My pup has been feeling off. No appetite, diarrhea, a little lethargic. She wouldn’t eat anything I offered her, even her favorites. This isn’t the first time either. Every couple months she seems to get a bout of the “yucks.” We’re not really sure what triggers it. On the advice of the vet, I’ve tried changing her diet, experimenting to pin-point any foods that she might be sensitive to, giving probiotics, and… (not on the advice of the vet) worrying a lot.

I’ve offered Reiki to my fur-baby too. She seems to like it. But my intuitive skills with her just weren’t working. I wanted to know why she was feeling so crummy and if there was anything I could do to help, but I was getting nothing. I was too wound-up, anxious, and invested in the outcome. And those are the worst conditions for attempting animal communication. Thankfully, when she started to improve after a few days, my anxiety level went down, and I was better able to manage my own energy enough to “talk” with her. What she expressed was truly fascinating!

She showed me that it is her liver that’s feeling unwell (later confirmed by blood tests at the vet). Concerned, I then asked why her liver was taxed and what I could do to help? She matter-of-factly remarked,

She explained that she’s been taking on my emotional “stuff” and that her liver was getting stressed. She didn’t want me to feel bad about it, in fact she was only trying to help, but it was all becoming a bit too much to manage. Wait… whoa! Is this a thing? Do animals take on our “stuff”? Surprised with my dog’s revelation, I asked a few other animal communicators, and each of them confirmed that animals do mirror their humans, both emotionally and physically. The point is to draw our attention to areas in need of work or to teach an important lesson.

When I reflect back over the last while, I can certainly see how my own liver might be taxed. The liver, in addition to filtering out toxins, also helps us to process negative emotions. After experiencing a year of emotional pain, job loss, and even loss of friendships, I certainly have a lot of negative emotions to process. I feel grief, anxiety, and even a little bit of anger. My dog could sense these unresolved feelings and was trying to relieve me of some of them. In other words, I wasn’t doing the work of healing from my own emotional trauma, so she was trying to help me along.

I feel an immense sense of gratitude towards her unconditional love and willingness to help, but I would never want to cause my dog any harm. After thanking her for bringing my attention to the parts of me in need of healing, I asked that she stop taking on my “stuff.” I promised that I would make a concerted effort to practice self-care. I’m trying to get outside more often and to be more physically active. I’m meditating and practicing self-Reiki when I’m feeling anxious or upset, and I’m trying to feel, rather than repress my emotions when they come up. I’m hopeful that these steps combined with some herbal liver support (for both of us), lots of water, Reiki, and healthy foods will get us both back to optimal health.

What lessons is your pet trying to teach you? Are there any ways in which your pet might be acting as a mirror, shining a light on the aspects of yourself that need love and attention?