Neurofeedback for Pets
Neurofeedback is a form of biofeedback that provides real-time brainwave activity to the clinician. The information is measured by sensors placed in different areas on the animal's head. It can observe and identify "stuck" patterns. With these readings, the clinician uses various protocols to reduce symptoms and increase optimization.
Neurofeedback has been proven to show remarkable results with cats, dogs and horses (and yes, even a rooster!) that have experienced trauma, anxiety, abuse or neglect, stress, behavior problems, seizures, medical conditions, accidents and aggressiveness. Neurofeedback is a natural scientific method that self regulates the brain without the need for medication. I work with dogs and cats only for animal neurofeedback treatment.
What to Expect
A typical neurofeedback appointment for pets takes between 10-30 minute sessions. Dogs and cats may stand, sit or lay down. They can be on the floor or on their owners laps. Once comfortable, small sensors are then placed in specific locations on the animals ears and head using gentle ear clips and non-abrasive paste. This gives a real time view of how their brain is operating. With this information, we then use a custom protocol to help stimulate healthy brainwaves where beneficial.
The number of sessions needed will vary from pet to pet. While we have seen a major improvement in just 1 to 3 sessions, most dogs typically need 5 to 15 sessions to see a change. The ideal part about neurofeedback is that it is non-invasive and requires no input from the dog. Therefore, the whole experience is stress-free and does not require any advanced obedience behaviors. This passive system and the cumulative nature of the technology makes it a fantastic option for behavior modification or management.
Benefits
LENS works well with problems of the Central Nervous System, which include but are not limited to:
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Physical pain
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Seizures
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Concussion & Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
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Dysregulated emotions & mood
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Motor, balance and tremor
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Anxiety, restlessness & hyper-vigilance
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Sleep problems
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Chronic health concerns
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Fatigue - Fatigue & various sleep disorders.
How it Works
The brain is a complex, sophisticated, bioelectrical system comprised of billions of neurons that control all aspects of the human experience. Every thought, sensation, movement, and emotion are brought about by the electrical firing of neurons in the brain. Billions of these neurons synchronously fire together to emit waves of bioelectric energy that can be detected in the form of brain waves.
Healthy brain waves are balanced and predictable. In other words, a balanced brain produces the appropriate brain waves at the appropriate times. Brain imbalances occur when the brain is injured or stressed, which can lead to a wide range of symptoms, including anxiety, ptsd, fear, inability to focus, and more.
The effectiveness of neurofeedback from an electrochemical level stems from its ability to interrupt unhealthy brain wave patterns and stimulate new, healthy ones. Much like rebooting a computer, it stimulates the brain to reset itself and develop new, healthy patterns.
A human brain is very similar to a canine brain from an electrochemical perspective, which means that we can use our technology to pick up the brain waves of both humans and pets. Sessions are tailored to each animal based on preexisting conditions and real time brain activity.
There is little to no risk associated with neurofeedback. The amount of energy being used by the LENS technology is extremely minimal. The EEG Amplifier we use puts out a signal that is equivalent to about 1/100th of the strength of an AA battery, and far below anything a person or dog can feel or detect. We also use custom settings for each client and are able to optimize them as we learn more about how their brain responds to the stimulation.
Research
To see a list of more research and resources, click here.
Bronwyn von Niessen, RCC