in duration

Less frightened

Seizure is less severe

No mania afterwards

No confusion afterwards

No mobility issues afterwards

And although it's too early to quantify, he has not defecated as often during a seizure when TTouch is used.

After the seizure, I keep him there with me and do 2-3 minutes of TTouch and then he's up.  He is much steadier, more physically balanced and more like his 'usual self' rather than exhibiting any whining, wandering aimlessly, running, biting; he exhibits no oddities after a TTouched seizure, where he does otherwise.  

For the person performing the TTouches, it is calming to him or her as well.  This is huge when you're dealing with a very stressful situation as being calm greatly helps the animal to calm as well.   

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you found this helpful.  If you like this article, subscribe to my blog and get more good news just like this.  

Interested in exploring TTouch?  Sign up for a session with me!  It's easy, just head over to the "TTouch Store" tab and scroll down.  Or, hit "contact me" and send me an email.  I'd love to hear from you!

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