Salem Authors Bark Up Healing Tree In New Book

SALEM, MA — Jeanie Mossa said she originally intended her book of tips on acupuncture and holistic techniques to help your dog through the stresses of injury, old age and daily canine life to be about 300 pages.

By the time she and her husband, Norman Kraft, were done with the book amid the coronavirus health crisis it was up to 700 pages of information that Mossa said was more like an encyclopedia of everything she knows about dogs that became the Salem couple's "Barkopaedia: The Canine Book of Knowledge."

"It's everything a dog would want their owner to know," Mossa told Patch.

Mossa owned Four Paws Acupuncture in Salem before the onset of the pandemic forced the closure of her shop and made her take a hiatus from Our Family Veterinary Services in Peabody, where she also assisted.

The extra time, her own battle with coronavirus and the passing of her border collie/Newfoundland mix Quan Yin Kali Wu inspired her to finish the book that she said: "had been in progress for a long time and kind of always been on hold."

"I had all this time on my hands so I figured I'd better finish this book," she said. "The COVID just pushed us over the edge."

Mossa said she did most of the writing with Kraft, a retired acupuncturist, contributing to editing and layout.

The result is intended to be a go-to source where canine healing methods are explained to assist pet owners in relief of common ailments without having to take a stressful and potentially expensive trip to the vet's office when it may not be truly necessary.

"It's a book for dog owners who perhaps want to know more about alternative medicine," she said. "If your dog is in pain, it's not a substitute for veterinary care. It's almost like a companion."

The book includes information on acupuncture, acupressure techniques that owners can do at home, dietary aids and other herbal remedies. It also delves into the potential aids of crystals, astrology and even music therapy.

There are extensive chapters dedicated to dealing with a dog's everyday stresses.

"If it seems like your dog is in pain you can try this," she said. "But if he is limping for a few days, go to the vet.

"It combines Western and Eastern medicine together. I'm not an alternative practitioner that's all alternative. If I need to go to the doctor, I go to the doctor. If my dog or cats need to go to the vet, they go to the vet."

It was when Quan Yin Kali Wu was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor on her leg at 12 years old that Mossa gained an even greater appreciation for the alternative methods. Because of the dog's age and nature of the tumor, removal, radiation, chemotherapy and amputation were all not options.

But through dietary changes and pressure-point treatments, Mossa said Quan Yin — as she called her for short — was able to live a happy and relatively pain-free final year of her life.

"This dog lived better than most people," she said.

The book is available on Amazon here with more information on the book here.

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)