Pet Reiki

When pet owners reach out

The most common reasons clients book pet Reiki at Core Healing:

• Reactive or anxious dogs (thunderstorms, fireworks, separation, rescue trauma)
• Post-surgery and post-injury recovery
• Hospice and end-of-life support
• Behavioural transitions — new household member, recent move, loss of a companion animal
• Comfort care during chronic conditions: arthritis, autoimmune flares, mobility decline

What's known about Reiki in animals

Clinical research on animal Reiki is thin compared with the human literature. The honest summary: small studies and case reports exist; large RCTs do not. What the broader biofield-therapy literature documents in human subjects — reductions in heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol, and increases in heart-rate variability — would be expected to translate to mammals with broadly similar autonomic systems, but that is inference, not proof.

The American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association lists Reiki among the modalities its member veterinarians may use as adjunctive care.^[1] The AVMA Council on Veterinary Service does not endorse or oppose Reiki; it treats it the way human medical bodies treat it — as a complementary practice, not a replacement for veterinary care.^[2]

What clients consistently report, and what is reasonable to expect:

• The animal becomes visibly more relaxed during and shortly after the session
• Sleep improves in the day or two following
• Animals that resist handling often tolerate it more easily for a short period

How a pet session at Core Healing works

A pet session is 30 minutes and is $50, ideally held in the animal's own home so the animal is in its familiar environment. Mobile pet Reiki is available across Sooke and the Westshore for an additional travel fee. A double intimate energy healing session — a shared session for you and your beloved animal companion together — is also available for $130.

1. Amanda enters quietly. No loud greeting, no eye contact with the animal until the animal initiates.
2. The animal decides the distance. Some curl into Amanda's lap. Others settle across the room. Both work.
3. Hands-on or hands-near energy work proceeds for 20–25 minutes, following the animal's lead.
4. A short integration period closes the session.

Hospice and end-of-life

This is the work pet owners often find most meaningful. A quiet, regulated session in the final weeks of an animal's life can ease the room for everyone in it — including the family. Many human hospice programs now include Reiki for similar reasons, and the same principles transfer to animal palliative care.^[3]

If the time comes to gently say goodbye, I can also accompany you and offer Reiki support alongside your veterinarian as your pet is put to rest — holding a calm, comforting presence for your companion and for you through those final moments.