Dear Spirit to Spirit friend,
This question comes up frequently with my clients:
"How can I get my dog/cat (or other animal family member) to take medication or accept treatment?"
It is often comes up at a time when there is a fairly urgent need for the animal to get on board with a protocol for their health.
Is this something you have faced into with your animal family member?
The things we sometimes need to ask our animals to do- even for their health and well being- may strongly go against the grain of who they are as animal beings. Even though they may have come through a long lineage of living in domesticated relationship with humans, it can still feel very challenging for them to accept what feels unnatural to them.
Some animals have absolutely no problem accepting a pill that is slathered in something scrumptious or food that is laced with medication, herbs, etc. No, we are not fooling them. These beings seem to feel that the delicious bite is a worthwhile trade off.
Other animals find it highly offensive to be asked to accept anything that feels imposed upon them. It may bring up their fiercest instinctual reactions and it can begin to feel like a battle of wills, one that most likely we will not win unless we use force.
What to do?
We need to find common ground, come into an agreement with our animal family member. Here's where we can begin:
Tune in, offer, listen deeply, adjust
Our first step as the human involved is that- as best as possible- we need to relax our fear and feelings of determination or desperation. Let go of whatever is causing tension in us. Relax as much as we can into the neutral space within ourselves so that we can be in a clear relationship with our animal.
Then, we will be able to tune in. Rest in the deeper connection we have, sense into what our animal is feeling and where there may be an opening through which we can begin to
co-create an agreement.
Next, we offer. Offer what feels in alignment with our beloved and that s/he may be able to accept. Always asking- is our animal family member as relaxed as possible, feeling our comfort and support, encouraged by our calm and soothing voice and energy? Are we praising her/him for each successful step?
Yes, we need to pay attention to the physical/mental/emotional signals our animal is giving us. And it's important to listen deeply to our animal's truth. Did what we offered resonate with our animal family member? Hold him/her in respect and not trespass his/her threshold of tolerance?
And, we adjust. In big and small ways. We listen, make an adjustment, and try again. We accept that finding a mutual agreement may be a process of discovery.
Finally... we bow in humility, understanding that we humans may need to learn the best right way for our animal beloved... from our animal beloved.
If we can relax, let go, tune in, listen deeply, offer and adjust, our animal can and will guide us in discovering and co-creating with them a way that can work. An approach that will allow human and animal to be in the best agreement possible with each other and in alignment with our animal family member's highest good.
In Gratitude & Love, Joanna