Good Words

“Our kitty acupuncturist Graham Quigley is amazing! He is so knowledgeable,  gentle and patient with my Gnocchi! My beautiful soon to be 7 year old has problems with his GI tract. I immediately got the response I was looking for--yes, we can help you and Graham is your guy!! I made an appointment for the very next Saturday and have gone 3 weeks in a row. We come from the City on BART and discovered the #12 bus stops right at the door!

Well, we just got through our third visit today and Gnocchi is showing improvement weekly. Gnocchi is so relaxed after just a few minutes of gentle massage and acupressure and Graham's warm and gentle nature. He has taken 4-5 needles per visit and has stayed calm and relaxed for nearly one hour!! Graham even laid down with him last week when preferred a nook in the bottom of a desk instead of the exam table.  I highly recommend acupuncture for your beloved pet with Graham.”

    -Mira L

“Our Dalmatian, Mini, is extremely anxious, about everything. She has been seeing Graham Quigley for acupuncture since April and with Graham's expert help, Mini and I are learning what she needs to be calm in this world. Mini is particularly fearful of men. On our first visit with Graham, his gentle energy and calm demeanor so soothed Mini that she was licking his ear within five minutes! Though results have not been dramatic, Mini is showing improvement with every visit. Realizing that it took her four years to become the bundle of nervous energy that she is, I'm willing to be patient and see where this journey leads us.

Graham is knowledgeable, kind, patient and engaging. My first Dalmatian saw another acupuncturist when she became older and had mobility problems. The other acupuncturist was great, and helped our dog with her physical issues, but I didn't learn nearly as much with her as I am learning with Graham. He's a true find!”

    -Madhuvanti K.

“The short of it? Graham Quigley rules and has made a tremendous difference in my life and my dog's life. Period.

If you need to know more, then read on.

My ten- year old, 90 lb., Malamute mix had been showing signs of possible degenerative myelopathy and neuropathy. She was also diagnosed with laryngeal paralysis and had surgery for that. She struggled getting herself up in the morning and had started knuckling in the front and collapsing in her hind- quarters on walks. Her back foot started to drag. Her coordination was bad. I had tried steroids with her and had negative side effects. A few years back, I did a MRI and cranial/spinal tap when she was showing similar symptoms but no tumors or degenerative discs. The symptoms would ebb and flow but this past year escalated.  I saw a neurologist, who wanted another MRI and spinal tap. There was even talk of spinal surgery. My primary vet George Marmalejo  (LOVE him!!) at Chabot Veterinary Clinic in Hayward suggested acupuncture as another treatment solution.

Ok. I'd like to think I'm open-minded to alternative eastern medicine...for PEOPLE. But for animals? I was skeptical. But around the same time, I received notice from my pet insurance, Healthy Paws (LOVE them too!!), that my coverage now included alternative therapy treatments such as, gulp, acupuncture!

No. Way.

So, why the heck not?

The experience? I take her once a week and is my most favorite part of my week now. It feels like both she and I are getting a spa treatment. We enter into a zen-like room. Graham greets my dog with a warm hug and smile. He sets up music, gives me tea, pillows on the floor, mood lighting. I'm not kidding, mood lighting and hot tea at the vet! I get on the floor with them. He gives her a massage and then starts in with the needles. We quietly chat, as she settles in, drawing attention and all the human worry energy away from her. Both she and I relax. Then he leaves us be, I lay with my dog, as she snores away. She also receives Chinese herbal supplements prescribed by Graham and under-water treadmill therapy once a week, all covered by her pet insurance.

The results? It takes time. My goal in this has been to keep my dog independently mobile for as long as possible. To avoid invasive surgery and harsh steroids which make her aggressive and have regular bladder infections. That's western medicine's answer. Aggressive. This is slow, gentle, HEALING.

And it's working. She moves better, she's stronger, her energy level is puppy-like again. Her coordination and movement isn't 100% but it's definitely better. Her smile is huge and she even jumps in excitement when she's getting ready for her walk.

I can't explain exactly why it's working. But it is. I drink tea and cuddle with my dog.  I can't imagine a better way to spend the last years of life with my favorite creature.”

-Lia T.

"Working with Graham was not only healing and insightful for my cat Missy but for myself as well. Very intuitive, sensitive to my cats needs and mine as well. He's also a wonderful teacher. I took an intro class on Pet Acupressure. Great information! Looking forward to more classes and healing work in the future"

    -Lori Santos, Animal Communication client

“Graham is a compassionate and grounded healer. We took our dog to Graham because he had been dealing with depression and hot spots. I was expecting the session to be all about our dog Brewster, but what surprised me and what had the most impact, was that the focus of the session was on the relationship we had with Brewster; when he came into my life, how it affected me, what was going on in my life at that time. It was a transformative experience that changed my relationship with Brewster in a conscience and positive way and along with some nutritional changes, that Graham recommended, Brewster was able to shift and heal his conditions. We love Graham and look forward to more sessions with him!”

    -Emily Bogle, Doula and Massage Therapist

“Graham helped me greatly when my dog was first diagnosed with hip dysplasia. He taught me about acupressure, nutrition, massage and therapeutic listening. Graham gave me great insight into what my dog was craving and needing to heal. He is still my first line of communication for any of my dog's needs. He is truly gifted and has a magic touch!”

    -Sarah Nevmerzycki, Occupational Therapist

“I began taking my almost 16 year old Black Lab 'Suzy", after 2 1/2 years battling cancer with two series of chemotherapy is now in remission, during that time along came arthritis in her right hip. My vet recommended Graham Quigley an acupuncture specialist at Holistic for a kinder and gentler treatment compared to the traditional treatment 'medications", which are harmful to her kidneys, Suzy is very comfortable with Graham and the whole staff. Graham is very gentle an kind!, Its like a day spa.

Graham is their acupuncture specialist who couldn't have been more gentle, kind and understanding treated her for approximately 4 months until her passing, I feel his treatments were effective and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend. He and the entire staff were great.”

    -Bill Y.

Acupuncture & Chinese Herbs  at Holistic Animal Clinic  ~  I practice Wednesdays & Saturdays in my space, “Holistic Animal Clinic” in San Rafael. Traditional acupuncture and modern electroacupuncture for all health concerns in a very relaxing environment. The highest quality Chinese herbs prescribed from experience, Tui Na massage & Acupressure to prepare them for the needles. This is true holistic healthcare for your animal companions.

Call 415.721.7494 to schedule, see map below for directions. Holistic Animal Clinic is part of West End Animal Center in San Rafael @ 2nd & G Street. Free parking, it’s just across the bridge from the East Bay. Open Wednesdays 10am-6pm, Saturdays 8:30am-4:30pm. Initial visit is 90minutes, followup appointments are a full hour. I’m even working on people & their animals at the same time when appropriate. I’m super happy to be offering this work!

Animal communication when practiced in a very grounded way, goes to the core of any disharmony. Sessions involve reading the more subtle dynamic between people and their animals in the household. Sessions are recorded on an audio CD if desired, and include practical ways of understanding your animals and their behavior. This work can also be powerful at end-of-life times.

Animal Acupressure is an effective hands-on technique, because it turns the animal’s best friend (you) into a powerful practitioner. Complaints like anxiety, pain, and digestive problems can benefit tremendously from these holistic approaches that have been around for thousands of years. See my Classes page for more information on learning how to provide acupressure for animals.

*If you need to reschedule or cancel your appointment, please give me at least 24 hours notice, otherwise I reserve the right to charge a $75 fee.

*I require that all of my clients be currently working with a Veterinarian.

*Acupuncture with animals only performed under supervision of a licensed Vet.

My Clinic!