When to Let Go

Tank at the beach

Sometimes being a pet’s hero means knowing when to let go. This road is the bumpiest, roughest and most gut-wrenching I have ever been down. The loss of my pets has hurt more, and still hurts more than losing some of my close relatives. I know that might be hard to hear for some, but for others, I know you are nodding in agreement. I’m not saying I loved my dog more than my grandmother; I’m saying that their loss took a greater emotional toll.

My dog, Tank, was a constant companion. In our 11 years together, I could guess we’d been apart less than 30 days; we went everywhere together. He knew all of my secrets, and the very best part was that he never judged me. We live in a world where no matter how many great people we share our lives with, at one time or another, they have judged us, wronged us, or made us feel badly. Our pets don’t do that. They may ruin our favorite shoes or chew the sticky note with an important phone number you needed, but they never hurt us; they truly loved us unconditionally.

Tankie all dressed up

There are many questions that arise when a pet’s end nears: How do I know when to do it? What if they could get better? Have I let them go to long? How will I tell my children? What will my life be without them? Will they know? The list goes on. Some of these can’t be answered. You just have to trust in your veterinarian, your friends, and your family. I can say my first dog I let go too long. As for my second, some would say I let go too soon. It was mine and my husband’s decision, as only those closest can make the decision they feel is best. My boy, Tank, didn’t judge me or look into my eyes and tell me I let him go too soon. He looked into my eyes and saw sadness; he saw an owner he could no longer make him happy because his disease had ravaged his body. It was unfair of me to keep him alive. It took everything in me to let that dog go, and I mean EVERYTHING. Your animal means the world to you and my Tank was no exception to me. He literally introduced me to my husband. Out of my love for Tank, I built a business to care for other peoples’ pets and he drove me to continue on to teach others how to save theirs. Tank was a part of every aspect of my life. As difficult as it was to let him go, it would have been cruel for me to perpetuate his life.

Euthanasia in Greek means “good death”. We are fortunate to be able to bestow the gift of a good death upon our best friends. In contrast, my grandmother did not have a good death; I wish we could have given that to her. So while we carry the burden of making that dreaded decision, we should take solace in the fact that we are giving a gift to our best friends, who have given their hearts to us. If you have ever heard of the story, “A dog’s purpose according to a 6-year old”, you will have an amazing insight from a young mind as to why our pets’ lives are so short.

Tank out for a stroll

As a professional pet care provider and pet first aid & CPR instructor, I have been exposed to far more deaths of peoples’ pets than I feel my heart can endure. There is a compounded issue when you care for pets. You not only love the animals that you spend your days with, but you get to know the people that love these pets too. Every time a pet-client passes, my heart aches twice; first, for the loss of that pet in my everyday life and second, for the loss of that pet in their owner’s lives. It’s awful, but each time I try to look ahead to the new chapters as a coping mechanism. Our relationship with each animal is unique, and we’re lucky to have so many future furry chapters to look forward to.

If you are contemplating “that time” for your beloved pet, or know someone that is, there are some great resources out there to help us help them. Take a few minutes to read about other peoples' experiences.  Although your situation is unique, there are many animal lovers who share the same concerns and you may find comfort and guidance in the following locations:

http://www.deathofmypet.com/

http://kelseybethcarpenter.blogspot.com/2015/12/5-things-i-wish-you-knew-before.html 

Be their hero, be strong, and be able to let them go. Give them a gift by taking all of your love and wrap their soul with it as you say goodbye.

The Top Holiday Pet Hazards and How to Avoid Them

The Holidays are here and while you might be stressing out about what to get your niece for Christmas, Fido and Max are stressing out because there are so many new changes and smells going on in and around your house. 

Ornaments on the tree, candles, tinsel, ribbons and wrapping paper. There's holly, mistletoe, poinsettias, and a tree in the living room! Grandma's creme de menthe brownies are resting on the counter and there are Christmas candies in every dish at dog-nose level!! The family will be over so Uncle Rob can feed his Turkey scraps and basically everywhere your pets turn, there is another hazard staring them in the face, or worse, taunting them.

Be smart this holiday season and make certain you, your pets, and your wallet stay out of the ER vet. Here are some things to keep in mind when you are soaking in the holiday spirit:

Decorations & wrapping material like ornaments, candles, tinsel, ribbons, and wrapping paper are fun toys. Even worse, homemade ornaments from flower and salt can become a tempting treat as this family tragically learned.

Picture from Facebook of Hope Pospisil with her family and dog Lexi who they lost to her consuming a handmade ornament of salt and flower.

My cat has already been batting around the bell hanging low on our tree but that's OK because we hung the dangerous ones up higher.When my family starts opening gifts we have a designated ribbon roller and any tinsel goes right in a trash bag.

Our tree is fake but if you have a real one please avoid putting any tree additives in the water and change the water frequently, this is just another bowl from which your pets will drink. The tree preservatives that can be added to the water will definitely have you off to the ER, or inducing vomiting and hoping you got it all up.

Poinsettia's are beautiful but they are very toxic to our friends, consider the silk variety, definitely more expensive up front but they last longer and never need to be watered!

When uncle Rob tries to sneak his turkey skin to Fido from under the table go ahead and ask him up front for $1000, and his car keys, that's the minimum it will cost to handle the pancreatitis that it could cause, and that is hoping your dog makes it through. Stash the brownies in a pet safe container (or in my house, the microwave becomes a safe storage place).

Hide your electrical cords or spray them with some vinegar and cayenne pepper to deter any chewing.

Your home can still host the holiday spirit but just put some thought into how each change, addition or family member could be a hazard to your furry family members. 

#NotAllHeroesAreHuman

At Pet Health Academy, our goal is to teach humans how to be a pet's hero by teaching the skills and knowledge needed to save their lives. However, sometimes we need to step back and recognize the pets that are humans' heroes. 

Without many of our canine counterparts in the line of duty, we would be less effective at search and rescue, a thousands times less effective given a dog's nose alone. These animals deserve to be recognized and celebrated. In fact we recently just celebrated the 16th birthday of a 9/11 Golden Search and Rescue Dog named Bretagne, who traveled all the way from Texas to help search for the thousands of people buried in the rubble.

The most recent events in Paris are what sparked me to take a step back and change the focus from human's as heroes to pets as heroes. Following the tragic attacks in Paris on Friday November 13th, the French were performing a raid on a suspects' home that following Wednesday. While they were able to capture 7 suspects, one took the life of a canine police officer, a 7 year old Malinois named Diesel. Before the human police went into the raid in the northern Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, Diesel had been sent into the apartment building before the humans to assess the situation. Several sources state that Diesel was killed when a woman detonated a suicide belt that killed both the terrorist and Diesel. People took to the internet posting pictures of their pets with the hashtags, #NotAllHeroesAreHuman and #JeSuisChien (“I am dog”) to honor Diesel's life. Without his devotion and skilled training, the French authorities would have lost more lives and would not have been able to apprehend the 7 suspects. 

There was a wonderful gesture that came from Russia regarding Diesel's heart-wrenching passing. The Russian Interior Ministry announced on social media that Russia will give the French government a puppy, “This dog will be handed to France in a testament of solidarity with the French people,” the tweet said. 

But there are thousands of pet heroes we should celebrate. Going back to WWII, in my Boxer club we recently just celebrated on Veteran's Day, Vittles who was the only dog to log more than 130 missions from Erding, Germany, to Berlin and back. He even had his own parachute, on orders from Air Force Gen. Curtis LeMay. Vittles brought comfort to his owner Lt. Clarence “Russ” Steber, a former Air Force pilot, who had acquired him in Germany. He realized he had nowhere to leave him during his missions so he started taking him on the planes with him. He boosted morale so much that Gen. Curtis LeMay made certain a parachute was made specifically for him so he could always be with the troops. 

So while it is crucial for us to know how to perform pet CPR & 1st aid to save our trained couch potatoes, let's never forget those pet heroes that save us. From search and rescue dogs to therapy cats, these animals have a greater purpose in life which includes saving ours.   

Take a Pet CPR Course Online or In Person

Most cats cannot attend classrooms, due to the stress it puts on them.  A video demonstration is necessary to teach this method.  Here, Gerard Armour demonstrates a technique to safely restrain a cat.

Whether you are interested in taking a Pet CPR and First Aid Course because you're concerned about the health and safety of your pet, OR because you are earning a credential for your business, you'll have several choices in providers.  One of the key decisions you'll need to make before purchasing your education is whether to attend a class in person or to learn online.  There are important factors to consider listed in this blog, by Pet Health Academy.

As the world moves online, industries are following at a rapid pace.  Sometimes the technology gets ahead of itself and there is a disconnect between the technology and the user.  What this means is that either the technology isn't ready (which can lead to errors and bugs), or the user interface is too complicated, requiring high technical competency to use the product/service.  These factors can potentially cause the companies interested in using the technology to recoil and go back to the "tried and true" methods of the past.  Those companies will suffer as their customers will continue to demand better service, products, and access to them.  For example, forward-thinking companies like amazon.com have revolutionized the shipping industry by implementing high-level inventory management and order fulfillment software, thereby taking over a large percentage of retail sales.  Not only did they take market share from other online retailers, but also big box retailers who use conventional retail sales methods.  Amazon.com's customers can simply search for the products they desire, pay for them, and track the shipments.  The customers don't need to be tech savvy to gain access to the products they desire. Web browsers, search engines, and other software has become user-friendly and amazon.com has capitalized on that, making its products available to the masses.

Here is a thumbnail from a video of a Husky seizing.  This dramatic moment was captured on video in order to share it, helping other animal lovers to recognize seizures.

As is often the case, companies that offer more traditional services and products, with less access to capital, (like local small business) are behind the trend.  The pet care education industry, until recently, had been clinging to "the old way."  In order for pet care professionals to get access to high quality Pet CPR and First Aid Courses in the past, instructors would have to rent out rooms in local businesses, organize class schedules with individual students, as well as set up and break down equipment (like tables, chairs, projection screens, etc.).

Now that e-learning has been made popular, accessible, and credible, Pet CPR and First Aid Certification is available in its best form, online.  Instead of simply reading a document, watching a youtube video, and then taking a test, educators such as Pet Health Academy can create an engaging and interactive e-learning platform.  The earning management software they use is reliable, flexible, and highly customized. Instead of considering the limitations of e-learning, people are now touting the advantages of learning online.

See the video below which demonstrates how high-quality video content can provide a user experience unavailable in a traditional classroom setting.  This close-up gives a view unavailable when in a room full of students, not to mention the ability to pause, rewind, and watch the video repeatedly, until the student has mastered the skill and learned the material.

For those students who are uncertain about whether a high-quality, thorough education is attainable in an online format, need only search for online college degree programs.  Thanks to the innovation of software developers and universities throughout the world, education is accessible to a larger percentage of the population.  Pet CPR and First Aid Certification is just one example, but it is a clear example as it demonstrates the overall trend in the e-learning community.