Animal guides or Power Animals can be a little bit of both. Spirit guides can also take the form of animals.
I do however believe that animals are in a strict sense different.

Animals with messages appear in our life through various meanings, such as divination, dreams, physical appearance of the animal etc.
When we receive or dream messages, similar to spirit guides who come in and out of our life. By ‘sharing’ with one in particular we can gain access to its qualities and what is meant by it.

In the past animal totems functioned as spirit guides for those in native cultures, and they often appear in meditations and past life regressions as with guides for those who have had past lives in native cultures.
 
According to some Native American beliefs, we have two animal spirits who walk with us, one on our left and one on our right. We also have a guide that is within us, which evolves and surrounds our beliefs and what is needed to help us out, which lets face it we all need it sometimes. It is through these guides we derive our personal strengths, and it is with these animals that we can shape our paths in life.

Try it when you are in a time of need, call upon one. I personally believe that we have several animal totems, as we learn and progress through life.
These animals and their essences protect different aspects of ourselves and guide us in that area.
In contrast, the spirit guides tend to look after our whole well-being.
 
“If you talk to the animals
they will talk with you
and you will know each other.
If you do not talk to them,
you will not know them,
and what you do not know
you will fear
What one fears one destroys”
 
Your animal guides can be seen in your dreams and you should stick with the ones that come to you.
 
They can go from spiders, eagle, wolf, cow, bear, raven, snake, kangaroo, owl, stag pelican, hare, toad, black cat, elephant, swan, lion, dolphin, bee, otter
 
There are various meanings of these animals if you look on the web sites such as ‘Google’
I have had a look at the meanings and it is very interesting in how they represent our personalities and characters. Have a look if you get the chance well worth it and scary, but fascinating.
 

Tracy.