My Animal Matters Ltd

My Animal Matters Ltd Animal communicator | zoopharmacognosy courses | pet parent coaching | dogmum ♥️

Rachel Knott
Applied Zoopharmacognosy
Optimising the health and well-being of your animal
Supplier of high quality natural remedies for animals

05/01/2025

🌳🐾 What’s your intention when you take your dog outside? 🤔

Is it to socialize with friends or other animals? To get some exercise? To practice indoor training skills in the 'real world'? Maybe it’s to focus on your own fitness journey, enjoy some alone time, explore new places, or simply savour the peace and quiet?

Reflecting on your motivation can be a great way to understand what honestly drives you each day. And notice how it changes. But have you considered where those goal comes from? Are you following what others deem important, or is it genuinely your own desire?

Sometimes, our goals may not align with what our dogs truly want.
While you might be looking for a structured walk, your dog might just want to stretch their legs, roll in the grass (or something more stinky), or chase after that squirrel! 🐶✨

It’s easy to walk around with human blinkers on, unaware of our biases and unconscious desires. But it can sometimes feel you're not connected or it's hard work. And it doesn't have to be.

The beautiful thing is our dogs are incredibly perceptive and often see through the "ideals" we’ve been sold. They are always authentically themselves, reminding us to embrace what truly matters.

This is where animal communication shines!
It helps us better understand our dogs and also reveals what really matters to us. If you're curious to explore this deeper, I invite you to book an animal communication session with me. Let’s dig deeper and enhance the bond with your dog! 🥰💬

What is your dog's name and what does it mean?Does it speak to their character in some way?Or did you choose it as you l...
18/12/2024

What is your dog's name and what does it mean?
Does it speak to their character in some way?
Or did you choose it as you love the qualities of what it means to you?
Or something else?

When Darcy came to us she was called Dilly dalliance. The dalliance is definitely her but we chose Darcy which means 'the dark one'. I like the dark as it's where our imagination kicks in. Possibilities and we see beyond. I also love Darcy Bussell and how Darcy expresses herself physically. It felt very feminine too.

How about you?

“How do I know where to begin and which essential oil to offer?”We’re so used to having systems and processes and struct...
13/12/2024

“How do I know where to begin and which essential oil to offer?”

We’re so used to having systems and processes and structures as human beings as they can make us feel comfortable. We LOVE a plan, goals and structure.

But with dogs, we’re working with ever changing sentient beings that are constantly evolving and responding to their eco-system.
The process of offering botanicals shouldn’t be linear.
It’s not like dog training where you’re meant to follow steps.
Of course go and read the books, do the research about the different aromatics and their properties.

But when you’re sat in front of a dog, those structures, steps, processes mean nothing to them.

What matters is you.
And how much time you’re spending feeling and listening to them.
How creative, flexible and empathetic you are.

This is where I step in and help you step up.
I love helping my students open up their senses.
Helping them meet the aromatics beyond their chemical compounds.

I have just 5 spaces for my Botanical Self-healing 1-2-1 Practitioners mentorship in 2025.

If you’re drawn to start weaving this beautiful work into your life and world with dogs, like this post and send me a DM and let’s get you booked in for a discovery call.

Rachel 💖

I want to play a game and I need your help.I want to see how many labels we as a collective we can come up with that we ...
10/12/2024

I want to play a game and I need your help.

I want to see how many labels we as a collective we can come up with that we use in the dog world.
There are no wrongs answers and it’s all about having fun with it.

Why am I doing this? 🤔
Because I want to help draw our attention to how every time we meet a dog, potentially we’re meeting them with an attachment to what a good and crap version of that label is.
We see them through a specific lens. A filtered lens.

What would be more freeing for them is instead of seeing their label, we are meeting them for the first time with all that pure expansive empathetic simplicity and curiosity.

I’ll start us off…..

Dog
Giant breed
Reactive
Working breed
Female

Let’s see if we can get to a 100!

Essential oils are from nature ie ‘natural’ but it doesn’t means we should just use them ‘willy-nilly’.The best way to a...
09/12/2024

Essential oils are from nature ie ‘natural’ but it doesn’t means we should just use them ‘willy-nilly’.

The best way to approach integrating essential oils into your pets world is invite them into the conversation.

What do I mean by that?
🤔

I mean offer the essential oil for them to smell and observe what they do.

This will give you information about whether they are wanting to inhale the aromatic molecules or not.

Here are some of the ways a dog will indicate they are interested in an essential oil.

🌿nose twitching
🌿looking at and following the bottle with their eyes and nose
🌿licking their lips
🌿yawning
🌿moving closer to the bottle
🌿stretching
🌿Switching form standing to sitting or laying down
🌿eyes softening

This list is not exhaustive as the key is to observe your own dog and watch what it is they do, without having an agenda on what they should do (which is the opposite to listening/learning).

Note it’s less about what they do in the moment of ‘sniffing’, it’s MORE noticing what is changing AFTER.
It might be they look like their nose only twitched 2x but they’ve gone form pacing around to laying down.

Have you ever offered essential oils to your dogs?
If so……
What did they choose and how did you know they chose it?

“Stupid dog, just eating random things”Or is he?And is it random?Probably not! And definitely NOT ‘stupid’, we just don’...
06/12/2024

“Stupid dog, just eating random things”

Or is he?
And is it random?
Probably not! And definitely NOT ‘stupid’, we just don’t have all the information…..yet!

If your dog forages for things when on a walk, instead of only stopping them, be curious.
What is it they are wanting to ingest?

If we don’t understand dogs have the innate ability to seek what it is their body needs, we might think they’re just being greedy, stupid, or maybe even doing it to be naughty.

I hear and see it a lot. Especially with different types of p**p.

I’m not saying let your dog eat everything they see.
Rather I’m saying be curious about what it is as that can give you information about what they’re lacking and seeking to make themselves flourish.

Baxter used to seek out seaweed when we adopted him. This went on for the first few months of his time with us.
Then he stopped.
His needs changed as he healed/changed.

It can be both intellectually stimulating and helpful to our dogs for us to research the properties of what they’re seeking and then look at their diet and perhaps even exploring zoopharmacognosy so they get the opportunity to guide their needs from home.

So tell me, what does your dog forage for?
And how do you feel about it?

Want to explore zoopharmacognosy with your own pets? Send me a dm and we can start you on this fascinating journey

I had no clue about horses when I started studying zoopharmacognosy.I'd never 'owned' a horse, didn't have friends with ...
05/12/2024

I had no clue about horses when I started studying zoopharmacognosy.
I'd never 'owned' a horse, didn't have friends with horses. Nothing. No experience whatsoever apart from admiring them from afar.

So when I studied equine zoopharmacognosy in a class full of people that were VERY 'horsey', were working in the equine therapy world already, I felt massively out of my depth!

I thought I'm never going to know as much as the other students on the course and I'll look like a pillock.

So when it came to working with one of the horses in the stables, I stood back and just observed and let the other students ask questions and make observations.

A range of essential oils were being offered but nothing was 'hitting home' for her.

Then out of the blue, I got the smell and image of Barley grass powder. So I piped up and said, I feel she's missing something in her diet and can we offer her barley grass.

Well! The plumes of green that surrounded us all when she dove into the offering were like tiny particles of joy as finally she'd been heard and her needs being met.

So what then happened?
Why did I receive the information so easily?

My thoughts are it's because I was just listening and observing her with no expectation or pressure to get anything, as of course, in my mind, I knew nothing.

I wasn't SEEKING the answer. Or looking for the 'what' or 'why. I wasn't trying to 'fix', I just was in that empathetic open space.

It's honestly magical what can happen when we step into that feminine listening space.
The wisdom that came through that day ripples out into every interaction I have with animals and plants.

We're here to receive, not seek.

I work with all species as an animal communicator and I love the variety!

If you'd like to book a discovery call to find out how I can help, and if we're a match, send me a dm.

In the meantime, open your heart, your mind, your body to FEEL your way with your animals. The head has it's place but it's not meant to run the show!

Rachel x

Have you ever pulled a sicky to get out of work or a social event you don’t fancy?Is it possible our dogs do this too?Lo...
03/12/2024

Have you ever pulled a sicky to get out of work or a social event you don’t fancy?

Is it possible our dogs do this too?

Look it might sound far fetched but maybe only because we haven’t yet considered quite how much our dogs are in tune with us and our honest emotions and drivers.

Last night I told Darcy that we have to get up pretty early and drive about an hour to a class that I feel she might benefit from.
The class is run by an group who have excellent reviews and I feel Darcy and I would learn some good stuff.

It was going to involve an hour walk in a group with a little bit of training. A nice combination potentially.

I went to bed and between 3 am and 6am she was restless with a gurgly stomach. I slept through all of it but my partner was up with her trying to help her settle.

So when I woke up (to an alarm 😩) which is a rarity for me, was I excited?
Not really. But I’d booked and thought I’d commit.

But then I learnt that Darcy had been ‘off’ in the night I decided to knock class on the head and she slept til 11. 🛌💖

This change in our plan meant I got to process my shop orders, take darcy for a run along the cliff top and then go to the gym. None of which would have been possible if I’d gone to the class walk.
Darcy got to sleep in, have lots of extra cuddles and go for a gentle run with me which is one of her fave things atm.

So I got what I honestly wanted today. And so did Darcy.
She is now resting peacefully with a full tummy and no gurgling. 😉

Now of course it could just be a ‘co-incidence’ and I could ‘accept’ that.

But isn’t it just more expansive, fun, mind opening, honest, to explore what else might be going on? To explore other possibilities….?

Seeing other perspectives and exploring life with our dogs with a curious lens really does help create a wonderful enriching and empathetic relationship together.

Have you ever experienced something like this?

🌟 Every day brings a new opportunity to learn about your dog – and yourself! 🌟 But do we truly see them with fresh eyes ...
19/11/2024

🌟 Every day brings a new opportunity to learn about your dog – and yourself! 🌟

But do we truly see them with fresh eyes each day?
Often, we get caught up in labels and assumptions, thinking, “I knew you’d… (insert whatever it is you think your dog ‘always does’).”
This mindset can create tunnel vision and confirmation bias, leading us to seek out evidence that simply reinforces our preconceived notions.

When we label our dogs as reactive, insecure, aggressive, grumpy, or hyper, we risk overlooking their true complexity.
Even identifying them by breed is a form of labelling. While labels can be useful, embracing them too rigidly can limit our perspective.
Your dog becomes just that label, and you may find yourself seeking proof to confirm it.

But remember, dogs, like us, are dynamic and ever-evolving.

So, I encourage you to greet your dog each day with a sense of wonder.
Approach them as if meeting for the first time, eager to discover who they are today.
Be curious about the unique experiences you’ll share and the lessons you’ll learn together.

Take the time to notice their changes – the nuances, the subtle shifts in behavior and mood.

Instead of focusing on being “right,” embrace curiosity.

You’ll uncover so much more about your dog, seeing them in vibrant color instead of just black and white. 🐾💕

11/11/2024

Parallel walking is GREAT for helping dogs overcome social awkwardness, overaroused greetings, etc.

It's also great for helping reactive dogs widen their social circle.

This video was taken after 4 walks.

We started the 1st walk an entire neighborhood block away from each other, with the intention of NOT having a greeting.

Gradually, the dogs showed us with their body language, that we could close the gap.

We met up a few days ago for our first walk in 6 months, and we began only 20 feet apart, quickly closed the gap and the dogs were relaxed and comfortable.

This IS socializing! Not all dogs need to wrestle or chase each other, esp after around 3 years old.

I teach people how to successfully do this with their dogs, and I'm on a mission to help more people get out and do this with each other, as well as with me!

10/11/2024
Something happens when a dog feels heard.They can start to heal. Duke had been in rescue for 4 years and was scared of e...
03/11/2024

Something happens when a dog feels heard.

They can start to heal.

Duke had been in rescue for 4 years and was scared of everything.
I’d just finished my zoopharmacognosy studies and I wanted to help out at a local rescue to see how I could support some of their longest stay dogs.

Duke was both fearful and depressed. He spent all day hiding at the back of his kennel. His carer was the only one that he would engage with.

Now the wonderful thing about zoopharmacognosy is I am not asking anything of the dog. I’m purely listening.
I had no idea whether Duke would engage with the essential oils but I was quietly confident that although I didn’t know what would change, I knew something would change.

His kennel was wooden with very little light. Duke didn’t move the whole time I sat with him, so all I could do was notice his eyes and feel my way through the offerings.

We sat in the cramped dark space with Duke for 2 hours. Jasmine and Linden blossom were the 2 essential oils he wanted to work with.
The occasional eye softening blink and nose twitches were the feedback I needed to continue and sit WITH Duke and hold space while he processed the aromatics and what they elicited for him.

It was an emotional session for all of us but I left honestly wondering if I’d made much of a difference.

The next day, his carer messaged me to let me know Duke was doing something he’d not done before.

He was sat at the FRONT of his kennel watching out of his window. 😍

2 weeks later he was in his forever home.

Was it the session? The aromatics? Timing? Me? All of it?

I’d offer that the ‘being heard’ played a huge part in his journey.
The aromatics in combination with holding space with zero expectation on what should happen next, meant that Duke could change. That we’d helped him in some way for the next part of his journey.
And he helped me in the next part of my journey.
Zoopharmacognosy runs through my veins for so many reasons.
But the main one being that the animals are given the opportunity to do what they do so effortlessly when given the chance. To guide their own healing.

6 years ago I stood under this beautiful Japanese banana plant in the Edinburgh botanical gardens. Something about her, ...
27/10/2024

6 years ago I stood under this beautiful Japanese banana plant in the Edinburgh botanical gardens.
Something about her, above all the other 1000s of exotic and native plants in there drew me in.
I didn’t consciously know what it was, just that pull. And I remember standing underneath feeling this absolute love for her magnificence!

Next week we move into our new home and out the front of the house is the same plant species. 🥰The Japanese banana plant.
I didn’t realise the connection until I saw this memory from 6 years ago today.

When you are drawn to certain things, you don’t need to know why, as it’s mostly unconscious, just follow that pull.

Spend time really connecting with your body and using all of your senses to feel what it is you are drawn to.

It’s your soul showing you that everything in nature, including the plants and animals are all our guides and ally’s on our journey co-creating together to learn who we are. To learn how to flourish.

What plants are you drawn to?
I wonder where they are guiding you?

A dear friend sent this to me today as we were talking about that feeling you get when you meet someone that’s your same...
24/10/2024

A dear friend sent this to me today as we were talking about that feeling you get when you meet someone that’s your same kind of ‘weird’ 🫥

I naturally seek out people that are different from the ‘norm’ as they’re the ones that are often stepping outside of their comfort zone and pushing the envelope on what has been accepted as normal and ‘true’.

If you’re following my page or are one of my amazing students, clients and customers, I am going to make a guess that you would also class yourself as weird, quirky and unique. 🫶🏼

Here’s to all of you 🍻. Keep up the great work 🙏

Do you feel this too?

This will be JUICY!
24/10/2024

This will be JUICY!

In this episode of The BK Petcast, we sit down with The Forever Dog Life authors, Rodney Habib and Dr. Karen Becker DVM, to explore why vets recommend kibble...

23/10/2024

Such a great activity for dogs

Important Shop Update: Order Processing During Our MoveI wanted to give you a heads-up that we are moving into our new h...
22/10/2024

Important Shop Update: Order Processing During Our Move

I wanted to give you a heads-up that we are moving into our new home next week. Hoorah! 🥳
On Halloween 🎃 👻!! 😂

During this time, you will still be able to place orders via the website, but there will be some changes to my shipping schedule.

⬇️

I’ll continue accepting orders until Friday, October 25th, at 12:00 PM. However, any orders placed after that won't be shipped out until I reopen on Monday, November 4th.

To make sure you receive your orders on time, I recommend placing them as soon as you can.

Thanks so much for your support during this transition. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out.

Best wishes,

Rachel and Darcy
My Animal Matters

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Rachel Windsor-Knott Dip. IAZ Botanical Self-Healing in Animals Optimising the health and well-being of your animal Supplier of high quality natural remedies for animals