Last week I thought we were going to lose our dog — and it became one of the most powerful experiences I’ve ever had with Reiki for animals.
If you’ve ever loved an animal deeply, you probably know the moment I’m talking about. The moment when something shifts and your heart quietly whispers: something isn’t right.
At first it didn’t seem serious. For a couple of weeks, Sophie had been a little slower than usual getting up and moving around. She’d had a couple of clumsy accidents — our cats tripped her on the stairs (they do that to us too), and she slipped on the ice one day. So we assumed she was just sore or recovering from a minor injury.
Nothing dramatic. Nothing that suggested anything life-threatening.
But by Wednesday night, something had changed.
She didn’t eat dinner.
That alone was unusual for her. And when I looked into her eyes, I had that sinking feeling that many animal guardians recognize instantly. It felt like the light behind them had dimmed just a little.
I said goodnight to her that evening with a knot in my chest.
And when I went to bed, the fear finally caught up with me.
That night felt heavy in a way that is hard to describe.
I lay in bed with what felt like an anvil on my chest, my mind racing through every possibility. If you’ve ever loved an animal companion like family, you know how quickly those thoughts can spiral.
I kept thinking: I’m not ready for this.
Sophie isn’t just a pet in our home. She’s family. She’s woven into the rhythm of our days, the quiet moments in the house, the little rituals that make a place feel alive.
The idea of losing her suddenly felt unbearable.
So I did what I’ve been trained to do for most of my life.
I began working with energy.
That night became a cycle of prayer, Reiki, and Ho’oponopono.
Every time I woke up, I began again.
I sent Reiki to her body and energy field. I called on angels for help. I worked through the Ho’oponopono cleaning process that I teach my students — releasing fear, clearing the energy around the situation, and returning again and again to love.
The night passed in waves. Fear would rise, and then I would return to the practice.
Something interesting began happening in my dreams.
I saw Sophie running.
I saw her eating.
I saw her bright and healthy again.
Each time I woke up from those dreams, I would feel a brief moment of hope before my logical mind stepped in again.
Don’t get your hopes up, it would say.
So I kept working.
Reiki.
Prayer.
Cleaning.
Again and again until morning.
During those previous couple of weeks — when we thought she was just dealing with an injury — I had actually made several Reiki blankets and placed them around the house.
Whenever Sophie lay down, she was often resting on one of them. I had attuned the blankets to Reiki so they continuously channeled healing energy to anyone resting on them.
At the time it simply felt like a loving thing to do while she recovered from what we thought was a minor issue.
Looking back now, I can’t help but wonder if those blankets helped sustain her during the early stages of what was really happening.
Because the answer we received the next morning was something none of us expected.
The next morning we brought Sophie to the vet.
After several tests, the answer appeared: Addison’s disease.
If you’re not familiar with it, Addison’s is a hormonal disorder that can sometimes appear suddenly and create dangerous imbalances in the body.
The vet explained something that surprised us.
Based on her lab results, they would normally expect to see tremors, cardiovascular problems, or even collapse.
But Sophie wasn’t experiencing those symptoms.
She was tired and slower than usual, yes — but she was still here.
Within 24 hours of starting treatment, she was already beginning to look and act like herself again.
It felt like watching a light come back on.
People sometimes ask me what Reiki is really for.
Yes, it can support physical healing.
Yes, it can calm the nervous system and help the body return to balance.
But that night reminded me of something deeper.
Reiki is also for the moments when we are afraid.
The moments when we don’t know the outcome. The moments when our logical mind can’t control what’s happening.
Reiki gives us a way to stay connected to something larger than fear.
It gives us a way to channel our love into action, even when the situation feels uncertain.
And sometimes, that alone changes everything.
Animals often respond beautifully to Reiki. Their systems tend to be very receptive to subtle energy work, and many practitioners find that animals relax quickly when Reiki is offered.
Simple practices like:
…can become powerful ways of caring for them.
Animals don’t need complicated techniques.
They respond to calm presence, love, and a balanced energetic field.
If experiences like this resonate with you, learning Reiki can open a powerful new way of supporting both yourself and the beings you love.
Inside my Complete Reiki Training Program (CRTP), students are guided through a comprehensive path that goes far beyond basic techniques.
The program focuses on:
Students learn how to:
Reiki becomes more than a technique.
It becomes a way of living and serving that deepens over time.
That night reminded me that healing work is not just about techniques or systems.
It’s about love.
Love for the beings in our lives.
Love for the fragile, miraculous experience of being alive together.
Sometimes healing looks dramatic.
Sometimes it looks like a miracle.
And sometimes it looks like a long night of prayer, Reiki, and quiet hope — trusting that something greater than fear is listening.
Sophie is doing well now, and we are incredibly grateful.
With love and Reiki,
Tarin Rataic, The Reiki Guide
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