Time is a precious resource. We only have so much time in our day – you don’t get any more or any less than anyone else.
I have often said that one of the most important things we have to give our dogs is our time. Time for play, time for love, time for care…That said, since I often work with sick or elderly dogs in my massage practice, I am also very mindful of how time can get away on us.
Our dogs live at a different time scale than we do. There are many illustrations of the this – here’s just one:
With our dogs aging at a faster rate than we do, we don’t always understand the impact of a delay.
For example:
| I meet many dog owners who come to see me because they have a fear of putting their dog on medications such as those that are used for arthritis. Let me be clear on this – although I practice natural therapies – I am not against using traditional medications like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Actually, quite the opposite.
Many dogs benefit from pain relief just like we humans do. One of the better ways to assess the levels of pain in a dog is to give it a short course of NSAIDs and simply watch for changes in the dog’s behaviour and levels of activity. If the dog improves, this is often the best indicator we have about the dog’s level of discomfort. If pain is managed, then we can do even more hands-on work like acupressure, stretching, acupuncture and massage and this often means dosages of the ‘hard drugs’ can be reduced without sacrificing pain management. In this example, the owner is hesitating to make a decision on using medication – even with the idea that we go into the arrangement knowing the medications will be used for only a short period – perhaps 2-3 weeks. The dog weighs 25 kg and is 10 years old. I start working with the dog and suggest a number of times that I believe the dog is in pain or at a minimum – uncomfortable. The owner takes 2 months to make a decision before agreeing to try some pain relief. In human years, since the dog is aging at a rate of 6 years to 1 human year at this life stage… The owner has waited the equivalent of one human year to make a decision! |
I will ask– if this was your grandma/grandpa/father/mother – would you allow them to live like this without pain relief?
The answer has always been ‘no.’
We have a duty to care for our dogs which involves acting in their best interests. They can’t tell us in words how much pain they are in, it’s up to us to figure it out. And in deciding what to do, we must always be mindful of how precious time is.
Kathleen Crisley, specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, The Balanced Dog, Christchurch, New Zealand
Never allow your dog to be alone with children under age 12
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