Jasper's Path To Wellness - Reactivity & Allergies

Jasper had imbalances in 8 separate meridians, so his system was significantly out of balance. His Large Intestine meridian was the priority, which was understandable, due to his constipation and being a Metal element. Imbalances within this meridian can also be caused by holding on to the past, as well has showing signs of having internal coldness within his digestive system.

To begin with, I addressed Jasper's diet as he was constipated . I recommended gradually switching him over to a home cooked diet that was neutral to warming in temperature (to help warm up his digestive system and get it moving properly) consisting of beef mince, green tripe, chicken, chicken wing (raw), beef ribs (raw), beef liver, beef kidney, apple, cabbage, celery, pumpkin, chicken eggs (1-2 a week), sardines. These dietary changes were made gradually over the 2 months to ensure that Jasper’s digestive system would not be stressed by the changes. Once he was settled into his new diet we added in beef bone broth, kefir, hempseed powder and pumpkin seed for extra digestive and nutritional support. 

To support Jasper through these changes he was offered diluted Cedarwood hydrosol (Cedrus atlantica) and yarrow hydrosol (Achillea millefolium). Cedarwood is a great aromatic for animals who are unsettled by their surroundings and become fearful as a result. It is also helpful for back aches and hair loss. Yarrow is a perfect choice for animals with unknown history that exhibit behavioural issues or have had physical or emotional trauma, as well as having a powerful anti-allergenic and anti-inflammatory properties. These hydrosols were diluted in bowls of spring water and placed in an area away from his plain drinking water. Jasper would visit his hydrosol’s bowl daily and this was regularly topped up as needed. 

After his dietary changes Jasper showed great progress and was looking physically more relaxed so I re-tested him to see what shifts had occurred within his meridians. 

Jasper’s Conception Vessel, Heart, Bladder and Triple Warmer were now back in balance. However, his Stomach, Small Intestine, Kidney, Liver and Large Intestines were still out of balance. His Large Intestine meridian was still the priority, which meant that even though we had addressed his constipation it was clear that we needed to support Jasper to process the trauma’s he had from his past as a rescue and being separated from his mother and sister. 

So, it meant that it was time to work on the emotional root of his imbalances.  

Unfortunately, Spring had arrived in the Azores in March which resulted in Jasper’s skin flaring up, therefore I retested his meridian balance to see what other support was needed now that there was a change in symptoms. 

This time Jasper’s Stomach was back in balance, but he still had imbalances within his Kidney, Lung, Liver and Small Intestine meridians. It was interesting to see that as his allergies kick off, suddenly his Lung meridian was out of balance. The Lung meridian is all to do with grief and unprocessed emotions, which highlighted that his allergic skin reactions had a connection to his past grief (that he was still carrying with him). However, even though this imbalance was now showing up as we peeled the layers away as he started to come back into balance, whereas he needed support was with his small intestine meridian. 

Due to this sudden change in his skin, Jasper needed something stronger, so I adjusted the aromatics to offer him Ginger essential oil (Zingiber officinale), Cedarwood essential oil (Cedrus atlantica) both in Hempseed carrier oil (Cannabis sativa). Ginger is a really warming digestive oil that helps animals with sluggish digestion, skin issues, muscular ache, and pains especially in the back and hind end. As he was very keen on the Cedarwood hydrosol we offered it in essential oil form (which is more chemically potent than the hydrosol), to provide him more physical support. Hempseed carrier oil was chosen as it is a warming and grounding oil that offers a sense of security and is often helpful with anxiety-related behavioural issues for animals who are ‘holding it together’ emotionally and physically. Once his skin had settled back down a few weeks later, he lost interest in the Ginger, but continued selecting the Cedarwood by inhaling and ingesting the oil. 

At last things were starting to get back on track, until Jasper had other ideas. He and his doggy companion Sofi managed to escape their garden again and this time went missing for 28 hours! It is important to mention that at this point Jasper was not going out for walks, instead his guardian was doing daily Animal Centred Education (ACE) Freework with him. So, for him to be out on his own was extremely distressing for his guardian. Once they had been found, both Jasper and Sofi were understandably physically and mentally exhausted from their adventure and the next day Jasper’s skin had become badly inflamed and sore. This experience gave us more clues into the link between Jasper’s skin condition and confinement. 

Unfortunately, after his escape he had become further out of balance, his Conception Vessel, Small Intestine, Bladder, Kidney, Large Intestine and Triple Warmer meridians were back out of balance. His Triple Warmer meridian was the priority to focus on, because that is related to physical and emotional stress as his adrenals were activated by the experience. 

With his skin being in such a bad way I changed his aromatics again and offered him Patchouli essential oil (Pogostomen cablin) in Calendula infused carrier oil (Calendula officinalis) and Rosemary essential oil (Rosmarinus officinalis) in Hempseed carrier oil. Patchouli is beneficial for damaged skin, especially when it is related to anxiety, insecurity, depression and emotional collapse. Calendula is brilliant for slow healing skin irritations and is uplifting and comforting. Rosemary is very useful for overworked and tight muscles, fur loss (especially if the animal is emotionally or mentally disconnected and lacks confidence). It is often selected by animals who feel confined. Japer was very keen on both oils, and he would ingest large amounts. After a few days, he lost interest in the Rosemary but continued to select the Patchouli in Calendula infused carrier oil by inhalation and ingestion.

On the 10th of April Jasper’s guardian reached out to let me know that “another little change in behaviour is his eagerness for his sessions. Yesterday he leapt up onto the sofa beside me with joyful enthusiasm and nearly sat on me! Thinking back to when he was so wary of anything in a bottle - I had to guess, dilute and offer in a dish, that I was not holding! Progress indeed!” This was great progress as he is very sensitive to scents and if a bottle was opened in the room and he did not like it he would leave the room. 

It was clear Jasper was desperate for more freedom, so we needed to find a way for his guardian to feel more comfortable about taking him out for walks again. So, we started with short ‘sniffy’ walks local to where he lived. On the 23rd of April 2024 he went for his first walk in a long time, and it was a positive experience for him and his guardian, who was feeling more optimistic. So, they started to go for walks every other day, giving them both a day off to decompress before their next walk. After his 3rd walks his skin erupted again! 

Jasper’s Triple Warmer was back in balance; however, his Large Intestine, Bladder, Kidney and Lung meridians were still out of balance along with his Heart Protector and Gallbladder. Now that his Triple Warmer was back in balance the focus was back on his Large Intestine meridian.

As Jasper was still interested in the Patchouli, we kept offering that daily and offered him Carrot seed essential oil (Daucu carota) in Sunflower carrier oil (Helianthus annus l), Cypress essential oil (Cupressus sempervirens) in Sunflower oil. Carrot seed is a very nurturing oil, often selected by animals with slow healing wounds and poor skin, who have an inability to give or receive nurturing and have experienced past abandonment. Cypress is a great oil for animals who want to move on but at stuck in old patterns of behaviours, especially if they have been emotionally destabilised by a trauma, such a losing a loved one. He showed very keen interest in ingesting and inhaling both oils. 

Clearly, I was missing something but what? 

Light bulb moment! Jasper found having the days off in-between his walks stressful as he felt unsettled by the lack of consistent daily routine and the sudden loss of freedom may have felt like a punishment as Sofi got to go out every day and he didn’t. This made him become emotionally withdrawn from the family. Change of plan, Jasper needed to go out every day, even if it was just for a short “sniffy” walk outside his house and garden. Within days of making this simple change his skin cleared up faster than ever before, helping to confirm that this was the trigger for his skin to erupt! 

But what has going for walks and skin reactions got to do with each other? 

In TCM the Metal element is associated with the skin, immune system, digestion and the emotion of grief. Jasper’s allergic skin reactions are an immune response, the skin is the largest organ in the body and is associated with defending the body. So, when Jasper becomes stressed due to digestive issues, grief or anxiety due to sudden changes in his routine or environment he does not know how to cope and the quickest way for his body to release the stress is through his skin this is his body’s defence mechanism. It also acts as a signal that all is not well, and he needs emotional support. 

A few weeks later his guardian went on holiday for two weeks, so Jasper and Sofi stayed at home with a dog-sitter, but they did not go out for walks, due to the change when his guardian got home his skin started to show signs of inflammation! But this time we knew exactly how to get him back on track. His guardian got him back on to his normal routine and I re-tested his meridian balance to see where he needed extra support.

Jasper still had imbalance within his Heart, Small Intestine, Liver, Lung, Large Intestine meridians. However, his Lung meridian was his priority which highlighted that he was now ready to work on his grief at a deeper level. 

As Jasper was still selecting Cypress essential oil, his guardian kept offering that daily but also offered him Helichrysum essential oil (Helichrysum italicum) in Calendula infused carrier oil. Helichrysum is commonly selected by animals with skin issues, who are holding on-to resentment over past treatment and are stuck in a negative pattern that is deeply embedded. Jasper was interested in both oils, and he ingested the Cypress for a couple of days before losing interest but he continued to select the Helichrysum until his skin had healed up. Once he lost interest in both oils, Helichrysum hydrosol was diluted in spring water for him to select as and when he needed, which he also eventually lost all interest in. 

At this point Jasper’s 6th month ‘Path To Wellness’ programme had come to an end and it had been real journey both physically and emotionally for his guardian as she was so committed to helping Jasper and to build a better relationship with him and all her hard work paid off as she reach out to say that “a few small things have changed, the most dramatic is his reactions. Multiple times now we have seen rabbits, and he has just looked at them! Then one day we saw a cat and again he just looked, however the cat broke the spell when it decided to run away - then Jasper had to try to run, but I stopped him, and he came back to me quite nicely. I also took him off the lead a couple of times one afternoon, when we seemed to be alone in the fields. He ran around a bit, but came back to me twice, appearing to be very keen to do so. The other big difference is he has stopped reacting to farmer's pickups. He sits nicely and takes a treat whilst they go by. It is different if they have a barking dog in the back, but that is completely understandable. He is also more calm in the car - he seems to have stopped anticipating and only reacts now if something is actually there..... His skin has had a small eruption under his right armpit this week, but it is already repairing. I think it might have been the two different walks, which did involve some excitement”. 

This is by no means the end of the healing journey for Jasper but just the beginning, it is so beautiful to see their relationship and communication blossom and I feel so blessed to have been a part of this journey with them.