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Animal Therapy Schools and Careers Guide

Find Animal Therapy Schools | Natural Healers Career Resource Center

a kitten in a person's hands up-close

What is animal therapy?
Many alternative medicine therapy treatments used on people are also used with animals—primarily horses, dogs and cats. These practices both maintain the quality of life and treat diseases in our furry companions.

Animal therapy is becoming more popular in today's pet-friendly society that is very focussed on the humane treatment and care of animals. In fact groups such as the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals International (SPCA) and the Humane Society are enlightening society about pet wellness, training and health care.

Animals are part of the American family and many people with elderly pets will go to tremendous lengths to improve the quality of their pet's life. Alternative therapies may provide relief from the animal's aches and pains with few side effects.

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How is animal therapy practiced?

There may not be any treatment available, with the exception of pain control, in cases of terminal cancer or arthritis in an elderly pet. Or, the traditional Western techniques, such as surgery in a very old dog, may be too invasive. As anyone with a pet companion can attest, animals enjoy and respond to being touched. A few gentle strokes can quiet a barking dog or set a cat purring. This elementary application of massage therapy for people translates well for use on horses, dogs and cats.

Some treatments are taught in veterinary colleges. Others can be utilized by therapists already trained in these techniques for people. Possible modalities that can be used on animals include the following:

While veterinarians carry out some of these therapies, others are practiced by licensed or certified animal therapists who first learned these natural healing modalities for treating people. Training is available at some massage therapy schools.

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Where can I get training?

Arizona
Southwest Institute of Healing Arts - Tempe
North Carolina
Center for Massage & Natural Health® (located in North Carolina) - Asheville (Weaverville)
Pennsylvania
National Academy of Massage Therapy & Healing Sciences - Kulpsville (Lansdale)

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