Hand Holding Anxiety. When You Love Too Much It Costs.

 Hand-holding vs. confident and competent?

Izzy takes a ride with Allie.

It occurred to me that as much as I hope to practice for the latter I see a lot of the former. Maybe I attract it?

Maybe I market it,,, albeit unknowingly.

Questions about intentions from the newest rescue we are helping.
This little one is about 10 weeks old and was rescued from a dump in deep Kentucky.
She had an ultrasound and some questions about the size of our position pillows.

The issue is not that one is better, or worse, than the other. The issue is that I am not as adaptive as I hope to be, or know others hope me to be. The issue is that I am too sensitive, too driven and too insanely compelled to practice for the benefit of the patient and forget to tailor my delivery to the client.

 The real issue is that I forget I am merely an extension of the leashes many avenues, and not the patients only resource to recovery. 

Teddy. TPLO surgery last Wednesday.
All sweetness and a pinch of Border Collie anticipation.

Yesterday was an example of this. Yesterday was Lilly. A bubbly, bouncy curly ginger girl who has had multiple trips to the ER and multiple trips to my clinic for her waxing waning intermittently, self-described as "violent" vomiting and diarrhea. She is owned by two doting millennials. The kind that the vet journals remind me to both recognize and cater to. They are the new generation of my bread and butter. They love their pets in place of having children and they will both spend for them and advocate for them. These are the couples with sets of pet outfits, all personally monogrammed with the family crest, one for each member. One for each holiday, each gathering and always captured in holiday post cards. They have vacations designed around "pet friendly" parameters. They are new parents who jump and take notice at the first sign of illness, discontent, or dismay. They are what I want every pet parent to be, not withstanding the narrow age bracket to remind me I still live in a rural place where people on farms still refer to all species with a prefix denoting "farm use." (The labels can literally kill you around here).

Skylar, also a TPLO surgery Wednesday.
The eyes, they always get me.
I spend a significant amount of my work day reassuring.

Lilly's mom arrived in her work clothes. A clean, dark, pet hair free, (I cannot remember the last time I had one of those outfits, likely never) pencil skirt, with mid-heeled black leather shoes,  and a tight fitting ruched shirt to match. She must work in an office where professional image matters, I think. I have yet to ever live that life,,, (and, yes, there is a side of me that is jealous about that). Compared to my professional attire which included; poorly matched scrubs, upper and lower hemispheres, and not-at-all comfortable, (nor supportive) sneakers with the laces untied dragging behind me swinging to and fro collecting hairball tumbleweeds as they traversed. I was reminded of the hazards by everyone I passed and still was too tired, too painfully arches in agony, to correct them. I have considered adding slippers, or Crocs, (I cannot believe I am here), to my wardrobe as the days get soo long I am reminded my body is decaying. Lilly's mom was intense, apologetic and fretful. Her dog is just over a year old and she has been to the vet a dozen times for the same thing. She is also, in quiet, subtle undertones, worried about the current place her vet bills lie and what the road ahead will look like to for retirement account if she stays on the current path for another decade.

It was 730 pm. We close at 8. I had fit her in after her call at 630 pm begging to be seen for her dogs "vomiting and diarrhea all over the place for the last 3 days." I had been in the clinic all day, 12 hours, and I was,,, done. Toast. And I know it.

I was exhausted. And now I have Lilly in front of me, with her worried mom,, and I am asking myself if I can see just one more case today? I remind myself silently that this, this profession, this day, and yes this moment,, is not about me. There are times, many times, and many days like this, where I am a bag of bones with untidy shoes, urine/fecal stained scrubs and a belly soo dehydrated and hungry I cannot adequately focus, nor separate myself from the clock calling me to close. I had arrived at the clinic at 8 am. I have not had a meal of any sort, nor sat down, nor taken a break to clear my cluttered head. There were 11 surgeries today. Two of which were my own pets. (Let's talk about how difficult that is). Then pile it on top of a day like this. I remind myself there won't be anything left of me to cremate when the burner expires within. I know this. I push my nose deeper into the ground and flex all fours to plow on. 

"Lilly's exam looks fairly normal." I reply. Lilly is now cowering behind her mom. She is drooling with anxiety and really wants me to go away. Pet hair free and upright on her kitten patent leather heels she asks me, "Why does this keep happening? And, how do we stop it?"

It's 745. That answer could take another 12 hours. 

Gunner, using the almost infallible tactic of,
"I'm too cute to ask to participate in an exam" ploy.

"Well, we have never gotten her a diagnosis. We are always treating the emergency and never investigating the in between times that might be leading her to this." I reply.

It's 750 pm. I sit down. I have to. I look up and meet her moms eyes. This was not the answer she wanted.

"Again, thank you for seeing me today. For fitting me in."

"You are welcome. I know you are worried." I suspect she is also worried about needing the ER, having to repeat an overnight stay. The x-rays, blood work, and ultrasound. Never mind the barium study. All of these have been done. And all were normal. 

"Maybe it would be helpful to keep a journal?" I suggest. Something for us to better understand what is happening between her visits? She is a normal weight. Normal size, normal coat. A picture of a healthy dog, but,,,, (bracing myself here),,, she is nervous. Mom is nervous. Is everyone in this household nervous? Stressed? How much exercise does she get? There is a direct correlation between dogs who play, act, and remain happy independent of their parents. I suspect she is a single pet in a perfectly doting home and maybe this isn't beneficial to her gi tract?

I suspect too much love is not what her inner self needs to grow up feeling confident, calm and content with the world she lives in. Good news is there is not an expensive diagnostic for that... just some difficult conversations and a few transitional anti-anxiety medications.. and,, "have you considered another dog?"

Pumpkin is waking up for a mega-dental extraction dental..
very common in older dachshunds.

Lilly is like so many cases I see everyday. I am never sure how problematic a medical problem is when I am not sure that the environment is influencing the clinical signs. Can you love a dog too much? Yes, when you complicate the problems with perception, actions and off setting the balance every life needs. That balance of allowing your pet to be who they are and not needing to live in the shadow of who you are and what you expect them to be. Feeding; the dilemma of feeling desperate to have your pet be happy with their meals, eat as much as you think they should be, and not buckling to offer them anything they find interesting,, too often poor quality, and too often ever changing as we chase the palatability compulsion. When I was in Ukraine rescuing dogs and cats I had a Romanian vet remind me that I needed to chill about the constant feeding concerns for the 12 animals we had transported in the car for the last 20 hours. He reminded me "that in the wild dogs might not eat for days." I wondered to my exhausted, cooked self if that included the stress of a tiny cage shoved in a tiny car running from wars? I loved those animals so much it will be the PTSD I never can shed about that broken place with all of its too many heartbreaking tales.

What Gets Swallowed Must Go Through,, Or Else... Foreign Body Obstructions.

This is a blog about foreign bodies.. This is a blog about saving lives at the precipice of death.

This is also a blog about Levi.. He has been a source of my writings before. He is one of those patients who teaches you, tortures you, and reinforces where medicine diverges from sentience.

Levi has not had the best of luck. He was given up by his first owner because "it was cheaper to get a new dog without a problem than to treat his epilepsy." We parted ways permanently and with sincere words of disappointment and I kept Levi.

Levi found his real parents a few weeks later. They have been inseparable and in love since... but,,, the seizures have required medications which produced polyphagic mania. Levi has become a voracious counter surfer, toy eater, and frequent flyer for pancreatitis and induction of emesis. He has been to the ER or us for eating two loaves of banana bread, 6 loaves of sandwich bread (in plastic bags), two sleeves of gauze, a ceramic butter dish, and numerous other less disastrous close calls.

He is an excellent example of the meat of this blog.

Levi

In my experience the foreign body dogs fall into one of three categories;

1. The "OCD needy" type. The dogs who are inside, with their people fully integrated into their family unit. Often a single female who bonds so closely to the dog that the dog can no longer deal with anything without her, see also separation disorder, OR, the embedded family dog with the busy active lives, the dog thinks of themselves as a human child (because that is the only reality they know) and can't deal with them being out of the house for any reason including school, work, social life. These pets eat their way out of the stress of being alone. Labs, Border Collies and German Shepherds are over represented in this category.

2. The "keep my mouth busy because my body isn't" pets. There is no exchanging exercise and tiredness with indoor activities. All dogs need the outside, their nose in the dirt/grass/leaves/sidewalk, brain chugging away on primal sight/smell/touch/sensory experiences. This is a core part of their being. If your current daily regimen isn't getting you the desired results change it. If your dog is chewing, biting, stressing, needing, whatever and they are inside the majority of them time get outside (with them (this is imperative)) and let them share their life with you.

3. The "demons inside of me make me do it" pets. Drugs, stress, fear, paranoia, imbalance, pain, gi discomfort, etc., are all reasons that dogs eat things other than their food. Do not ignore this group. We know that pain can be inside, hidden from view, and that many of these pets live with chronic pain and/or disease that manifests as chewing/eating/ foreign body ingestion (this can also include hair, wounds to the body, and pica).

Some of my gang in the sunshine

I have a long list of questions to ask owners when I get a pet in the clinic with a affinity for eating/ingesting items that are not provided to them in their food bowls.

There should be a long discussion with your veterinarian the first time (and even longer discussions with any subsequent infractions)  your dog eats something that is non-sensical.

Levi arrives for surgery

In past blogs and videos I have mentioned the previous pica items that I have seen pets eat (see my blog about tampons, underwear, rocks, toys, balls, nuts, and even endless yards of Berber carpet which is a beast to surgically remove from intestines (it sort of melts and snakes through yards of gut making it almost impossible to extract). I find this behavior most commonly in larger breed dogs who are primarily inside and often younger versus older. I think there is a very strong correlation to obsessive-compulsive disorder, boredom, and behavioral problems. I am not saying that every dog who eats a sock, or other random non-food item needs a psych evaluation but I do think that every person involved in the pets life should at least be thinking about what their pet is trying to tell them, and why they are eating things that are not food. (P.S. an older dog who starts eating random non-food items is trying to tell you something. listen. dig. figure it out.)

The other group of indiscriminate PAC-MANesque pets are those on anti-seizure meds and steroids. These guys are driven by the drug that makes them voracious eaters who will eat a blanket if it even smells like it had a crumb hiding within it. Ask Levi the epileptic who ate a whole ceramic butter dish, lid included. (When we induced vomiting in him he spit out a collection of ceramic rubble akin to an archaeological dig... had I known what it would have looked like on the floor I would have thought twice about all the jagged ceramic edges transiting his esophagus AGAIN on the way up).

Doesn't anyone but me ever wonder what possesses them to eat these things?

Levi's catheter conundrums.
When you have had i.v. catheters placed as many times as Levi has
you surrender to the process and your veins are impossible to access.

When you bring up the discussion with your vet please make sure to be discussing the following items;

1. Diet. I always want to know what specifically you are feeding. This includes the dry food, the wet food, and the snacks. I want to know every item that you are putting in your pets mouth. Treats count! If you have a pet with an oral fixation on food they may become compulsive about always eating. You have essentially trained them to be constantly rewarded with food. Breakfast and dinner and play, love and exercise in between is the ideal way to spend the day. If you are feeding a deficient, substandard diet your pet will seek food/nutrients elsewhere.

2. How much exercise your pet gets? How much of it is structured? By this I mean is it a regularly scheduled daily event? Does the breed of your dog have an activity level that meets their needs? I often find that many house dogs are being asked to live a lifestyle that is too sedate and placid for their mental stability and health. Having a fenced in yard does not guarantee that your pet is actually out AND exercising in it. Please try to take daily walks of a measured distance. It is a wonderful activity to bond with your pet, provide enrichment and help both of your cardiovascular systems.

3. Stress. When I say stress for a pet I am talking about anything that your pet might find disconcerting. Not what you and I think about as stressful, but rather what your pet might see as stressful. Is there a change in activity in the house? Are their new or different noises? Or anything that their highly sensitive noses might be detecting? What about their super perceptive bionic ears? Or is anyone in the household upset? New neighbors? New family members? I know it is hard to try to think like your pet, but often they are picking up on something that is very disturbing for them and we are completely oblivious to it.

4. I often have my clients keep a daily journal of every aspect of their pets day so we can go over it together and try to identify any sources of any possible reason that their pet is now chewing on the furniture , or swallowing the items they find in the trash bin.

5. The "pacifier" dogs . These are the pups who we provide treat-stuffed-toys, bully bones, antlers, chewies, (etc., etc.) to in the hope we can keep them 'busy, 'quiet' 'entertained' for a few hours. Dogs with a high chew drive, or, those who have been repeatedly "pacified" by being given a treat when they are demanding attention are taught to be acquiesced only by chewing.. When the chewing leads to ingesting these items they can become deadly.

Levi post-op, I know he feels better already.

Levi  was actually seen swallowing his toy. His parents knew it went down. They couldn't believe how huge the toy was, and that it could have even been swallowed. I can't tell you how many times I hear this! I have seen whole towels, beds, toys, golf balls, tennis balls, walnuts, and cutlery swallowed in one fell and fast GULP!. Since then he had a decrease in eating for a few days, persistent vomiting, lethargy, and general malaise. His belly seemed painful and his x-rays showed something in the stomach,, even though we were all fairly certain it wasn't food.

The size, material and amount of time since ingestion all matter.

If you know your pet has ingested something other than their food it is best to do the following;

1. Call your vet immediately. Ask for guidance on what to do. They may advise that you;

2. Call the Pet Poison Helpline. Although there is a cost associated with this in some cases of toxin ingestion the information they provide you and your vet is well worth it.

3. Induce vomiting. Only do this after confirming with one of the above.

4. Watch and wait. If the material is able to be broken down by the stomach or small enough and benign enough to pass through the gut you may never see it until it is defecated out.



Any sign of the following indicates an immediate trip to the vet or ER;

1. Vomiting that is persistent, intractable, or producing material that is stuck in the mouth. Vomiting of more than 4 times, or, lasts longer than 3-4 hours, or consistent over more than 12 hours. (These are my guidelines). OR, if your pet is acting quiet, lethargic, depressed, seems distended in the abdomen, or is trying to vomit but not producing anything.

2. Straining to defecate and not producing feces, producing scant amount of feces, or there is material protruding from the rectum.

Levi's stomach is full of...
well, that's the fun of exploratory surgeries in pets.
You never know what you are going to find in them.

DO NOT PULL ANYTHING OUT OF ANY END OF YOUR PET! If you pull and tear something it could kill your pet.

This came out of the back end of Levi on the same day that  we removed his toy from his stomach.

This is the toy we took out of Levi's stomach.

When I examine a pet for a suspected foreign body I start with the following;

1. History: Many of these pets are repeat offenders. Serial swallowers. The first time it happens I go over all of the above information so that it never happens again. You can either decide to stop wearing socks, underwear and using sanitary products, OR, cage your dog when you aren't supervising, OR, don't train your dog to be a chewer. Every client with a chew-swallow dog knows they have one.. don't create, perpetuate, or hope the problem away. Or, buy pet insurance.

2. Exam; I know no one wants to go to the vet every time you fear your dog swallowed something they shouldn't have,, but, your vet can tell a lot about your dog based on an exam. I was called out of bed at 1030 pm to check on a dog who vomited up a sock and undies. Based on the exam I felt pretty comfortable he wouldn't need surgery that night. Which saved her about $2500 at the ER. "Has your dog ever eaten socks before?" I asked. "Yes, all the time," IS NOT what I want to hear at 1030 pm. He threw some of them up at 1 pm, has been lethargic and vomiting all day and I get called panic stricken at 1030 pm? "It's time to stop wearing socks and panties, cage your dog when you aren't there to supervise or get pet insurance. I'm going back to bed." About $50-$100

Exam for a blocked dog usually has the following; history of ingestion, painful abdomen, distended intestines, elevated heart rate, elevated respiratory rate.

3. Radiographs are the cornerstone for confirming a suspected foreign body obstruction. Start with a radiograph. Based on history, exam and radiograph you can try to manage conservatively with fluid therapy. Start i.v. fluids as quickly as possible. In some cases the fluids will help relax and restore pliability to the intestines and allow the obstruction to move through. Additional radiographs should be taken to confirm this. This is the conservative, avoid surgery (and cost associated with it) plan. Expect to pay about $200 for radiographs per series. Usually a few series are needed a few hours/day apart.

4. Ultrasound can be used to help confirm a suspected foreign body. If you can afford ultrasound make sure you can also afford surgery. About $200-$500.

My preference is to understand and discuss the best and worst case scenarios and keep the end game in mind as you manage the financial resources. If my client can only afford surgery we start there. Worst case scenario is that the patient needs surgery to survive this. Spending thousands of dollars to confirm this and then running out of money when you realize this is.... unethical, unimaginable, and happens far too often.

After about the third or fourth time going into the abdomen to cut out an obstruction it becomes nearly impossible due to the scar tissue and fibrosis inside and around the intestines. Please do everything to have the first obstructive surgery be the last.

Here's to Levi.. The epileptic with the phenobarb telling him to eat it.. We are pulling a toy out of his stomach today. He is also the butter dish eater.

Levi heads home

And to Buster, the sock and panty guy. Who dodged the scalpel thanks to i.v. fluids and time.

And to the countless other labs who can't seem to either stop chewing or aren't caught fast enough before swallowing.

When it comes to the surgery to remove a foreign body I offer the following advice;

1. Never euthanize based on price alone. Call for help if you cannot afford the first estimate given. Drive to wherever you can afford it. BUT, keep the pet on fluids, antibiotics and analgesics until you get there. I have had numerous pets wait overnight at the ER to have surgery the next day with us. Often at a savings of about $2000. It is not ideal, but it can save a pets life.

2. An obstruction is an emergency. The faster it is removed the more favorable the prognosis.

For those of you concerned about the prices of Levi's care his care was provided over three days and amounted to about $1400 for everything. If you are unable to afford surgery ask us how you may be able to pare down the price by visiting Pawbly.com for help.

If you have any questions or comments please find me at @FreePetAdvice, or Pawbly.com. I am also at the clinic Jarrettsville Veterinary Center in Jarrettsville Maryland. I am also sharing these videos on YouTube.

On average an exploratory surgery at my clinic costs about $800 to $1200. Our clinic price list is available on our website.

I look forward to hearing from you...

Related stories;
Corncob obstruction. Video included on corncob surgery removal,, (it's a goodie!)

Toy removal in a dog video here;

Curing Beau's Anxiety

The other day I introduced you to Beau. He had lost his lifelong beagle companion and it sent him into an anxiety-ridden tailspin that led to destroying drapes, crying and whining incessantly. His fears were becoming more diverse, more frequent, and intensifying. He is the poster child for "separation anxiety" as we call it in veterinary medicine. I had met Beau not too long after his best friend had passed away and talked to his family about how to most adequately address Beau's stress and condition.

Beau's fight with the drapes. AKA "I want out!"

The family knew very early on after the death of their beagle that they needed to find another friend for Beau. They had jobs and lives outside of their love for Beau. He was a mess on his own and they couldn't fill the gap that their beagle had.

I saw Beau's family about a week and a half ago on my Sunday walk-in hours. Their chart was in the exam room box and I saw that they had a new pet. I was so excited to see their new addition and to hear about Beau's response to having a new friend that I forgot to actually read the chart's entry for "reason for visit."

When I walked in the room I saw looks of concern and a small Beagle recumbent on the exam table. Within a second my excitement dropped to despair.

The beagle on the table was small, about 12 pounds, and she was laying on her sternum with her head extended, nose pointed straight ahead, and breathing as if every tiny inhalation might be her last.

We didn't need words. We all knew she was terribly ill.

I then turned to read the chart. "New pet, sick."

Why hadn't I suppressed my excitement long enough  read the file? Why had I burst into the room excited when the room contained despair?

They introduced Brea to me and told me that they had just picked her up yesterday from the SPCA. (I quickly did the math in my head. They had only had her 20 hours).

They were told when they adopted her that she had kennel cough but was being treated for it. They then produced her antibiotic, doxycycline. They also told me that she had been given up, and then adopted, and then surrendered again.

When you see lots and lots of animals you get a good 6th sense about them. I could tell that there wasn't a mean aggressive tendency in this small scared and pitiful pup. She is a beagle. And although they are vocal and sometimes their nose forces them unconsciously to wander off for that elusive smelly bunny, they are sweet affectionate dogs. They told me that the second family had brought her back because she ran off and wouldn't come to them when they called. (Do people think that this is abnormal? Especially for a beagle? They are powerless to the nose-brain force that drives them to investigate the scent of any animal that has passed by). All pets need to be trained, and all new pets need to be intensively supervised and also trained. Poor Brea, she was a little beagle in a world that couldn't understand or appreciate her. That was until Beau's parents found her.

They explained that they loved beagle's and knew that another beagle would be perfect for Beau. They were so happy to find her, loved her instantly, and didn't care that she was a little sick, but on the mend.

I looked at Brea, gave her an exam and then notified them that she was "Very, very sick." I suspected that her kennel cough had turned into pneumonia and I was not sure she would live." How else could I tell them? She was less than a day theirs and I wasn't very hopeful that she would live past today.

This is what a dog that can't breathe looks like. Head extended, open mouth, reluctant to move.
Brea is in our oxygen cage. The sides are covered in yellow snot becasue she is so congested.
Pink tape covers her i.v. catheter.

Yellow crusted nose.

They said that they loved her already and they wanted to give her a chance. I told them they could call the SPCA tomorrow and see if maybe they would help with her treatment plan.They explained that they had signed paperwork that clearly stated that any medical conditions were their responsibility and that there was a medical facility they could send her to. But they felt confident that she wouldn't get immediate medical intervention and that the SPCA may elect to put her down. They didn't want to wait for her care and they didn't want to give her up.

We took a chest x-ray and ran some blood work. I reported back to them that the x-ray and the blood work didn't appear to look as badly as she clinically did. I discussed options for them. She could go to the ER until we opened again on Monday at 8 am. I told them that the "average ER overnight stay is about $500-$700." I also explained that they could take her home and monitor her very closely and go to the ER if she worsened. Because her blood work and x-ray weren't as severe as I had thought they decided to go home and bring her back first thing the next morning.

Brea's first three days in the quarantine area of our hospital were "touch-and-go."

Quiet, recumbent, and depressed. In quarantine.
A/d slurry (a high calorie prescription food) in with her, just in case she feels well enough to eat.
Because she hadn't eaten in so long with had to add potassium to her fluids.

She went to the ER every night at 8 pm for overnight oxygen cage therapy and came to us everyday for nebulization, i.v. fluids and antibiotics and prayer.

She had severe yellow thick mucous from her eyes, her nose and her throat. She was as sick as sick can be without dying. We all tried to convince each other each day that she had some slight glimmer of improvement. We were saying things back and forth to each other like, "she will get worse before she gets better," which is a difficult piece of advice to swallow when you look as sick as she did.
At day three her x-rays and blood work looked as bad as she did.

At day 4 we had a tiny interest in food. This was a HUGE milestone!

At day 6 we had a bark! A beagle eats and barks! She was finally classified as "recovering."

At day 8 her blood work worsened. Her white blood cell count had continued to climb every time we checked it. On  days 2 through 8 we had her on 3 different very strong antibiotics. On paper we were losing the war. In person we were beginning to see a real live beagle.

As the staff fretted about her stats I reminded everyone that "the pet tells you the most important information. The pet trumps any number." That first exam she was telling us that she was very sick, and now she was telling us that she felt better. We will treat her until both pet and blood work agree that we can stop.

At day 10 Brea remains with us for the day while her new family is at work. She has yet to meet Beau. It will have to wait until she isn't blowing disease droplets at every sneeze. But she is a bright, happy, wagging, nose to the ground, inquisitive girl who I think will be a perfect buddy for Beau.

Out for a walk in the sunshine! This is how you know a beagle feels better.
They are sniffing, digging, and watching other dogs.
And there is that "happy beagle wag!"

Her new family knows that they single handedly saved her life.

Please rescue, and please be patient if you do. These guys often come from broken homes, and many of them have been shuffled around. They in many cases also haven't been "trained." I know many people are hesitant to adopt because they are afraid of inheriting a pet with problems. I hear many people say to me "I think that Fluffy is this way because she was abused." I know a great number of pets who were adopted at 8 weeks old with behavioral issues that were never abused. Your pet Lives in the now and almost every single behavioral problem can be resolved with patience, kindness, determination and assistance from professionals. Please don't give up your pet without asking for help from your vet, your local rescue organizations, and behavioral advisers. Pets are a life-long responsibility.

It has been two weeks of hospitalization for Brea. I am soo happy to report that she is thriving and happy. I will post pictures of her and Beau soon. She is still being kept away from him for a few more days, while the antibiotics kill the last few bugs of her infection.

Update:
On September 13, 2012 Brea passed away due to a severe infection in her spinal cord. Her parents loved her immensely, fought countless battles with and for her, and in the end, although her time with them was very short, she found a place to call her own and a family that loved her every second of her time with them. We all should be so lucky.

Brea and Beau's family came into the clinic a few months later. At that time we were looking for a home for Pheobe. She was an overweight, under exercised mixed breed dog. She had been scheduled to be euthanized because her mom was entering long term hospice care. Her mom didn't believe that there was a possibility that Pheobe could find another home at her advanced age of 8. I spent 20 minutes pleading with her to let us find her a home. I had to say things that I was dumbfounded to answer. Like promising her "that we wouldn't experiment on her." Or, "that we wouldn't let her suffer in a tiny cage and never be able to go outside or see daylight." I was so disheartened that people could do such things, or even imagine doing such things.

Pheobe in the few months that we had her, blossomed into a happy, playful girl. Phoebe got a second chance at life because Brea's parents understood how important it was for Beau to have a buddy.

Your Vet, The Psychologist

Mrs. Stompf always carried her little Yorkie Sydney into the clinic the same way. He would sit up in the bend of hr elbow, front legs wrapped around her neck, head buried under her chin, and hoping that if he couldn’t see us then of course we couldn’t see him. (Perfectly sensible if you are a dog, or a three year old). She carried him everywhere. He is one of my patients that I wonder if he has ever felt a floor or grass under his feet? Although he seems perfectly content to not know what they feel like. And, I think his mom feels that he is safer in her arms. They have both built a very inter-dependent lifestyle around each other. They are each others’ security blanket. It is the reason many of us seek a pet. It is that unconditional love, acceptance and mutual need for each other’s company.


I am trying to recall if I ever saw Mrs. Stompfs’ husband escort the two of them into our clinic? She is a very good client, who is very devoted to her constant little hitch-hiking Sydney. She watches his every move, behavior, and action. Trouble is, I never get those reports from her in the first person. I receive every report from her in the third person. Well, actually, I get the reports from the vantage of her husband. He would interpret her observations and findings and then she would relay them to me. I would often ask her “what her thoughts are on whatever Sydney-issue of the moment we were discussing was?” And instead I would be told, “My husband thinks it is…” Those discussions were a little futile and frustrating for me. On one level I had to try to interpret for Sydney via a middle man, it's not like trying to identify a pets problem isn’t hard enough when they don’t speak, try trying to figure it out when your patient doesn’t speak and their caretaker doesn’t have their own voice.

Everywhere Mrs. Stompf went Sydney went. They were as connected as a pirate to the parrot that perched on his shoulder. Sydney was an extension of her. I understood very early on that these two needed each other as much as any pet and parent ever could. She needed his companionship, and he returned the devotion by being afraid of everyone (and thing) else in life. It is the reason many of us seek the companionship of a pet. It is the unconditional devotion, acceptance, and love that only a pet brings to our lives. It is the reason we are so drawn to pets, and it is the reason so many pets develop behavioral issues. Pets, in many ways, are like children. They are an independent complex assortment of genetics (that’s why my Beagle Jekyll can’t stop howling at the wind), and “learned behaviors”. If you never let your pet meet, greet, interact, or play with another person or pet they will think that anyone (and anything) else is something you fear. It is often a difficult, delicate dance we as Vets have to try to maneuver as we try to address the behavioral problems, (sometimes only the Vet recognizes the too tight tie between a pet and their parent) and not disturb or disrupt the bond between a pet and parent.

I think that the reason most dogs bite or mis-behave is a general lack of early appropriate socialization. There are many articles written about this, and a huge over representation of behavioral problems, i.e. separation anxiety, because single women over protect and over shelter their pets. In almost all cases they don’t even understand their part in the process, or that their actions influenced the end behavior. To this I would offer the following advice. Your obligation to your pet is in many ways the same as it is to your children. You are there to help provide protection and assist them into becoming an independent (almost) self sufficient part of society. Your pet needs all of the same training as a 3 year old does. No biting/hurting others, don’t be afraid of the world if you are with your friends/family, and we all need to eliminate in an appropriate place.

It is often a difficult discussion to have with a client. How to explain to them that the reason their dog bites at everyone else, tears up your house when you walk out the door, or can't travel anywhere is because you never introduced them to the world and the other people in it? I have learned that it is a delicate fine line between addressing the problem and not placing blame on the owner or resentment toward the behaviorist trying to help recognize, address, and treat the problems. And then there is the whole big can of worms where some owners don't actually want their companion to like anyone else.




The following is from "New Dog Choosing Wisely and Ensuring A Happily Ever After" by Dr. Bruce Fogle. I love this book. It is a great resource for all owners, but especially the owners looking for a new pet.

And also some information on Behavioral Problems from The Merck/Merial Manual for Pet Health