There are so many choices of dog food. And more coming out everyday, it seems. For someone with a "healthy" dog, they can just pick up some brand at the store and be done. For others, like me, it is a challenge!
Some of us aren't "health" conscious, and don't look at the ingredients. We see an ad for the food that tells us how great it is, and we go buy it, without doing much research. My dogs eat better than I do (at least one of them does...more on that in a bit). I pay more attention to what I give them than to what I give myself. Now, I do read ingredients and I do try to stay away from HFCS and hydrogenated oils, as well as artificial preservatives. However, I have my usual breakdown for an occasional Twinkie or cinnamon rolls or pancakes or Doritos.....you get the picture!
The "worst" food my girls have ate was their puppy food. I chose to go with Science Diet lamb/rice puppy food for them (the large breed version for Keys). Probably more for simplicity than rationalized thinking. I also "believed" it was good for them. Which it wasn't bad, just not the best. Looking back and knowing what I know now, I would not have fed them that. That particular line of their food is given 2.5 stars from a website that rates dog foods (okay, maybe it is bad!).
With Keys' allergies, we have tried many different limited ingredient foods. Prior to that, they both moved from puppy food to Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul. It is a 4 star food. However, back then, I chose it from the Whole Dog Journal's review of foods. Plus, it was made in Missouri! Other brands we have experimented with, Natural Balance (3 star), Nature's Variety (4.5 star), Blue Buffalo (4 star) and California Natural (4 star). She just started on Wellness Super5 Mix - Whitefish (4 star) and her allergy symptoms seem to be getting better (knock on wood).
Unfortunately, Gracy is on a prescription diet at this time due to the issues that she had over the summer. I have agreed to keep her on it, for a bit, but in return, they (the vets) have to listen to my sarcastic comments about it. Since it appears to be a part of Gracy's recovery, I will keep her on it a bit longer. I don't want her to be a one hit wonder. I call it zebra doo (it is Science Diet z/d). They don't even give it a rating..........
So, you might ask, where do I get these ratings? Dog Food Advisor (www.dogfoodadvisor.com). It is a wonderful website that is not jaded with advertising nor is he swayed by any particular brand. He looks at all of the ingredients in the food and then gives it a star rating of 1-5, 5 being the best. I discovered the site a couple of years ago and I love it. It has been a great resource for me.
I am not here to change your mind about what you feed your dogs. Some dogs thrive on 1 star foods and some dogs suffer on a 5 star food. Just look at my dogs as an example. Even though Keys was eating a 4.5 food, she was allergic to something in it, probably the salmon or pork. And sweet Gracy is eating zebra doo and it is a 0 star, and she is thriving. Also, and apparently in my world, feeding a better dog food does not keep your dogs issue free.
I am here to offer you a resource to help you make informed decisions about your dog's food. Again, www.dogfoodadvisor.com. I challenge you to look up your dogs food and let me know what star rating it gets, if you like. But more importantly, find out why it is given the rating it is given. I believe that anything 3 star are better is good eats, although, I prefer 4 or better! You can find plenty of 3 star foods at your local retailers, without too much cost added to your budget.
Thanks for reading this week! I will be taking the weekend off from writing! However, explore the above website and bookmark it. Also, don't forget to like our facebook page, www.facebook.com/itsnotjustadog. Enjoy spending time with your pups this weekend. Spend some extra time snuggling with them. After all, It's NOT just a dog!
Friday, September 28, 2012
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Keys Louise!
I thought I had better introduce you all to Keys before she read the other blogs and realized she had not been spoke about too much! Sunshine Paradise Keys Louise is my 6 year old golden retriever.
I adopted Keys in May 2006 when she was 8 weeks old. I had just lost my beloved Pooh of 10 years, just weeks earlier. I knew it was too soon to get a puppy, as I was still grieving (who am I kidding.....I am still grieving!). The house was just so quite without a dog in it, just too quite. So, I drove 6 hours, 3 hours both ways, twice within a week, to once meet her and to then pick her up.
When I arrived at the house where she was, I was greeted by the golden momma, Keys and her seven siblings. I can still see them ALL running at me in excitement! It was like something off of the t.v., where you see the dogs running to eat. Needless to say, that made my day! A week later, when she was officially 8 weeks old, I returned to bring her home. I swear in that week, she had doubled in size......good golly! What had I got myself into?
I was not mentally ready for a puppy. She got that and used it on me for a very long time! I can remember sitting in the chair, still crying over Pooh, while Keys was going crazy. I had got myself into having a puppy! My wild child! And we had LOTS of disagreements! I had them all with her...the terrible 2's and 3's, as well as the rebellious teenage years.
Keys has turned into my kid that really wants to plays sports, but just doesn't have the hand-eye coordination. She very seldom catches anything I throw (i.e. frisbee, tennis ball). When she does try to catch it, her paws are flying everywhere and her head is bopping all over the place. No intensity or concentration! However, like a good mom, I tell her she has done a good job, regardless of her catching anything. She needs that kind of encouragement!
She has allergies. Bad allergies! I am not real sure when they started, 2007, 2008. I just remember her eyes had become swollen, she had hives and felt like bubble wrap. She is now on allergy shots for her environmental allergies, but, we continue to fight through the food allergies. In fact, I just switched her food for, well, I have lost count to how many times! I will say, knock on wood, she seems to be getting better, even after a week and a half. She is allergic to beef and pork, which is used to make many of the medications she has had to take (i.e. heartworm, pain meds, antibiotics, etc.), as well as food and treats. Taking these cause eye swelling and intense itching. She is also allergic to fleas, ants, ragweed, dust and yeast, amongst a few other things. Having a dog with allergies takes A LOT of patience (which I often lack). Trying new foods can take months to see an improvement or a reaction. Then you have to try something new.
Sometime in 2009, she tore her ACL. Her limping kind of came and went for months. About two days before her surgery, she blew it out all the way. She had her first ACL surgery in February 2010 and her second surgery on the other knee (which she blew out in December 2010/January 2011), a year later in February 2011 (yes just a month or so before I found Gracy's lump). So, she now has two bionic knees!
Keys has become a great dog! She is still a wild child and has issues when she sees people! She is just a happy girl, but a big girl! She is not an overly affectionate dog, but, has her moments. When I am home she does follow me around and enjoys going to the home office with me! Her and Gracy are best friends, which I didn't realize how much until Gracy was gone for those 10 days this summer. She had moped around the house for days, not eating at meal time, but eventually eating...on her schedule....not mine. I was beginning to worry a bit when Gracy finally got to come home. Keys immediately returned to her normal behavior! They are best buds and Keys is a great big sister to Gracy! Keys is NOT just a dog to me!
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Paying it forward!
While waiting at the University of Missouri Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (a.k.a. - the vet school) yesterday, I met a lady from Springfield, MO. She had her yorkie there, getting some expensive scans done. As she told me her story, I knew I had another moment to pay it forward.
She began by telling me what was wrong with her dog and what had brought her to the vet school. Her dog possibly had a condition that would require surgery. She was a single dog mom, like me. Her dog was her kid. She also told me of her conversation with her sister, a single mom of three children. Her sister couldn't imagine her spending that kind of money on her dog. She said she quickly ended that part of the conversation and moved on. She also told me how when she told her co-workers, and even though she was bawling while telling them, they all joked about what they would do with a sick dog out on the farm. JERKS!
Her mom, however, treated her pup like her grandchild. She is fairly smitten with the yorkie, according to the lady. The grandma had just had something done, I forget what that was now, a procedure or something, but something that had cost a lot of money. She had told her daughter that had she known her granddog would need help financially, she would have not had it done! The dog mom said, you know, oh well! So now I won't have some work done on myself! My dog is more important!
I was reminded of the summer of 2002 when Pooh was diagnosed. I had had LASIK surgery done in June. Had I known Pooh would get sick a few weeks later, I probably would have spent that money on her and not me. Which, I added to our conversation.
When the conversation got to a point that I could use my story, I did. I told of the vet tech and dog moms conversation I had heard 10 years earlier that had changed my way of thinking. The dog mom had a very similar story and yesterday's dog mom. The vet tech told her that she should never feel sorry for loving and caring for her pet. She should instead feel sorry for the people that had never experienced that kind of love and companionship of a pet.
There are different levels of pet ownership, in my opinion. Some of us wouldn't spend money on a dog, some of us would. I remember a former co-worker saying that he couldn't believe I was spending that kind of money on my dog. Even though he clearly knew I was a devoted pet lover and had been there when my first dog passed, and knew I treated them as my kids. I think like me, he wondered how I could get so lucky to have so many dogs with problems! Anyway, I am trying to say, he wasn't questioning me, we were having a conversation. I asked him to add up how much money he had spent on his daughters competitive softball team. Uniforms, travel, food, hotels, just in the past year. He quickly bowed his head and said "point taken"! I told him that my dogs care would probably never add up (I hoped) to the cost of raising one kid through college.
Also, think about how much money people spend to watch a sporting event, race cars, crafts, or gardening. Or any other hobby that you might be involved with. We all have passions. We all spend our money on something. My hobby and passion greets me at the door and welcomes me home! Anyone who embraces that will tell you, It's NOT just a dog!
She began by telling me what was wrong with her dog and what had brought her to the vet school. Her dog possibly had a condition that would require surgery. She was a single dog mom, like me. Her dog was her kid. She also told me of her conversation with her sister, a single mom of three children. Her sister couldn't imagine her spending that kind of money on her dog. She said she quickly ended that part of the conversation and moved on. She also told me how when she told her co-workers, and even though she was bawling while telling them, they all joked about what they would do with a sick dog out on the farm. JERKS!
Her mom, however, treated her pup like her grandchild. She is fairly smitten with the yorkie, according to the lady. The grandma had just had something done, I forget what that was now, a procedure or something, but something that had cost a lot of money. She had told her daughter that had she known her granddog would need help financially, she would have not had it done! The dog mom said, you know, oh well! So now I won't have some work done on myself! My dog is more important!
I was reminded of the summer of 2002 when Pooh was diagnosed. I had had LASIK surgery done in June. Had I known Pooh would get sick a few weeks later, I probably would have spent that money on her and not me. Which, I added to our conversation.
When the conversation got to a point that I could use my story, I did. I told of the vet tech and dog moms conversation I had heard 10 years earlier that had changed my way of thinking. The dog mom had a very similar story and yesterday's dog mom. The vet tech told her that she should never feel sorry for loving and caring for her pet. She should instead feel sorry for the people that had never experienced that kind of love and companionship of a pet.
There are different levels of pet ownership, in my opinion. Some of us wouldn't spend money on a dog, some of us would. I remember a former co-worker saying that he couldn't believe I was spending that kind of money on my dog. Even though he clearly knew I was a devoted pet lover and had been there when my first dog passed, and knew I treated them as my kids. I think like me, he wondered how I could get so lucky to have so many dogs with problems! Anyway, I am trying to say, he wasn't questioning me, we were having a conversation. I asked him to add up how much money he had spent on his daughters competitive softball team. Uniforms, travel, food, hotels, just in the past year. He quickly bowed his head and said "point taken"! I told him that my dogs care would probably never add up (I hoped) to the cost of raising one kid through college.
Also, think about how much money people spend to watch a sporting event, race cars, crafts, or gardening. Or any other hobby that you might be involved with. We all have passions. We all spend our money on something. My hobby and passion greets me at the door and welcomes me home! Anyone who embraces that will tell you, It's NOT just a dog!
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Oh Gracy!
Gracy is my 5 year old schnauzer/black lab mix. I adopted her from the Humane Society at the end of August 2007. I remember walking up to the kennel and wondering if she really belonged to that litter. All of the other pups were classic looking black lab puppies. Gracy was the only one, or at least only one left, that had that classic wire hair on her face. I fell in love immediately! My heart was in it 110%! My mind was still not convinced. That whole "black lab" thing was weighing heavy up there. Not because I don't like labs but because I already had a 1 year old golden retriever at home. She was big, and still growing. She was my first big dog and I didn't want two. I called my ex for some advice, maybe hoping he would talk me out of it. He didn't. I couldn't resist her. She came home with me the next day! She was just too cute to leave for someone else to swoop away!
Gracy didn't need much training as she learned quickly. On our first walk, she walked right next to me, while I fought her sister to not drag me down the street. She did like to chew a lot. She chewed up my computer cord, pens, highlighters, books, magazines, socks, shoes, roach traps. You know, the classic puppy stuff. A few memorable things were my DaVinci Code book, which I was almost done with. She tore out parts of the last couple of pages....luckily, I was able to work my way through few missed sentences! Another was a card from the ex that I didn't even realize I still had. She had found it, taken it outside, and chewed it up all over the back yard. She got praise for that one!
She is a momma's girl, unless there are rabbits running around the yard or a tennis ball to be played with. Then her OCD kicks in! She is always wanting attention and will come between her sister and I to get it! She has been fun to have around the house. She is full of energy and talks to me all the time!
So, fast-forward to March 2011. One night, while telling her goodnight, I felt a lump in her neck. Already having had a dog with lymphoma, I new what to look for and would give the girls routine rub downs. I did not take light of it. I called her Vet the next morning and took her in. Unfortunately, we both knew what it was. However, it took a little over a week to finally determine what it was. Lymphoma. Stage 1A.
I was devastated, to say the least. She would not turn 4 for about two more months. During that week of not knowing, she had two aspirations of that lymph node, which came back inconclusive. They actually had to remove her lymph node to get a diagnosis. She began chemotherapy the day the test results came back. She was basically in remission the day they took the node, because that was the only place they found the cancer. Chemo lasted from April to October and for the most part, she tolerated it pretty well. She was still in remission and their was a small, but good chance, she could beat it since we had found it so early.
In December, she ate a rock! She had had a few other vomiting issues, but, they had not been consistent. She had been sick a couple of times that morning and her oncologist wanted to see her. Many things could have been wrong with her, from eating something to the cancer coming back. The rock was discovered in the x-ray and we were all overjoyed that it was a rock, even though that could have turned into something serious. She continued to get sick off and on all winter.
In March of 2012, she started making snorting sounds. We thought it was just allergies. It wasn't. In early May, an x-ray showed a mass in her chest. The lymphoma was back......... The mass was pushing on her lung, which caused the snorting sound. I wasn't expecting that. My other dog had been in remission for almost 4 years, so, I figured Gracy would too. Again, I was devasted. She was given a chemo treatment that night, as well as a round of prednisone to start taking. By the next morning, the snorting sound was almost gone. I faintly heard it once. By the next week, the doctors could not hear it and a follow up x-ray 4 weeks later showed that it was all gone!
By the time her off week came, her vomiting issue had become a major issue. She was getting sick a lot and before continuing chemo, the vets decided we needed to get that under control. One week turned into seven weeks. During this time she had many tests, including exploratory surgery. She acquired aspiration pneumonia twice, once before the surgery and once after. She spent three days in ICU with the first bout of pneumonia. She returned to the hospital for surgery five days later, and then spent ten days in ICU. Fortunately, they didn't find anything alarming during the surgery. However, they still, after all of the tests, could not figure out why she was still vomiting, as she had no other symptoms. So you might ask, what did they treat her for? A food allergy and visceral epilepsy.
After getting out of the hospital July 11, 2012, she started chemo treatment the next week. She has progressively improved each day. In fact, we are at almost five weeks since her last episode of vomiting! And, only two episodes in 8 weeks!
She had some very down days this summer, as did I. We never would have made it through them without great friends and family, as well as the wonderful staff, students and doctors who seemed to work tirelessly to help my girl. A big "THANK YOU" to all of them!
Gracy didn't need much training as she learned quickly. On our first walk, she walked right next to me, while I fought her sister to not drag me down the street. She did like to chew a lot. She chewed up my computer cord, pens, highlighters, books, magazines, socks, shoes, roach traps. You know, the classic puppy stuff. A few memorable things were my DaVinci Code book, which I was almost done with. She tore out parts of the last couple of pages....luckily, I was able to work my way through few missed sentences! Another was a card from the ex that I didn't even realize I still had. She had found it, taken it outside, and chewed it up all over the back yard. She got praise for that one!
She is a momma's girl, unless there are rabbits running around the yard or a tennis ball to be played with. Then her OCD kicks in! She is always wanting attention and will come between her sister and I to get it! She has been fun to have around the house. She is full of energy and talks to me all the time!
So, fast-forward to March 2011. One night, while telling her goodnight, I felt a lump in her neck. Already having had a dog with lymphoma, I new what to look for and would give the girls routine rub downs. I did not take light of it. I called her Vet the next morning and took her in. Unfortunately, we both knew what it was. However, it took a little over a week to finally determine what it was. Lymphoma. Stage 1A.
I was devastated, to say the least. She would not turn 4 for about two more months. During that week of not knowing, she had two aspirations of that lymph node, which came back inconclusive. They actually had to remove her lymph node to get a diagnosis. She began chemotherapy the day the test results came back. She was basically in remission the day they took the node, because that was the only place they found the cancer. Chemo lasted from April to October and for the most part, she tolerated it pretty well. She was still in remission and their was a small, but good chance, she could beat it since we had found it so early.
In December, she ate a rock! She had had a few other vomiting issues, but, they had not been consistent. She had been sick a couple of times that morning and her oncologist wanted to see her. Many things could have been wrong with her, from eating something to the cancer coming back. The rock was discovered in the x-ray and we were all overjoyed that it was a rock, even though that could have turned into something serious. She continued to get sick off and on all winter.
In March of 2012, she started making snorting sounds. We thought it was just allergies. It wasn't. In early May, an x-ray showed a mass in her chest. The lymphoma was back......... The mass was pushing on her lung, which caused the snorting sound. I wasn't expecting that. My other dog had been in remission for almost 4 years, so, I figured Gracy would too. Again, I was devasted. She was given a chemo treatment that night, as well as a round of prednisone to start taking. By the next morning, the snorting sound was almost gone. I faintly heard it once. By the next week, the doctors could not hear it and a follow up x-ray 4 weeks later showed that it was all gone!
By the time her off week came, her vomiting issue had become a major issue. She was getting sick a lot and before continuing chemo, the vets decided we needed to get that under control. One week turned into seven weeks. During this time she had many tests, including exploratory surgery. She acquired aspiration pneumonia twice, once before the surgery and once after. She spent three days in ICU with the first bout of pneumonia. She returned to the hospital for surgery five days later, and then spent ten days in ICU. Fortunately, they didn't find anything alarming during the surgery. However, they still, after all of the tests, could not figure out why she was still vomiting, as she had no other symptoms. So you might ask, what did they treat her for? A food allergy and visceral epilepsy.
After getting out of the hospital July 11, 2012, she started chemo treatment the next week. She has progressively improved each day. In fact, we are at almost five weeks since her last episode of vomiting! And, only two episodes in 8 weeks!
She had some very down days this summer, as did I. We never would have made it through them without great friends and family, as well as the wonderful staff, students and doctors who seemed to work tirelessly to help my girl. A big "THANK YOU" to all of them!
Monday, September 24, 2012
The beginning, a couple posts late!
So, this probably should have been my first writing. Like everything else in my life, my brain works faster than my hands! I can start cleaning the kitchen, yet find myself doing laundry five minutes later. How, I ask myself, did this quick transition happen? Oh yes, I was taking the new tube of toothpaste that was on the kitchen table to the bathroom and got side tracked by the clothes on the floor. The toothpaste, by the way, is still probably in the bedroom!
My name is Davida. I am 42 years old. I am a single dog mom, and very proud of it! I have two girls, Keys, a 6 year old golden retriever, and Gracy, a 5 year old schnauzer-black lab mix. I worked in retail for 20 plus years, until retiring (ha!) last year to start a pet sitting business. It was the best decision I ever made for my mental well being.
After 15 years of working for one retailer, I had had enough. I had spent last few years watching more and more of who I was disappear. I was a puppet. I don't like being controlled and I was being controlled. It began to feel like a bad relationship and I wanted out. A possible business venture fizzled out in March and the search for my new career went into full mode. I had always looked at pet sitting or pet boarding as a potential career move. One day in April, while waiting on Gracy to complete a chemotherapy treatment (more on that later), I remember thinking life is just too short for me to continue to do something I am not happy doing. No one is benefiting from this, especially me. So, at that moment, I decided to become a pet sitter. I went home and started certification training. It was another month before I put in my two weeks but it was such an exhilarating day! Aunt D's Pet Care became a reality!
I have a knack for adopting dogs with problems! My first dog, Pooh, had lymphoma, kidney problems and heart problems. My second dog, Keys, has had two knee operations and continues to fight environmental and food allergies. Gracy, my little sweetheart, was diagnosed with lymphoma in April 2011. She did great with her first round of chemotherapy but came out of remission this past May. She is hanging in there, and still receiving chemo. There will be more on her later!
So, on my adventures with my girls I have learned a lot. I am by no means an expert, but, have found great resources. I have mostly spent time learning about nutrition and foods, but, have also learned a lot about their conditions. My goal is to share my stories, try to educate dog owners on a few things and just have fun telling stories about dogs (and cats)! I am not a pushy person. I won't try to sway you to a certain product, brand or way of doing things. We are all different, as are our dogs. Mostly, I want more people to feel comfortable loving and caring for their pets, because, you know, It's NOT just a dog!
My name is Davida. I am 42 years old. I am a single dog mom, and very proud of it! I have two girls, Keys, a 6 year old golden retriever, and Gracy, a 5 year old schnauzer-black lab mix. I worked in retail for 20 plus years, until retiring (ha!) last year to start a pet sitting business. It was the best decision I ever made for my mental well being.
After 15 years of working for one retailer, I had had enough. I had spent last few years watching more and more of who I was disappear. I was a puppet. I don't like being controlled and I was being controlled. It began to feel like a bad relationship and I wanted out. A possible business venture fizzled out in March and the search for my new career went into full mode. I had always looked at pet sitting or pet boarding as a potential career move. One day in April, while waiting on Gracy to complete a chemotherapy treatment (more on that later), I remember thinking life is just too short for me to continue to do something I am not happy doing. No one is benefiting from this, especially me. So, at that moment, I decided to become a pet sitter. I went home and started certification training. It was another month before I put in my two weeks but it was such an exhilarating day! Aunt D's Pet Care became a reality!
I have a knack for adopting dogs with problems! My first dog, Pooh, had lymphoma, kidney problems and heart problems. My second dog, Keys, has had two knee operations and continues to fight environmental and food allergies. Gracy, my little sweetheart, was diagnosed with lymphoma in April 2011. She did great with her first round of chemotherapy but came out of remission this past May. She is hanging in there, and still receiving chemo. There will be more on her later!
So, on my adventures with my girls I have learned a lot. I am by no means an expert, but, have found great resources. I have mostly spent time learning about nutrition and foods, but, have also learned a lot about their conditions. My goal is to share my stories, try to educate dog owners on a few things and just have fun telling stories about dogs (and cats)! I am not a pushy person. I won't try to sway you to a certain product, brand or way of doing things. We are all different, as are our dogs. Mostly, I want more people to feel comfortable loving and caring for their pets, because, you know, It's NOT just a dog!
Xena the Warrior Puppy
Xena the Warrior Puppy
Have you heard about this gal? If not, you should look her up! Xena was found September 15 in Dekalb, GA. She was approximately four months old and had been so neglegted, she was on death's door.
Within hours of being found, Xena was given fluids, food and love. She responded to all of it! She knew she was in safe hands and drew strength from all of the people helping her.
No one knows her story from her first four months. She shows signs of possibly being caged and starved. We know she was abused. I hope they find who did this to her and give them the harshest of legal punishments. How someone could do this to a sweet puppy is beyond most sane people. This person was just lazy and cruel. With all of the animal shelters and no kill groups out there, this person had plenty of humane choices.
Xena is being lovingly fostered and well cared for now. She has her own facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Xena-the-Warrior-Puppy/273998769379101, which, as of this morning, has 9,397 fans. Her foster parents post many photos and updates of Xena's journey to become someone's beloved pet. They also have a fundraising site, http://dekalbanimals.chipin.com/xena-the-warrior-puppy.
Please go to Xena's facebook page and like her so you too can follow this wonderful girl's story of love and courage. I am amazed how quickly she allowed herself to love and trust someone. Let's all hope and pray that she turns the corner medically as well.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
It's NOT just a dog!
Welcome to It's NOT just a dog! Plain and simple, this blog is about dogs! We are just starting, so who knows what direction this will take. But, today's blog will be about our name!
It's NOT just a dog! In 2002, my first dog as a grown up, Pooh, was diagnosed with lymphoma. When we hear those words, our minds go to devastating places. And I was devastated. My seven year old sidekick, best friend and most loyal companion was dying. Not many people understood why I would spend so much money on my dog to treat her for cancer, because, you know, she was just a dog. Many times I wondered the same thing. They were short lived moments, but, I had them!
Although many people didn't get it, they supported my decision. I often felt foolish discussing it with others. I could see that, it's just a dog look in their eyes. Those looks took me to those short lived moments.
I remember the moment that I had that LAST short lived moment. I was sitting in the waiting room, waiting for Pooh who was undergoing a chemotherapy treatment, when I overheard a conversation between another dog mom (whose dog had gone through treatment as well) and one of the vet tech's. The dog mom was discussing how none of her friends understood why she had had her dog treated for cancer and could spend that kind of money on "just a dog". The vet tech looked at her and told her that she should never be ashamed or feel sorry for helping her pet. In fact, she should feel sorry for her friends who had never experienced that kind of love and loyalty!
That statement has been with me ever since. My dogs are my family, my kids. They are NOT just dogs!
It's NOT just a dog! In 2002, my first dog as a grown up, Pooh, was diagnosed with lymphoma. When we hear those words, our minds go to devastating places. And I was devastated. My seven year old sidekick, best friend and most loyal companion was dying. Not many people understood why I would spend so much money on my dog to treat her for cancer, because, you know, she was just a dog. Many times I wondered the same thing. They were short lived moments, but, I had them!
Although many people didn't get it, they supported my decision. I often felt foolish discussing it with others. I could see that, it's just a dog look in their eyes. Those looks took me to those short lived moments.
I remember the moment that I had that LAST short lived moment. I was sitting in the waiting room, waiting for Pooh who was undergoing a chemotherapy treatment, when I overheard a conversation between another dog mom (whose dog had gone through treatment as well) and one of the vet tech's. The dog mom was discussing how none of her friends understood why she had had her dog treated for cancer and could spend that kind of money on "just a dog". The vet tech looked at her and told her that she should never be ashamed or feel sorry for helping her pet. In fact, she should feel sorry for her friends who had never experienced that kind of love and loyalty!
That statement has been with me ever since. My dogs are my family, my kids. They are NOT just dogs!
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