Animal communication in Switzerland: what it really is

Between scepticism and longing: what animal communication really is from a veterinary point of view, what it can do — and how to recognise someone trustworthy.

“Animal communication” — that word splits a room. One half thinks of hocus-pocus, the other hopes for an answer at last. I would like to tell you what I understand by it after more than 30 years as a vet — soberly, honestly and without promises.

What animal communication actually means

Animals communicate constantly. Just not in words. They speak through posture, muscle tension, breathing, the direction of their gaze, the play of their ears, restlessness, distance and closeness. Animal communication is the ability to read that language consciously instead of overlooking it.

That is less mystical than it sounds — and at the same time deeper than most people assume. Because anyone who really looks often notices changes weeks before a lab value moves. That is exactly where the practical value lies.

What animal communication is not

Here I am very clear, because your animal is involved: animal communication is not a diagnosis and no substitute for a veterinary examination. If your animal is in acute distress, bleeding, no longer eating, apathetic or struggling to breathe, it belongs at a veterinary practice or hospital — immediately and without detour.

Nor is it a promise of a particular result. Nobody can guarantee that, and anyone who does should make you suspicious.

Why I work with it as a vet

I lived for four years in the Australian outback and learned something there from Aboriginal people that never came up in my studies: that a living being can never be looked at in isolation. Body, feeling, surroundings and relationships belong together. A horse that has been playing up “for no reason” for months usually has a reason — just not one that shows up on an X-ray.

Since then I have worked with both: with the conventional diagnostics I was trained in, and with a trained eye for the whole picture. The one does not exclude the other. It makes it more complete. You will find more on this in my article on holistic veterinary medicine.

When animal communication is worth it

• Your animal has changed its behaviour and nobody can find a reason.
• A chronic problem keeps coming back although everything has been treated medically.
• After a move, a loss or a change in the family, “something is not right”.
• You face a hard decision at the end of life and are looking for clarity.
• You want to deepen the relationship with your animal fundamentally.

How to recognise trustworthy support in Switzerland

The term is not protected. Anyone may use it. So here are three questions I recommend:

1. What professional grounding does the person have? Medical training is not a must — but it changes how seriously warning signs are handled.
2. Are the limits stated clearly? Trustworthy support tells you when you need a vet — even when that costs it business.
3. Are results promised? If so: walk on.

How you can start yourself

You need no special gift for this. You need attention, patience and a little guidance. What a good start looks like I have written down in Learning animal communication: five steps . If you would like to go deeper, my course “Decoding the language of animals” takes you into it step by step.