I recently reread Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor’s book the Stroke of Insight and wanted to share some neat insight from this book in relation to our dogs.

The book is about the neuroscientist Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor’s journey through recovery after a massive stroke.  A blood vessel had burst in the left side of her brain leaving her unable to talk, walk, read or write and devoid of her memories.  With the left side of her brain out of the picture it allowed her to fully experience the intuitive, creative, peaceful space of the right brain without the clatter of the detail oriented left brain.  Dr. Bolte Taylor was unable to deliberate about the past or the future because those cells were incapacitated.  She could only perceive the present moment.  She was also very sensitive to touch, smell, sound, and body language.

Dr. Taylor describes the different interactions that she had had with different types of nurses.  One scenario was the nurse that showed up to her as a person in a rush, someone that wanted to take something from her that had nothing to give to her in return.  She immediately felt the need to protect herself, protect her own precious energy.  Dr. Bolte Taylor says, “It should be the hospitals number one responsibility to protect its patients energy levels.”  I couldn’t agree more…

This is something I continuously teach to my veterinary staffs.  As veterinary professionals we must take the time to connect with our patients before expecting them to allow us to perform diagnostics or treatments.  We must give before we take.  And we must take a moment to understand each individual pet’s personality and decide the best way in which to approach them.   Our patients deserve our respect and our compassion.  Dr. Bolte Taylor described the interaction with this particular nurse as rough and scary.  This what our animals experience when time is not taken to first connect with them.  Dogs will often growl, bite or strongly resist restraint when they are in this space.  If we take the time to connect with them first we can almost always avoid this type of reaction.  When a dog reacts in this way it is not because they are a “bad dog” but because they are protecting their own precious energy.

It is important that we understand animal’s perspectives whether they are our patients or our pets.  As pet guardians we must also be aware of how our dog’s mind works and how our actions affect them.  They are very sensitive to body language, tone of voice and facial expressions. We can also use this knowledge to understand how to better connect with them. Because they are more right brain minded they are also more intuitive. They often know when their guardians are feeling sick, anxious or sad.  Often they know it before we do.   One of the most wonderful characteristics about our dogs is that they live in the present moment.   They are not spending time wishing the past could have been different nor are they worrying about what tomorrow will bring.

Another interesting fact I learned from Dr. Bolte Taylor is that the right brain holds our “truth center”.  She explains that when people sustain damage to their left brain they are often geniuses at being able to determine if someone is telling the truth.  I believe that dog’s are able to “see” our truths.  That they love us despite our mistakes or bad behavior because they can see that at our core we are all good and loving.  Another lesson us humans could take from our dogs.

It is a beautiful thing that animals are the way they are.  I believe the fact that dog’s are more right brained is very intentional.  They’re ability to live in the present, love without judgement and see clearly our truths makes them the perfect counterpart to us left brained humans.

I am sitting at my dining room table with the lights off enjoying the beautiful snowstorm through my bay windows with a glass of wine.  These quiet moments are rare and I soak them up when I get the chance.  I am feeling a sense of calmness and peace that I have not felt in the past two months.  I thought tonight I would stray from the animal subjects and talk about following your purpose and listening to your instincts. It’s been a lesson that has been reinforced for me lately and I wanted to share it with you.

Today I made a major decision regarding my career path.  I struggled for a few weeks with a high level of anxiety and stress while trying to make this decision.  If you knew me, you would know that being stressed or anxious is very unlike me.  I’m usually the calm person that others gravitate to for comfort.  The annoying one that tells everyone else they need more yoga and meditation in their life . It is why emergency medicine and I got along so well.

I realize now that the main reason I suffered so much stress was because I was fighting against my “gut” instinct.  Instinct is something that each of us possess but not all of us pay attention to.  I have found that my most difficult decisions have been made more difficult because I fought my instinct.  I feel a sense of calmness and relief knowing that I am back on my path.  Each decision I make must be made with my end goal in mind.  Always asking, “How will this step get me closer to reaching my ultimate goal and purpose?” If it won’t get me closer then it is the wrong step.  Sometimes the promise of more money or prestige may get in the way of that vision.  It almost did for me.

I have been blessed to have known my purpose since as far back as I can remember.  I have always known that I am here to care for the animals.  I am so grateful for that.  I truly believe that we must find our passion and master it. If we do then success and financial stability will follow.  Each of us is blessed with unique gifts.  Just being alive in itself means we have purpose.  Many of us today make decisions based upon finances.  At the end of your life do you want to be able to say “I built my dream house” or do you want to say, “I made a difference”? To be honest I believe both are possible. I believe that it’s the order in which you place them that is the key.

What is your purpose? What are your unique gifts? Are you following your passion?

I would love to hear your answers on Joey’s Journey. Thank-you for allowing me to share this with you.  I promise my next blog will be back to my passion of using my knowledge to help animal lovers care for their pets.

With love,

Lynda

This is a subject of which I feel strongly.  As an emergency veterinarian the patients that I see are often in very bad shape.  The question I am frequently asked is, “Is he/she suffering? Should we just put him/her down?”.   There are many variables that should be considered when making such an important decision.

The majority of the animals that come to me with acute injury can be fixed.  However, there are other things to consider. One is the quality of life afterward and the long term prognosis.    The guardian must be willing to put in the effort necessary to care for an animal during the recovery phase and must be willing to manage possible permanent injuries.  Another consideration is expense.

Animals lack the self-pity and self-doubt that often holds us humans back enabling them to quickly adjust to permanent changes. It is very rare that I will recommend euthanasia because of the journey to healing that the animal will have to endure.  I strongly believe that if you were able to ask any young, otherwise healthy, animal if he would like to be “put out of his misery” or would like the chance to fight for his life I bet he would choose to fight.  We have advanced pain control these days that can make it tolerable for our pets.

On the other hand, if a pet is geriatric and has preexisting illness at the time he suffers a severe trauma or illness then it may be time to consider his quality of life.  Geriatric patients have a more difficult time healing.  But if it’s an old guy that had a great quality of life prior to his acute injury or illness then give him a chance!

Unfortunately, finances play a large role in this.  Not everyone has $2,000-$6,000 to pay for the care necessary for severe injury or illness.  It kills me to have the skills necessary to fix an animal but to have my hands tied by finances.  That is why I founded my own non-profit foundation Healinghavenanimalfund.org.  Smaller veterinary hospitals often work with clients in terms of payment plans, etc.  The larger facilities, on the other hand, would be less likely to make concessions.  These larger facilities have a much higher overhead and the majority of their patients need expensive care.  Some of these hospitals have nonprofit funds to help guardians afford care for their pets so be sure to ask about it. Most accept care credit which is a credit card for health needs that can be applied for at the vet office.  There are other resources such as IMOM.org, thepetfund.com, animalemergencyfund.org and redrover.org to name a few.  When deciding if you can afford the care for your pet make sure you know the whole picture.  They may give you an estimate for 24 hours but your pet may require more than that.

Chronic illness is a different story.  When our pets are dealing with chronic illness we must consider the quality of life and the long term prognosis.  If it is possible to manage your pet’s chronic illness and for him to continue to have quality life then it is not time to consider euthanasia, in my opinion. However, if your pet is having more bad days than good days, despite our best efforts, then it may be time to consider ending their suffering.  Especially if the long term prognosis is grave.  Our pets often give us signals that they are suffering such as refusing to eat, hiding, avoiding human interaction, and disappearance of their usual characteristics. Symptoms of pain may also be present such as crying, moaning, reluctance to move, panting, aggressive behavior and restlessness.

Euthanasia is by far the toughest part of my profession.  However, I am grateful that I can be there to offer advice and support for my clients during these difficult times.  I regularly see the extremes of those who give up too easily to those who can’t give up even though they should.  So, please, when you come to this most difficult decision look into your pet’s eyes and ask yourself, “would he want me to ease his suffering or would he want the chance to fight for his life.” Often the look in our pets eyes gives us the answer.

I thought I might write about vomiting and diarrhea in dogs because of my recent experience with Joey. It happened on my birthday a couple of nights ago.  I rushed home to meet my husband who had a surprise evening planned for us.  I was planning to run into the house to change my shoes and to head right back out for dinner. However, when I stepped in the door and the odor hit me, I realized into wasn’t going to be that simple. Joey was covered from head to toe in diarrhea.  He had blown out the back end of his crate, hitting the wall, the curtains, the radiator, carpet etc.. You get the picture.

This is a scene that all of us dog lovers have come home to at some point.  It is common for dogs to show clinical symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea.  Here is a list of common causes;

• Gastroenteritis-inflammation of the stomach and small intestines. 
• Dietary indiscretion- your dog is allergic to his food, he ate human food that he reacted to, the garbage diver, etc.
• Parasites-more common in younger dogs but should always be considered
• Foreign body ingestion
• Toxin ingestion
• Pancreatitis-inflammation of the pancreas
• Stress colitis
• Metabolic disease-kidney disease, liver disease, endocrinopathies (especially hypoadrenocorticism), etc.
• Infectious disease
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Bacterial overgrowth
• Maldigestion/malabsorption
• Cancer

Questions that you should ask yourself;

• Did I feed him anything out of the ordinary? Could anyone else have fed him something?
• Could he have gotten into the garbage?
• Could he have eaten a toy or material?
• Did I recently change his diet?
• Is it a brand new bag of food?
• Has he shown symptoms leading up to this?
• Has he lost weight recently?
• Has he been drinking or urinating more frequently?
• Has he been around other dogs at a dog park, groomer, or boarding kennel?
• Are any of the other dogs in the household sick?
• Is there stagnant water in the yard that he could be drinking?
• Is he up to date on his vaccinations?
• Could he have gotten into any of my medications?

Do your own examination

• Observe his mentation-is he depressed and lethargic or is he still happy and energetic?
• Lift his lip and check his gums.  They should be pink.  If they are pale or a bright red this could indicate shock and he needs to see a veterinarian.  
• Touch your finger to his gums to see how dry they are. If your finger sticks to his gums then he is very dehydrated and may need supplemental fluids.  There should be a nice layer of saliva between your finger and his gums.
• Check his capillary refill time by pressing your finger on the gum until its white and then releasing. The gum should turn pink again within 2 seconds. If it is longer than two seconds or quicker than one second then he may be going into shock and requires veterinary attention.
• Next check his skin turgor by lifting up the skin on his back or above his shoulders. It should go right back into place.  If it stays in the position you pulled it then he is dehydrated and may need supplemental fluids.
• Watch him breath.  Does he have an increased effort when he breaths? Is there an abdominal component to his breathing? Is it steady and regular or short and shallow? Increased effort and rapid, shallow breaths are poor indicators.  The normal breaths per minute for a medium sized dog is between 12-24 BPM.  To calculate your dog’s rate count the number of breaths within 10 seconds and multiply by 6. Panting doesn’t count.
• Check his heart rate by placing your hand against the side of his chest or by feeling his femoral pulse in his upper, inner thigh.  Normal for a medium sized dog is between 60-140 BPM.  Calculate this also by counting for 10 seconds and multiplying by 6.  If his heart rate is very high or very low then this is another poor indicator.
• Palpate his abdomen by placing a hand on each side of the abdomen and gently, using your fingertips, press them towards each other.  You are only assessing for pain here.  If your dog is very painful then he needs to be seen by a veterinarian.  Do not perform deep palpation unless you are trained to do so.
• Take his body temperature rectally. Normal is between 100-102.
• Observe the diarrhea and vomitus. Is it bloody? Dark? Tarry? watery? Yellow? Is there foreign material present?

Next decide if you can wait it out or if your dog needs to go to the veterinarian.  Here are some tips to help you make that decision.

Take your dog to the vet immediately if;

• If your dog is lethargic,weak, or lacks an appetite
• If your dog vomited more than three times
• If your dog showed prior symptoms such as lethargy, weight loss, increased urination or increased drinking
• The diarrhea is very bloody or very dark
• Your own physical exam was abnormal
• Your dog is either very young (<12 weeks) or is geriatric (>9 years)
• If your dog weighs less than 8lbs and has significant vomiting and/or diarrhea

It may be o.k. to nurse your dog at home for a few hours if;

• It is a very acute problem
• You realize a likely cause such as a diet change, garbage diving, new treat, etc.
• Your dog has been otherwise healthy and appears bright and alert despite the symptoms
• Your physical exam was normal

How to care for your dog at home (when appropriate);

• Fast for 12 hours
• Offer small amounts of water every 1-2 hours
• After 12 hours feed a small amount of a bland diet of rice and boiled chicken.  If your dog has allergies then add rice to a small amount of his hypoallergenic diet.
• Feed 3 small meals daily for the next 2-3 days until his stool his completely normal

What to expect at your veterinarian’s office:

For vomiting and diarrhea symptoms your veterinarian may recommend bloodwork, fecal examination, giardia test and radiographs.  The bloodwork would be necessary to start to rule out metabolic disease, assess organ function and to determine the level of dehydration.  Radiographs are necessary to help rule out foreign body obstruction, cancer, abnormal organ size, etc.  Fecal examination should be the first test run on every dog with diarrhea.  A Giardia test may be recommended depending on the area in which you live.  I always recommend it here on Long Island because it is prevalent and it is a zoonotic parasite.  The tests we recommend as veterinarians are determined by our physical examination, the history the owners provide us and the signalment of the dog (age, breed, sex).  For example, if a puppy is brought to me with vomiting and diarrhea the first  test I would run would be a fecal exam to look for parasites.  If a geriatric dog with weight loss is brought to me for the same symptoms then I would be more concerned with organ failure or cancer.

I hope this was helpful.  And I wish you luck with any diarrhea and vomiting you may have to clean up in your future!

I have been around dogs all of my life.  I have been blessed to have had some amazing companions walk beside me through some really tough times and also share with me some of my happiest moments.  Each of my dogs has taught me lessons on how to be a better person.  I’d like to share a few of them with you;

•  EGO-there’s just no need for it…Life is better without it.
•  Be still and observe.
• When the wind blows, put your face towards it and feel it.
• Light up when you see people you care about. Greet them as if you were “wagging your tail”.
• Do not judge. It’s not your job.
• No self loathing. Learn the lesson, feel it, grow from it and do better next time.
• Without self doubt you can overcome anything.
• Forgiveness.
• Find joy in everything that you do. Even if it’s just sitting on the couch with a friend.
• Express your gratitude for this life every chance you get
• Be present.. always

If we could master these few characteristics our dog’s possess just think how unstoppable we would be…