by Sandy Rakowitz, Equine Practitioner2; Companion Animal P1
I recently had my Horse Dentist/Vet to visit for my horse’s dental check-up. Often, vets choose to use sedatives to do dental work with horses as their behavior can be a bit unpredictable, and often horses do not like their mouth handled or the sensations of having their teeth floated. From previous visits with this particular Vet/Dentist, I knew that he was open to not using sedatives if it was not necessary. I have refused dental work previously with another vet who insisted on using a sedative before knowing how my horses behaved. So my current Dentist/Vet’s attitude and openness were quite welcome with me as I preferred to use alternative methods.
I currently have two horses. Ibis, a 27 yr old Thoroughbred gelding that I have had for 22 years. This is the horse that helped introduce me to TTEAM about 20 years ago. In his younger years, prior to much TTEAM, he would fight having dental work, struggle, lift his head very high and sometimes rear. With years of TTEAM and quiet handling with this Dentist/Vet, my horse has gotten progressively better over the years. When I added in the use of a few Essential oils about 8 years ago, it made the process even easier.
My second horse, Zoey, a 15 yr. old Paint mare has only been with me for 2 years. She can be a bit reactive at times so I did not know how she was going to be with having her teeth floated. She has had a variety of TTEAM and TTouches and a lot of mouth work since I have had her.
Prior to the day of the Dental/Vet visit, I used several short sessions of Mouth TTouches on their muzzle, mouth, gums and nostrils. Since both horses have had a lot of TTouches generally, I wanted to focus with their mouths to prepare them for the Vet/Dental visit. I know Mouth TTouches help so much with attitudes, emotions and in the acceptance of various dental procedures.
TTouches Used:
- Clouded Leopard Circles all around the sides and bottom of the muzzle; all around and on the nostrils; all around and on the chin, lips and corners of the mouth
- Slides along the upper and lower gums
- Tongue and Roof Tapping – since he was going to be working in the mouth, I paid special attention here
- Clouded Leopard and Lying Leopard Circles all over the face
- Ear Slides for good measure!
The mouth has a direct link to the limbic part of the brain that houses emotions and deals with the ability to learn. I have seen horses deal significantly more easily with the Dental procedures after having had several sessions of TTouches along with Mouth TTouches. Both horses got very, very relaxed with these TTouches and really enjoyed the mouth work.
On the day of the visit, I added a few additional minutes of gentle and quiet Mouth TTouches along with some Essential Oils that I know have a particularly quieting effect. While the Vet was working, I also used TTEAM wand to stroke down the neck, chest, legs to the hooves, along the back and down the hind legs for grounding and calming in the moment.
Essential Oil Blends that I added just prior to the visit:
- Valor, 10 drops wiped on ears, chest and shoulders. One of my favorite blends for balancing energy, relaxing the back and spine and is great for grounding.
- Peace & Calming, 10 drops wiped on ears, poll, chest & shoulders. A blend that was developed to calm hyper active kids.
- RutaVala, 10 drops also wiped on ears, poll, shoulders and chest. I have found this blend to be unparalleled for calming the central nervous system.
Both horses were exceptionally quiet and easy to work with to do their dental work this year. In the past I have not had the RutaVala blend as this is fairly new. While Valor and Peace & Calming have worked well in the past to bring a state of relaxation, RutaVala completely took any edge off and helped them to stand ever so quietly and patiently for Dr. Rucker. I was thrilled!
In previous years, Ibis, my Thoroughbred, had gotten to where he was quiet but still tense and on edge. This year, with the additional specific TTouches, I added prior to the day of the Vet visit along with the 3 Essential Oil Blends, he was STELLAR. He was significantly better than any other time in the past. After a few minutes of dental work, he actually closed his eyes and relaxed into the work being done on his teeth. I have never seen anything like it before. I was very impressed and so proud of him! Like many Horse Dentists, Dr. Rucker uses a brace to hold open the mouth, and then a special power tool to do the floating. He had to take the edges off several rear molars for Ibis. Zoey was also excellent. She stood patiently, quietly, and was easy to work with the entire time.
These TTouch and Essential Oil tips also work well for visits to the Vet with cats and dogs or in any situation where a calming influence is needed. The amounts of essential oils will decrease with smaller sized animals. And the TTouch mouth work needs to be adjusted to the size and shape of the muzzle. When using Essential oils, I recommend only using Therapeutic grade. I have found these to be safe with animals and people. For more information about therapeutic grade essential oils and their uses, or for ordering information, please go to www.onehearthealingcenter.com
Sandy Rakowitz owns and operates One Heart Healing Center in Charlottesville, VA. Sandy is a TTouch Companion Animal Practitioner Level 1, a TTEAM Equine Practitioner Level 2, Centered Riding Instructor, and a graduate of the Barbara Brennan School of Healing where she taught for 6 years. In her private practice, Sandy also integrates the use of Animal Communication, therapeutic-grade essential oils and flower essences. (434) 973-8864 www.onehearthealingcenter.com
Taken from TTEAM Connections, April-June 2011