Animal Bowen FAQ

This really is a personal choice dependent on your pet, its age and its health problems, but as a guide:-

It is generally recommended that new clients commit to 3 sessions. Treatments are generally done 5 to 10 days apart to let the animal’s body process the changes from the previous treatment. The initial 3 sessions really consolidate the changes and in the third session we can assess the progress made and decide if and when further treatments are required.

Once the condition improves and does not regress the time between treatments can be increased; this time is dependant on age, health, length of time since the original injury, illness, or issue. It’s also dependent on each individual animals’ capacity to heal.

The number of sessions needed for improvement can vary from two or three to more; again, dependent on many factors. Noticeable change is often achieved after one or two sessions, although animals like us are individual and there are many factors which can contribute to the rate of healing such as lifestyle conditions, medication, and diet. Sometimes with chronic pain 3-5 sessions may be required to see significant change in your animal. Sometimes 2 sessions are all that is needed if the problem is recent or acute.

It is different for each animal but for maintenance of general health and wellbeing – a treatment every 4 weeks – 3 months is recommended depending on age and condition of the animal. Young and healthy dogs also benefit from these modalities because as we all know … “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” There is no limit to the number of treatments an animal can receive. ‘Top up’ or maintenance treatments are of great benefit to help keeping the body in a state of optimal balance and to prevent re-injury and save costly vet bills down the road.

Chronic conditions such as arthritis management, spinal issues, senior pet maintenance and rehabilitation after injury or surgery will benefit from a more regular maintenance program with sessions every 2-8 weeks based and dependent on each individual animal, their age and their particular condition.

For performance, sports, major events, showing – at least two treatments leading up to an event are a great way to get the animal in peak performance condition so they can move and perform at their very best! Bowen Therapy can also be part of an injury prevention program to maintain muscle stretchability and elasticity, joint flexibility and to rebalance the body.

This is a common question from people who are not familiar with Bowen Therapy.

The short answer is no, Bowen Therapy Technique is not massage. Both modalities are bodywork – complementary therapies that use touching or manipulation of the body tissue. Usually in massage long strokes are used in the direction of muscle fibers, whereas in Bowen Therapy short rolling moves are used across the body of muscles fibers, in order to stimulate nerve receptors in the skin and fascia, prompting a response from the central nervous system. A massage therapist is in constant contact with the clients skin, whereas in Bowen we perform light ‘moves’ over muscles, joints and trigger points, interspersed with short breaks giving the animals’ body the opportunity to process and respond to the stimulus.

The first rule of Animal Bowen Therapy is ‘do no harm’. It is an extremely gentle technique which uses subtle movement of fingers and thumbs over muscle, ligaments and fascia at specific locations on your pet’s body. There is no prolonged pressure or hard manipulation, and no pulling or cracking of joints. Throughout treatment I will closely observe your pet, and if they shows any signs of discomfort (no matter how subtle the signs) then treatment is immediately stopped in that area. Animal Bowen Therapy should never hurt an animal.

Since Bowen therapy is a holistic therapy and treats the body as a whole and not just the complaint or symptoms a diagnosis is not necessary but it is helpful, so if you have a diagnosis from your vet or a veterinary report please bring them along with you to your first appointment.

Absolutely! Bowen therapy is of great benefit to older dogs and it’s never too late to start! Many older dogs can get sore after a grooming visit or an adventurous day in the desert, so these body work techniques are non-invasive to help encourage healing and recovery in a very gentle way.

One of the most rewarding parts of my work is seeing the effect these therapies have on senior dogs, improving their comfort levels, restoring function and improving their mobility and quality of life.

As our pets age they can start to slow down a little, stiffen up if the develop arthritis, lack energy and sleep more. All too often they are dismissed as being ‘old’, BUT it does not always have to be this way. Canine Bowen is great for older dogs as it is gentle and noninvasive and often produces amazing changes and results for our golden oldies including; more energy, less stiffness/lameness and suddenly developing their interest in life again.

It’s so rewarding to see the sparkle returning to their beautiful eyes once their body is eased back into balance and they start to feel better!

Health Concerns for Older pets

The ageing process results in a loss of muscle tone which adds stress to the joints as they are no longer well supported by adequate muscle mass. Loss of muscle mass also leads to a loss of balance and flexibility, resulting in inactivity, stiffness, and pain for our beloved furry friend. Inactivity and loss of muscle mass fast-tracks the aging process and increases the risk of injury from slips, falls, and strains. They may become afflicted with arthritis, have a greater chance of bone breakage. Just like in humans, old age in pets can be painful for both body and mind.

In old age, the joints of your pet begin to lose fluid. As their bones rub against each other without their protective cushion, your pet can experience severe pain. Afflicted with arthritis, your pet will not be able to run or jump as they used to. Injury also becomes more frequent due to brittle bones and lack of supporting muscle mass. And it may not stop at one injury – breakage of one bone can lead to a host of coinciding problems.

Apart from all the physical dilemmas your pet might experience, the psychological impact of aging should not be underestimated. After a long time living an active lifestyle, it can be a significant shock to an elderly pet to have to start slowing down. Your pet might not be their happy self anymore and perhaps even show signs of depression.

Bowen Therapy works on the whole body and mind, it is a safe and sure way to give your pet the best chance to live a long and happy life. Bowen therapy can help to achieve a more balanced emotional state in your pet as endorphins and serotonin are released into the bloodstream which act as natural painkillers and can improve the mood. The result is a happier and more balanced pet that is coping better emotionally and physically with the ageing process.

Animal Bowen Therapists work to restore vitality back to your elderly dog’s body and help create a long-term plan for improving your dog’s quality of life.

Recovering from any kind of mobility surgery creates compensation within the body. For example, knee surgery creates stress on the “good leg” during recovery, which, when left to compensate for too long, can cause the “good knee” to need surgery within a year or two! Pretty counter-productive, right?

Animal Bowen Therapy helps to put the body back into a balanced state during recovery. Use Animal Bowen Therapy pre-surgery as well to help make recovery even more successful!

Like humans, dogs can experience intense stress and nervousness which can lead to chronic anxiety – perhaps it was a shocking incident that happened early in their life that caused the issue, or maybe they have a generally anxious personality.

Our hectic and busy environment often causes stress factors for our dogs which initiate a release of cortisol into the bloodstream. High levels of the hormone are problematic and can lead to undesirable behaviours such as chronic anxiety, aggression, and depression. Therefore, it is important to alleviate the stress early.

Canine Bowen Therapy stimulates the release of hormones into the blood stream such as endorphins, serotonin and dopamine which counter balance the stress hormone cortisol; providing calmness, and can elevate mood and provide natural pain relief, helping to achieve a more balanced emotional state and a more relaxed and happier dog.

Despite Bowen Therapy being considered a form of bodywork, it may also help with emotional conditions such as anxiety through shifting the autonomic nervous system from sympathetic (fight or flight response), which is turned on during stress and pain, to parasympathetic which is where it needs to be for the body to rest, relax and have the ability to repair and recover.

Bowen Therapy addresses emotional stress in the conscious, subconscious and unconscious mind. This can lead to profound shift in your pet’s behaviour.

What if my pet is very nervous and doesn’t like strangers, can he have CBT?
Yes, ABT can be very helpful for nervous and rescue pets. It may take some time in building a relationship and trust with your pet therefore please be aware that the first couple of sessions may involve limited or no actual hands-on therapy. It may also be the case that ABT is not right for your pet at this time and if I feel that another form of therapy would be more beneficial then I will refer this via your vet.

My pet is touch sensitive and/or fidgety.
ABT is done with a few small moves with natural breaks which will be either given by me or by your pet, so there is no need for your pet to stay still or to be constantly touched all over. It is important for your pet to be given the choice to move away when they need to. Also, as the moves are done at specific points, the effects can be felt in areas away from the move itself. With pets who don’t like continuous touch, or who have areas of sensitivity (lower back, feet, ears etc.) then ABT can be ideal.

My dog is very excitable and jumps up. Will this be a problem?
No, this is not a problem. It’s important to let your dog behave naturally and that you don’t a need to “keep your dog under control”. I am more interested in your dog being able to be themselves during the treatment. You might find that treatment helps with this sort of behaviour.

Animal Bowen Therapy can work very well alongside any behavioural programme you may be following under the supervision of a veterinary or animal behaviourist. In fact, I have a close connection to a very experienced and accomplished animal trainer, and we often work together with complicated cases, so we can work holistically to get the best possible result. Pain can often be a factor in undesirable behaviour, and once the pain is removed or diminished, animals are much more receptive to positive reinforcement training.

I am always happy to talk to other professionals about Animal Bowen Therapy so please get in touch or ask them to contact me if you or they are in any doubt.

Yes. Consider Bowen Therapy your secret weapon in the performance ring! Use Bowen Therapy before an event to kick-start your dog’s body into full gear and use it after the event to take care of any strains on the body.

Using Animal Bowen Therapy as part of your active dog’s health regimen is a win-win for your dog!

Allow 7 days before any other physical complementary therapies such as massage, acupuncture or chiropractic’s etc. The effects of a ABT session can carry on working for up to 7 days therefore we want to allow that time for potential maximum healing to take place. Having another therapy in this time will give the animals body a different set of signals and can confuse those given in the ABT session. It won’t cause any harm but could possibly negate the effects of the ABT treatment or possibly not allow its full effect to take place. Also, we won’t be able to clearly tell which of the therapies has which results. There are some therapies such as homeopathy that work well alongside ABT, if in doubt please ask.