Going On Vacation

                                            

I often wonder when I leave Maggie with a trusted caregiver for a number of days does she think I will return or does she think this is her new family?

I recently traveled out of town for a period of 10 days. My go to caregiver was completely booked so I had to find a different place for Maggie to stay. After talking with a few friends nothing panned out. When I checked Google I was sent to Rover.com which found me two options that I felt would meet my (and Maggie’s) needs. After a meet and greet I decided on one person not too far from my area.

I was a little apprehensive about leaving Maggie so this caregiver said she could send me pictures and updates daily. Well this was the next best thing to talking with Maggie. I received pictures twice a day with comments about what Maggie had done during her day. My mind was certainly eased.

I was still curious how Maggie would react when she saw me upon my return. She definitely was happy: her tail was wagging, she was jumping around and she was licking my face! When I stayed a few minutes to thank the caregiver Maggie planted herself between my legs. I took this as if she wanted to make sure I didn’t leave without her. Dogs display their emotions in so many different ways but Maggie had never done this before. Very interesting!

I know she was well cared for and from the pictures it even looked like she was having a good time. But I am happy to say “There is no place like home!”

iSpeakDog

                                                       

I came across a new website called iSpeakDog. It’s a great place to get information about our furry friends. You can find information about dog’s behavior and books on dogs. This site walks you through how to find a trainer. There is a swag shop and even webinars.

I was drawn to the area on behaviors. One of the behaviors that Maggie exhibits that I do not understand is that she digs in the same area of my backyard. This doesn’t just make a mess of my backyard it also leaves Maggie caked in dirt. I say NO but of course from one time to the next Maggie doesn’t listen..

So this site explains that dogs can dig for a variety of reasons:

1)      For critters

2)      Boredom

3)      Cool sleeping spots

4)      Scavenging

5)      Hiding food

6)      Escaping

I ruled out #3, 5 and 6. Maggie doesn’t lie in the hole she digs. She doesn’t hide any food in the hole and she is not trying to escape because the hole is in the middle of the yard. I can definitely see Maggie digging for critters. I can see her scavenging and she could also be bored at times. At least I now have an explanation for this behavior, and as I try to correct this behavior I will do my best not to get angry at her.

Check out this website-iSpeakDog. Thanks to the participating individuals and organizations supporting this site!

Losing a Beloved Pet

                                                                 

I recently read an article by Frank McAndrew that states how much more difficult it is to lose a beloved dog then it is to lose a beloved person. The author speaks about the loss of his dog, Murphy. He makes this claim because while there are certain protocols and practices attached to the death of a person, non are in place for an animal.

I am fortunate that my beloved Maggie is still here with me but I can understand what the author is saying, as I have lost a dog when I was a young.

Recently a friend of mine went through the process of grieving for the loss of her beloved dog that was more like a daughter then a pet. While I tried to be there and lend support to her I also witnessed some unfortunate comments made to her. While sometimes we do not know what to say to a grieving person it is best to say “I am sorry” or “how are you doing today?” But if there is ever a time when you are unsure of what to say then it is best to remain quiet.

While visiting Bryn Mawr College last week I met a student that was happy to sit with Maggie. I could tell she was a ‘dog person’ by the way she was petting and talking with Maggie. When I asked her if she had a pet at home she first said yes, but then changed her answer to “I had.” I didn’t press her but she looked at me and opened up. Her family was living in Taiwan at the time and while she was away at school her dog was swept away in one of their bad storms.

“I’m so sorry,” I said.

She added that her family didn’t tell her right away because they wanted her to do well in school. One of her friends sitting with her said “you never told me that, you just said that your dog’s name was Jack.

The conversation continued for a bit but then petered out as the friends enjoyed just sitting with Maggie.

Losing a sidekick is never easy. Some choose to replace them immediately and while others need time to grieve. Whatever the decision as friends we need to show our support.

Emotional Support

                                                          

At the Mastery Charter School which was a new visit for us, Maggie and I met a few middle school students in an Emotional Support classroom.

However before we could get to the correct classroom we had to traverse the long hallway. Word spread quickly that there was a dog in the building and one by one classroom doors popped open and kids started spilling out.

“Can I pet you dog?”

“What kind of dog is it?”

What’s its name?”

were all the questions that were shouted at me as Maggie and I continued on our way. I did stop a couple of times in order to satisfy their curiosity, but I couldn’t stay long as I was expected in room 222.

So what is the purpose of an Emotional Support (ES) classroom and where do Maggie and I fit into this puzzle?

An Emotional Support class is set up to provide both emotional and academic help to those who are unable to be a part of the regular classroom. They are unable to participate because of behavioral, social and/or personal skill impairments.

Maggie and I were there to help boost their behavior skills and at the same time show them the proper way to handle a dog.

The class itself was on the small side with only 5 students in attendance (a few were out sick). The kids were very well behaved and most took an immediate liking to Maggie. As they spent time petting Maggie I filled them in on her usual day, her likes and dislikes and how she came into our family.

Although one of the students professed to being afraid of dogs, by the end of the hour she was on the floor petting Maggie.

Another student was happy to spend most of the time giving Maggie a “belly rub” which is one of her favorite spots to be petted. While spending time with Maggie this student kept repeating “this is so great, just what I needed.” When it was time to leave he asked if he could take Maggie home with him. I looked at him with a smile and said he wasn’t the first person to ask me. When he repeated the question I realized I needed to be more definite so I answered No, I would miss her too much!

As I had never been in an ES classroom before I felt I had learned something that day. Never judge someone by their needs. I was just happy that Maggie and I were able to contribute something positive to their day!

Fish Therapy???

                                     

Pet Therapy, Art Therapy, Music Therapy, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Fish Therapy, wait Fish Therapy? On a recent vacation to the Caribbean I started noticing kiosks set up with what looked like large fish tanks with the tops of the tanks open. People had their feet submerged in these tanks and the fish were nibbling at their feet. On my first pass through I did a double take. On my second pass through I stood and stared, ok I gawked. On my third pass through I asked the people sitting (with their feet submerged) how it felt.

“Nice,” was their response.

“Does it tickle?” I inquired.

“Not really,” they responded.

I then turned to the operator of the kiosks and asked what was the purpose of these fish? They told me they feed off the dead skin of your feet. Interesting I thought as I moved on.

I didn’t think much of these dead skin eating fish until I got to the last stop of my vacation and came up to another of these fish kiosks. At this point I examined it a little closer and noticed the tank of water was filtered. If I was considering submerging my feet into a tank of water I didn’t want to come into contact with anyone else’s bacteria.

So I decided to take the plunge. The cool water felt good against the warm Caribbean air. I immediately felt fish go after my feet as they felt a foreign object invade their tranquil space. I looked down and watched as roughly 50 fish started nibbling at my feet, toes and ankles. So did it tickle? No not really- as a person who is very ticklish I was rather surprised.

I sat with my feet submerged for about 15 minutes. The only thing I didn’t like was when the fish tried to get in between my toes. Other than that there were periods of time when the fish got bored of my feet or just got used to a foreign object in the tank and swan away. So I would move my feet around a little and they swam back to me.

All in all it didn’t feel much different than an elongated pedicure.

So my question is… Do I think I received any therapy? No not really. I tried it once will most probably not try it again. I do think they “borrowed” the word THERAPY to attract the average person.

But I’ll let you be the judge of that yourself.

For Animals on the Go

                                            

As per my usual when I think about my next blog I wonder if everyone wants to read about another college visit (Maggie and I went to Rowan University and it was a good visit) but then I stumble on a different topic. On a recent pass through the Philadelphia airport I noticed a number of areas marked “For Animals on the Go” This area consisted of a small patch of fake grass with a red fire hydrant in the middle. This area is to be used for the sole purpose of therapy and service dogs (or those traveling with their dogs).

As the rise of these services increases I have become aware of organizations that visit the airports to help de-stress weary passengers. I do not travel that often myself that I have been fortunate enough to encounter any of these lovely creatures but I have seen reports of them on the TV and seen how happy they make these weary travelers. So along with that these animals need areas to relieve themselves and instead of the handlers having to go outside and find a patch of grass some amazing people thought ahead and place these “relieve” areas throughout the airport.

Great planning!

So the next time you are traveling and see a therapy dog take advantage and give them a hug. But don’t forget to thank their handlers!

Even Therapy Dogs Get Sick

I took Maggie to the vet this past week. She has been getting cysts on her back side and her legs. The cysts have been bothering her and I didn’t realize she has been gnawing at them. They ruptured and scabbed over. The vet diagnosed this as sebaceous cysts. Apparently these cysts are common in large dogs. Maggie is 73 lbs. to be exact (she was just weighed at the vet). The sebaceous gland contains sebum that lubricates the hair follicles, hair shaft and skin. Inflammation happens when cysts form a sac under the skin because the area gets clogged.

I’m sitting with the vet talking about Maggie and she said Maggie is close to being a geriatric dog. As tears spring to my eyes I say “no she is only 7 ½ years old “

The vet who is such a good doctor (and a lovely person) says once a dog hits the age of 8 they are classified as geriatric. I held back my tears as best as I could and looked at Maggie who was obviously quite uncomfortable. I asked what we can do to help my sweet and loving dog. She suggested a round of antibiotics to treat the infected cysts and if they should continue then we might want to test them to make sure they aren’t anything else.

I agreed and as I await the medicine I think back to the time Maggie joined our family. At 8 weeks she was a sweet and curious pup ready to explore the world. We brought the right gear to prepare our home so that Maggie would not injure herself. Who would know that 7 years later there would be so many hearts that Maggie would touch!

I refuse to think of Maggie as geriatric dog but rather this incident as a small bump in the road. This visit to the vet is the same as us visiting our doctors when we don’t feel well.

When the vet returned with the medication (enough for two weeks) she recommended a collar so Maggie would not gnaw the cysts or scabs. I figured we would stop at a pet store on our way home because Maggie loves to go shopping there, kinda like a kid in a candy store.

The vet looked me in the eye and said if Maggie did not appear like herself in a few days to call the office and make an appointment to bring her back. I felt sincerity while she was talking to me.

P.S. As I sit and write this blog Maggie is back to her (young) and usual self. After 2 days on the meds one afternoon she picked up her toy and brought it to me as if to say “Mom I’m all better how about a game of tug-a-war!