Monday, October 25, 2010

Coming to Terms





Okay, I should be working. I have a lot of work to get done and feel like there is no end to the additional projects that pop up. But, right now I have to stop, reflect and acknowledge what I have been dealing with lately.

As someone who works with dogs professionally to try to ease pain and discomfort I am very often working with old dogs and disabled or mobility challenged dogs. When I say often, I'm talking about probably ninety percent of my canine clients fall into that category. I feel good about what I do. My clients and their guardians are usually helped and most often report success to some degree. The difficulty comes from the fact that they are old.

Old dogs are special. Like elderly humans the dogs sometimes change in ways we can understand if we put thought into it. They can become more demanding, more stubborn, more dependent on a strict routine and other mental changes occur that can be tough to deal with. They also start showing signs of physical changes like difficulty getting up and down, general mobility problems, change of sleep patterns, and weaker bladder and control of bowels plus loss of hearing and site. It isn't easy growing old and these dogs, our family members, need more care and attention as they go through these changes. They deserve our patience and understanding.

Caring for an elderly dog can be challenging to say the least. As a complimentary care health practitioner who works with these dogs my challenge is to deal with what is going on with them and their family through the aging process. Seeing them once a week or every other week, it doesn't take long for me to become very close to them. I develop a special feeling for each of the dogs I work with. When the time comes that I won't see one of them again it is painful.

Recently one of the beautiful dogs I have worked with for 4 years passed away. I was allowed to say goodbye to him. I am so grateful to his family for allowing me to have some one on one time with him and touch him one more time. I loved this dog very much. My pain is nothing compared to what his family feels I know. I've been on that side too.

Just as I move on and begin to book new clients and meet more dogs that need care, I am surprised to find out that another of my clients has failed. The circumstances are beyond the guardians means and probably beyond the point of any Veterinary care other than palliative or hospice. The dog's guardian was distraught and defeated. He didn't know who to call or try to contact. We discussed options and I was able to give him some referrals of in home Vet.'s that could help him help his dog pass on.

After hanging up from this last conversation I feel a strange detachment. Not from the dog or the guardian but from daily life. Almost as if I am moving out of a home. That feeling I get when I have been comfortable for a long period of time with my surroundings and now I have to walk away. That is how I cope. Sometimes it is much harder to do than other times. Today is hard. I will allow it to be but tomorrow I must walk.