Animal Therapies

Animal therapies is a broad family name, and it covers two quite different things. The first is complementary and holistic care applied to animals themselves, such as massage, myofascial work, kinesiology taping, low-level laser (light) therapy, animal Reiki and whole-animal wellness planning for dogs, cats and horses. The second is animal-assisted and equine-assisted work, where a trained animal is part of a session that supports a person. The two share a name, but the person receiving care is different, and so is the evidence.

On Gyfts this page works as a map. Each approach has its own page, including animal-assisted therapy, animal massage, animal Reiki, animal kinesiology taping, animal cold laser therapy, animal neuro-myofascial release, animal holistic health, CBD pet foods, equine-assisted therapy, equine massage, equine Reiki, equine holistic health and equine kinesiology taping. Some of these are hands-on, some are about the pet food aisle, and some are about the animal as a companion in someone else's care.

Animals cannot tell us how they feel, so a veterinarian comes first. A pet or horse that is ill, limping, in pain or behaving differently needs a proper examination before any complementary approach is considered. Used thoughtfully and with veterinary agreement, some of these practices may add comfort or support recovery routines. None are a substitute for veterinary care.

People have worked closely with animals for thousands of years, and care for working horses and dogs has long included rubbing down muscles, rest and rehabilitation. Modern animal rehabilitation drew on human physiotherapy and sports medicine, and over the past few decades veterinary schools and professional bodies have added courses in physical rehabilitation. Complementary approaches such as acupuncture, massage and laser therapy followed, and many are now offered by veterinarians themselves or by trained therapists working with veterinary referral.

The idea of animals as part of care for people has its own history. Therapy dogs visiting hospitals and nursing homes, and therapeutic riding programs for children and adults with disabilities, grew through the twentieth century and are now studied as animal-assisted and equine-assisted interventions. Reiki came to the West from Japan in the twentieth century, and offering it to pets is a newer extension. Training, titles and regulation vary widely by country, and the research base for each approach is different.