One of the wonderful benefits of my Animal Communication Practice is to see first-hand the healing powers of animals.  In my own life, my cats kept my husband’s cancer at bay for 10 months!  I have also been witness to countless examples of how animals can mirror an illness, recognize and show their human friend a trouble spot and reduce the stress levels in a home.

More than 60 percent of U.S. households include pets, and those pet owners pour $41 billion a year into pet care [source: APPMA]. This may seem like a lot of money. But when you consider the fact that owning a pet could very likely add years to your life, a pet can quickly seem like a wise investment.

According to a study by the Minnesota Stroke Institute that followed more than 4,000 cat owners over 10 years, owning a cat can dramatically reduce a person’s chance of dying from heart disease [source: Mundell]. Specifically, people who owned cats were 30 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack. Although those researchers cannot make the same conclusions about dogs based on the data they gathered, they suspect a dog study would provide similar results.

That study reinforces what I’ve been saying for some time, that having animals around you can significantly increase your health. For example, psychologists have found reason to believe that owning a dog helps lower your blood pressure and your cholesterol [source: BVA]. And other research shows that pets help us feel better overall and help us to deal with stress, which can be a source of illness [sources: Laino, BBC News].

And let’s not forget the benefits for the elderly. For example, one study observed neural activity in seniors while they walked or interacted with a dog [source: Motooka]. It turned out that walking with a dog gave seniors a boost in parasympathetic nervous system activity, which is good because the parasympathetic nervous system helps calm and rest the body.

Stories abound about the healing abilities of pets. For instance, one boy who did not talk for six years finally chose to start talking after a therapy dog visited his school [CBS News]. Organizations, such as the Delta Society, train dogs to help disabled people perform tasks. The Delta Society feels so strongly about the health benefits of animals to humans that it is dedicated to spreading knowledge about the issue as well as services.

The psychological benefits of pets can make a big difference in someone’s life. This seems to be especially true for kids who are struggling to deal with death or illness in the family. Certain studies have concluded that children with dogs cope better with these serious situations [source: Howie]. Researchers believe this probably has to do with the obvious fact that pets provide love and with the fact that the structured routine required for taking care of a pet is a positive for the child. Kids aren’t the only ones who benefit from pets during these difficult times; the spouses of cancer patients said they believed pets helped them cope as well.

The health benefits of dogs go beyond psychological factors. As it turns out, dogs might be useful in the field of medicine to detect and predict medical problems. In one study, trained dogs were able to identify patients with bladder cancer by smelling their urine [source: Willis]. Although the dogs were not accurate all the time, they identified the right patients at a rate much better than chance. This revealed surprising evidence for the use of dogs as well as further knowledge about the effects and detection of bladder cancer.

What’s perhaps more amazing, however, is that certain dogs can predict when their owner is about to suffer an epileptic seizure. Trainers can teach some dogs to help a person in various ways during a seizure. In addition, some of these dogs end up developing the mysterious ability to actually warn the owner before he or she suffers a seizure [source: CBS News]. The group that trains these dogs, Canine Assistants, claims that most dogs develop the prediction abilities within merely a year of being with their owner. Researchers are at a loss to explain how exactly dogs can do this.

Getting the right animal for you and your family is critically important. If you find that an animal causes more stress, then one or more things may be the cause.  That animal may not be right for you, they may have a message for you, the job you are asking them to do is not a good fit for them, you may be rewarding bad behavior in some way and/or a host of other factors.  Getting the aid of an animal communicator to help in the beginning will go a long way to ensure that you and your animal friend are a good fit for each other and that your animal friend will indeed be a boost to your health.

Special thanks to Dr. Andrew Jones, DVM, for his contribution to this article.

In the latest podcast episode, Scott and I discussed the SeaWorld Orca Tragedy, and how communicating with Wildlife (and all animals) is so critically important.  The traumatic incident that cost the trainer her life and that has left Tilikum, the whale’s life in jeopardy has made us reevaluate our treatment and consideration of these amazing and wonderful giants of the sea, as well as other wild animals held captive in other types of theme parks.  We also discussed the case of Ginny, the zoo elephant who killed her trainer that I got to work with personally and what she said about why she did it.  We talked about sharks and Scott’s experience with Flake and Chips in Australia.  And we talked about the role of animal ambassadors and volunteers from the animal kingdom who have the job of touching our hearts and challenging our beliefs and notions about who animals really are.  Listen and then give us your feedback, ok?  What do you think?

This is cool! Watch while I work with this special rottwieler:

Sounds simple enough doesn’t?  However, not many dogs ever learn to close the door after themselves.  It’s a new level of taking care of themselves in a human world.  I was absolutely thrilled at how easy it was for him to pick this up.

Being able to speak to him directly and show him in my mind exactly what I wanted him to do of course made this task so much easier to teach.

Check out this very cute video of Einstein shutting the door!

Tune in to Good Morning Inspiration Radio on the internet to hear me interviewed by Darlene Siddons!  http://tobtr.com/s/816963

Darlene will be interviewing me on the topic, “What is your pet trying to tell you?”  Are you and your pet having “issues”?  I have been called The Real Dr Doolittle, and I specialize in improving the Relationships between Animal Caretakers and their animals.  I know how to connect and listen to animals.  You won’t believe what they are trying to tell you!

I have great stories like:

* The first time I heard an animal speak to me.

* Is your Pet Acting Out?  YOU may be your pet’s biggest problem!

* What most pets really want to say to their owners.

* 3 Easy steps to becoming your own Dr. Doolittle.

As an expert animal communicator and master healer, I have worked with over 6,400 animals and their humans, owners, trainers, and veterinarians.  I specialize in alternative healthcare for people and their animals, training, performance and competition, and in behavior modification.

Don’t miss this power packed hour at Good Morning Inspiration Radio – http://tobtr.com/s/816963

Listener dial-in number: (347) 838-8498 if you have questions you would like to ask me.

I’ll see you at the Show!

P.S.:  If you can’t tune in live, be sure to listen to the archived show.   (http://tobtr.com/s/816963)

Dr. Jones is one of my favorite on-line vets and he shares such wonderfully helpful information with us from time to time.  In addition to the tips that Dr. Jones gives us for caring for our pets, I would also add that his information would be better utilized if you first had a conversation with your animal friend(s) to get their input on what is going on with them in terms of their health and happiness.

So many animals are being misdiagnosed, and therefore, their treatments are not correct for what is REALLY going on.  I wish I could say that misdiagnosis doesn’t happen often, but it happens regularly.  Please talk to your animal friends before beginning any treatments.  They at least need to know what you will be doing and why.

Dr. Andrew Jones – How to have your pets live longer

Here’s what I would have said to a client 10 years ago who asked- “What can I do to have my dog or cat live longer?”

1.      Stay current on your Vaccines and Checkups

2.      Keep feeding that  Dry  ”Veterinary Approved Kibble”

3.      Don’t  worry about supplementing

4.      IF your pet is uncomfortable with diseases such as Arthritis, ensure that you give them a prescription Veterinary Medication

5.      Regular exercise

6.      And just hope that NOTHING happens

But times have changed- and my experience with holistic Veterinary Care has taught me that much of WHAT I said 10 years ago is WRONG.

Here is WHAT I am doing for my own dog and cat to EXTEND their lives….

1.     I feed a VARIETY of foods- NEVER just Dry ONLY Kibble.  I am feeding Lewis some canned food, some Home Made recipes, and some Raw food- Dry Kibble is only a small portion of his diet. I am feeding my Cat Cleo now a 50/50 mixture of Dry and Canned- He refuses to eat Raw, but I would have him eat that as well.

2.      LESS Vaccines, but more regular checkups. My Cat Cleo has NOT had a vaccine in 5 years- and I won’t be giving him ANY more vaccines. Lewis was recently vaccinated for Rabies- But I WON’T be giving him any additional vaccines unless I need to travel with him across the Border and his Rabies vaccine is not current.

I do WEEKLY at home pet health exams on Lewis and Cleo- and I advise that you being doing this now.  See your Veterinarian for regular exams at least once a year.

3.      Supplements- for BOTH your dog and cat.  Lewis is now getting a COMPLETE Dog Supplement, which includes antioxidants and immune stimulants to PREVENT disease. Cleo is on a Cat Supplement loaded with Probiotics and Immune stimulants that I have designed and he’s doing GREAT on it. It will be released soon.

4.      I  AVOID Conventional Medication for my Pets Lewis and Cleo. - When my Cat Cleo had a recent bout of vomiting I used a homeopathic called Arsenicum Album. When Lewis strained a ligament and was limping I utilized Acupressure, as opposed to potentially side effect causing Anti-inflammatories.

5.      Exercise- this is what I said 10 years ago, and still say today.  Your pet NEEDS this regularly to remain healthy and LIVE LONGER. A minimum for your dog is 30 minutes twice a day. For your cat that is indoors, at least get them to fetch- but they need to be moving.

6.      There is MUCH more that you can do than just hope. BECOME an Involved Pet Owner, and use The POWER of the BOND. As I get older I am more appreciative of my pets- and I see how much Happier they are when they get my devoted attention. It’s good for you, and yourpet. by Bonding with your pet both YOU and YOUR pet can livelonger-  MOST of the longer living Happy and Healthy pets that I see have very DEDICATED and INVOLVED Pet Owners.

To get Dr. Jones Vet Secrets Home Study Guide visit www.veterinarysecretsrevealed.com

My favorite on-line veterinarian, Dr. Andrew Jones, shares with his readers his revealing insights after losing his much loved dog Hoochie.  His story is one that you may associate with because you may have had a dog or other animal friend that came down with a life threatening illness after you followed all of the recommendations from your vet and other “experts.”

Dr. Jones’ dog Hoochie developed cancer after he had followed all of the care guidelines put forth by the animal health experts.  This prompted Dr. Jones to question his health care assumptions.  He now freely shares his experience and findings.

Vaccines

Veterinarians and drug companies want you to vaccinate often and with many components. The MORE vaccines the drug companies sell, the more profit they make.  I am sure that the Vaccine Companies are LOVING the Swine Flu hysteria!

Vaccines also get clients in the door- and for Veterinarians, clients are what makes their business, so they are RELUCTANT to have you vaccinate less.  However, these Vaccines can cause a whole host of medical problems, including Cancer.  Dr. Jones always gave Hoochie his yearly combination vaccines.

Prescription Pills

Pill pushers…We are conditioned to take a ‘pill’ whenever we are ill.  And the Pharmaceutical Industry LOVES that.  So you go to your Vet- your dog or cat will most likely leave with either an injection of some type… or a pill.  Yet these pills often have some pretty serious side effects such as liver failure from conventional anti-inflammatories.  There are a huge number of alternatives-from acupressure to homeopathy, but you aren’t told about them.  Hoochie was on a Conventional anti-inflammatory for arthritis.

Dry, Carbohydrate LOADED Kibble

Diet – You are BOMBARDED with advertising to encourage your pet to eat some carbohydrate loaded, toxin laden, dry dog or cat kibble.  Many of the Pet Food Companies are LARGE multinational corporations- their GOAL is to MASS produce pet food, and make a lot of PROFIT.  You are TOLD to feed this from the media and the veterinarians who resell these products – in spite of the fact that many of these foods have serious heath side effects.

The classic ones are diabetes and urinary tract disease in cats eating dry, carbohydrate loaded kibble.

Cats NEED Animal Protein to survive and thrive. But most of the commercial cat foods contain carbs, such as corn, as the FIRST ingredient.  Dr. Jones fed Hoochie a carbohydrate loaded dry kibble - and he thought it was ‘good’ because it was Veterinary Approved.  Hardly!

It is easy to see the fallacy in this when you make a comparison to your own diet.  NOT all nutrition can come in a bag.  NUTRIENTS don’t survive for months on the shelf.  IF you want to live longer, and avoid disease, you need to eat nutrient RICH foods- FRESH fruits and vegetables NOT only packaged, processed material.

The same logic applies to your dog or cat.  You MUST feed a variety of healthy foods, and supplement their diet, IF they are to thrive and ultimately fight off diseases, like cancer, renal failure and pancreatitis.

Questioning the conventional wisdom of the established medical community and the conglomerate animal food companies is obviously something that we should ALL be doing.

An additional action that you should be taking is asking your animals directly how they feel and whether they actually like what you are doing for them. They can tell you whether they suffer from the injections and pills in ways that may not be obvious on the outside.  They can also tell you if they are craving more of something or want different types of food.  Their innate wisdom is something that should always be considered, and they very much like to be consulted and their wishes respected.  Schedule an Animal Communication Consultation today!

Be your animal’s best friend and get smart now.  They depend on you to help keep them healthy and well.

A great place to start learning how to heal your pet at home is Dr Andrew Jones Vet Secrets Revealed home study course.  Go here to learn more:   http://www.valheart.com/products/vet_secrets.html

Val Heart, Expert Animal Communicator, Behaviorist, Author, Master Healer — Providing Communication, Clarity, Balance and Healing for You and Your Animal.

Are you ready? Take a pro-active approach to improving your relationships with yourself & your animals through improved communication, energy medicine, health & balance for body, mind & spirit. Working with chronic pain, illness, trauma, training, behavior, performance, euthanasia… specializing with dogs and sport horses

Speaker, Columnist, seen on TV and heard on radio.  Animal TeleClasses, Free Expert Animal Communication eTips & Free eNewsletter.  Get Val’s Free Report: 10 Things You Must Know Before Hiring an Animal Communicator  Call (210) 863-7928, visit  http://www.valheart.com

© Copyright, Val Heart & Friends LLC.

I thought all of you cat lovers would want to know about this cat food recall.

Dr. Jean Hofve & Jackson Galaxy, from www.littlebigcat.com Special Report: Premium Edge cat foods recalled. Diamond Pet Foods has recalled the following date codes of Premium Edge Finicky Adult Cat and Premium Edge Hairball Cat with codes of RAF0501A22X (18-lb. bag), RAF0501A2X (6-lb. bag), RAH0501A22X (18-lb. bag) and RAH0501A2X (6-lb. bag).

The pet food in question is low in thiamine, which can cause neurological symptoms and brain damage. More than a dozen cases have been confirmed.

It is recommended that pet owners whose cats have eaten the food specified below contact their veterinarian. Diamond is also asking consumers to return the potentially tainted food. The calls from pet owners or veterinarians regarding this issue! have been centered in the Rochester, NY area. Diamond says t! hat all retail outlets shipped the above lots were contacted, asking them to pull the product from the store shelves; and to contact their customers to have them to check the date code of the food. If you or anyone you know has these date codes of Premium Edge cat food, Diamond is asking you to return them to the retailer (presumably for a refund).

Nutro is still in the consumer hot seat. One cat guardian lost her cat after feeding Nutro Complete Care Adult Ocean Fish Flavor back in early September. She sent a sample to the Pet Food Product Safety Alliance for testing, which reported 2100 ppm (parts per million) of zinc. Only 250 ppm of zinc was listed on the bag, and she reported that two Nutro representatives have told me is the maximum found in any of the recalled food.  Read more:http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/nutro.html#ixzz0U7lxukNv

Nutro Products recently recalled! some of its puppy foods because a worker’s plastic hard hat was “sucked” into some machinery, and the bags of puppy food may have plastic in them. For specifics, please click here.

Little Big Cat’s advice: if you decide to return the food, hold back at least a cup or two and store in a clearly labeled, sealed container. If evidence is needed to support claims for veterinary bills or other damages, giving the product back to Diamond erases it. Keeping a sample will help protect your legal rights.

Val Heart, animal communicator, has helped over 6200 animals with health and behavior issues.

Please allow me to introduce myself:

I am internationally recognized as an expert animal communicator, master healer and author with over 30 years experience working with more than 6,200 animals to-date.

I fell in love with horses when I was five years old and began my long term relationship getting to know and understand horses. My work with horses led me to an intensive study in developing my gifts with animal communication and other supporting healing techniques.

I am highly trained in advanced, state-of-the-art alternative healing and life-changing coaching modalities, I help horses and their people rebalance in body, mind & spirit. Early on, I discovered that much of what goes wrong with animals is a reflection of, or a reaction to, their caretaker’s imbalances. I help not only with animals, but also life issues.  I take clients deeper into their own personal best – a space of well-being, peace, balance, clarity and greater consciousness awareness.

I am also one of only a few worldwide who have learned The Fernandez BodyMind Assessment™ Method, and am also a top practitioner in The BodyTalk™ System, certified at the PaRama level.  Multi-dimensional and all-encompassing, these are truly holistic, remarkably powerful healing and coaching modalities for humans and animals alike.

The books that I have authored to-date include; 12 Mistakes People Make With Their Horses, The Essential Handbook for Novice & Amateur Riders, What Your Horse is Trying To Tell You, The 12 Most Common Mistakes People Make With Their Dogs: Why you have an unhappy dog and what you can do about it, What Your Dog is Trying To Tell You, and 10 Deadly Myths Endangering Your Dog’s Life.

If you would like to know more about my background, read some of my success stories, or learn more about animal communication or health/animal care tips, then I invite you to visit my website at www.valheart.com.

Val

Val Heart is an animal communicator who works with health and behavior issues with animals.

Many animals are healers.  For instance, science has shown that all cats from all around the world purr at the same frequency.  Further, they’ve discovered that that exact frequency when applied to bone and tissue accelerates healing!

As you allow yourself to see and respect animals as intelligent, responsive beings with spiritual qualities that we can admire and learn from, you’ll begin to know them at a much deeper level.  And they’ll respond to you like you’re more intelligent as well.  (I can’t tell you how often I hear from our animal friends how dense they think their humans are, and how hard it is for them to communicate with us!)

Some years ago my husband and I had two cats that shared our home with us.  When my husband laid down, whether for a nap or at night, one specific cat, TuffyTiger, would go directly to his chest and liver areas and start to vigorously purr and knead his body.  She would eventually settle and rest with him, all the while purring loudly.  We thought it was the cutest thing.  This went on for well over a year. Each time he laid down there TuffyTiger would be, always purring.

My husband wasn’t feeling any pain or showing any signs of illness, so we just thought she was being very loving toward him.  He got to where he sought her out because he always felt so peaceful and relaxed, and said he could sleep better with her there.  He also said he noticed that he would wake up from their time together feeling more refreshed.

After almost 18 years of marriage, my husband and I divorced.  Shortly afterward he noticed pain in his chest and stomach, and only then did they discover that he had liver cancer.  Within 10 months he passed away from cancer.

We didn’t know it at the time, but my husband had cancer throughout his body.  TuffyTiger had been healing and working with him for over 10 years, and had successfully been keeping cancer at bay with her purring and earnest, loving ministrations.

The next time a cat gifts you with their purr let yourself feel how deep into your own body the vibration goes.  Also notice where it is directed.  Often a cat will specifically choose where it sits with their human friend(s) – and the site is usually a problem area.  It could be a knee, organ or injured area that your friend is attempting to help you with.

I’ve even seen cats who literally configure their bodies to flow the energy in a specific pattern, channeling degenerative and destructive energy lodged in ‘hot’ areas into shut down, ‘cold’ areas that need it.

Take a moment to thank them, offering gratitude for their ministering to you. Breathe with the purr, and allow yourself to vibrate as deeply as possible.

For all you know, they are healing you in the same way that shamans and healers have for centuries!

If you enjoyed this article, you’ll love my expert animal communication eTips.  Subscribe today!

Val Heart, Expert Animal Communicator, Behaviorist, Author, Master Healer. Working with chronic pain, illness, trauma, training, behavior, performance, euthanasia, specializing in dogs and sport horses. Animal TeleClasses, Free Expert Animal Communication eTips & Free eNewsletter. (210) 863-7928, http://www.valheart.com. Free Report: 10 Things You Must Know Before Hiring An Animal Communicator http://www.valheart.com/animalcommunication/freereport.html

© Copyright, Val Heart & Friends LLC.