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!

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

Maggie and I returned to PCOM this past week. Many of the 2^nd year students recognized Maggie from our visit last year and the first year students were thrilled to meet her. Since it was such a warm day (the temperature gauge on my car read 64 degrees) we decided to meet outside. For February this was most unusual but such a treat! The students loved the chance to get some fresh air and Maggie and I enjoyed it as well.

Getting ready for finals is never easy and spending time with these hard working students was such a pleasure.

I did my best to avoid questions about their studies as I felt the best way for these students to decompress is to talk “dog.” Many of them chose to dive in and “attack” Maggie with lots of love-which Maggie just can’t seem to get enough of. When the students came up for air the questions start.

What kind of dog is she?     Goldendoodle

How old is she? 7

Does she shed? No

Is she your only dog? Yes

How often do you go out on therapy visits? Generally once a week but sometimes twice

How did you get into this type of work?  I was in the hospital myself and visited by a therapy dog and felt the positive benefits from it. I always promised myself that if I were ever in the position to give back I would.

When they finished asking me their questions I turned the tables and asked if they had dogs back home. A few answered yes and told me the breed and how old they were. One girl told me she had just lost her family dog to old age. I told her how sorry I was but she said she was really ok since her dog had led a good life.

 I notice in all the college visits there always seem to be one or two students that linger a bit longer than the rest. On this visit a young man hung around longer than most. He told me he is a first year student and he kept saying he wanted a dog of his own as he had grown up with dogs and missed them, He knew he could manage a dog for his first and second year of school but by the time his third year came and his rotations started he knew it wouldn’t be fair to the dog. I sat there and listened to him debate this topic.as I felt he didn’t need me to comment on his thoughts- he just needed someone to listen to him. He thanked me for bringing Maggie- a nice polite and sensible young man.

Some faculty members also came outside to visit Maggie. Always nice to see them take advantage of us being there. Maggie is happy to get love from them as well.

It was a great session and hopefully we helped destress everyone so they can focus on their exams in the coming weeks.

We look forward to going back next semester.

Pajama Day

                                                             

I could feel the excitement in the air as soon as Maggie and I entered the Vanguard school in Malvern. I looked around and saw the kids in the pajamas, Teachers as well. Pajama day! If only I had known I would have worn my pajamas and dressed Maggie as well. Actually Maggie doesn’t own pajamas but I would have figured something special for her just so she would fit in!

How wonderful to feel a shift in the energy at the school. The kids were excited to see Maggie and of course Maggie was excited to see the kids. The kids got to wear their favorite pajamas and most of the teachers wore theirs as well. We saw pajamas with stars and princesses. We saw pajamas with dinosaurs and superheroes. We even saw pajamas in many colors of the rainbow. Some kids even chose to wear their slippers to accent their outfits (I’m sure they were instructed to put on their athletic shoes when they went outside to play).

Having a special day brings teachers and children to the same level. It’s another way to say we care about you and are there for you. Some of the teachers even took it another step and chose to have messy hair as if they had just gotten out of bed!

Most kids like a change from the normal schedule. Everyone we saw was in a good mood. No sad faces today, no comments like I don’t want to read to the dogs today. Today was a fun and exciting day. Maggie being a dog who is sensitive to people’s feelings and emotions knew something was different. She was not her usual sedate self. She wagged her tail more and she licked more faces. The librarian noticed a change in her as well.

“What a sensitive dog that Maggie is,” she commented

I smiled to myself and thought ---oh yes she is!

And a great session we had!