Magnetic
Therapy
Animal Attraction:
Can
magnetic therapy help your four-footed
friend?
by Ann Brightman
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“The magnets not only help with
pain control but also enhance immunity
and rid the body of excess fluid as well
as fatty and calcium deposits,”
says Pam Legault of Palarset, B.C.-based
representatives for Light Force Canada,
distributors of magnetic and light therapy
products. A registered nurse as well as
a dog lover, Pam was initially a little
doubtful of magnetotherapy’s claims
to fame, but she has since seen plenty
of evidence of its effectiveness. “We’ve
only been using and selling these products
for six months but I’ve seen them
bring down swelling and inflammation dramatically.”
Alberta resident Bev Holoboff purchased
a magnetic collar from Pam for her 12-year-old
Gordon setter, Piper, who has arthritis.
“I’m a world-class skeptic
and only bought the collar because I felt
so sorry for the old girl.” Within
a day, Bev noticed that Piper seemed to
be moving more easily than she had in
years. At first, Bev thought she was imagining
things, but Piper was soon doing so well
that they were able to stop the dog’s
medication. “It’s amazing,”
says Bev. “Piper had been on Decadron
for three years because it was the only
thing that kept her comfortable. Now she’s
off it completely.
Obviously, the collar can’t make
the arthritis go away, but it sure seems
to have changed how she feels about it.”
Judy Stanley, who lives in the Eastern
Townships of Quebec, had a similar experience
with her 17-year-old Pomeranian mix, Foxy.
“He was getting so crippled that
he couldn’t walk up the steps and
I could tell he was in a lot of pain,”
says Judy. “I put a magnetic collar
on him, and within a week he was running
up the stairs. It was wonderful.”
Another unexpected benefit was that Foxy
stopped shedding. “Normally, I was
always cleaning up hair and now I don’t.
Even during the summer he didn’t
lose much.”
It’s important to keep in mind that
magnetotherapy isn’t a cure-all.
Although it can relieve pain as well as
hasten and enhance the healing of certain
injuries and illnesses, it won’t
cure cancer or reverse heart disease.
“As well, every animal reacts differently
to it,” says Pam. “It may
do wonders for one individual, but not
another.” On the whole, though,
magnetotherapy is certainly worth exploring
and experimenting with, especially if
your animal companion suffers from arthritis,
stress or some other painful or chronic
condition. You might just be amazed by
the results.
The Right
Stuff
Can you use ordinary household magnets
for therapeutic purposes? The answer is
no. “Ordinary magnets have no penetration,”
says Eva. “They only have sufficient
strength to adhere to a metallic surface,
but as little as 1/4” away there
is no detectable magnetism.” While
they may be great for sticking memos to
your fridge door, they’ll have no
influence on your health or that of your
animal companion. Only the strong magnets
specially designed for therapeutic use
are effective.
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Published in the Winter 2002 issue of
Animal Wellness Magazine
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