Veterinary Wisdom Insider

Veterinarians finally included in Health Care!

According to an article in the July 1 JAVMA, the American Medical Association's Health Care Careers Directory features veterinarians and technicians for the first time in the 2008-2009 edition.  Progress!  With pets firmly entrenched as family members, the whole gamut of veterinary professionals (including veterinary grief counselors, social workers, etc.) should also be included.  To paraphrase a campaign slogan, "...it's a SYSTEM, stupid!"

I've long been an advocate for an expanded and more inclusive health care system within veterinary medicine, too.  While high quality medical care is of utmost importance, pets and the people who love them need more than medical care.  They also need a trusted "continuum of care," to support their prevention, wellness, rehabilitation, and emotional support needs.  This is starting to happen with so many pet-related services and businesses popping up all over the country (doggie day cares, home euthanasia practices, pet hospices, etc.) but they still aren't well-integrated into the veterinary medical referral protocols.

But, where human medicine goes, so goes veterinary medicine.  Maybe next year, the Vet. Med. Directory will include physicians, nurses, etc. who contribute to the health and well-being of a pet's human!

Hey, it could happen...

Continuing Education at AVMA

The AVMA annual conference is coming up in July.  This year, it's in New Orleans, which should be fun and quite an eye-opener, in terms of the problems there rescuing pets during Hurricane Katrina.

But what I want to tell you about is the programming of interest to those of you wanting to know more about communication, stress, etc., so here goes:

On Saturday, July 19, there is an entire day of lectures devoted to communication topics.  Many of these will be presented by Dr. Rick Timmins, director of the Association for Veterinary Family Practice.  Learn about gender issues, cultural differences, and strategies to build trust with the veterinary practice team and with clients.  Should be worthwhile if you're interested in developing this specialty area of practice.

On Sunday, July 20, there's another six hours of team management skills and work & life balance ideas, followed by more communication training and topics on Tuesday, July 22.

I'm disappointed that there doesn't seem to be any time devoted to euthanasia or end-of-life issues.  It's important to let the conference organizers know that you want and need more training in this area.  Be sure to add those comments to your conference evaluations.

Have fun in the Big Easy and say hello to Brad Pitt and Angelina from me!   

"There's a Slight Chance I May be Going to Pet Parent Hell"

Last week, I came home to find the entire contents of a tissues box pulled out, shredded, and spread around the spare bedroom downstairs.  The mangled box and biggest pile of the soggy white stuff was on the bed, but bits and pieces were strewn everywhere around the rest of the room.  It looked like a chicken had exploded, depositing 'feathers' in every chair and on the top of every piece of furniture.

Who could have caused such destruction?  One of my bored Chesapeake Bay retrievers.

A short time after cleaning up this mess (and, truth be told, another mess exactly like it a few days later after I "replaced" the tissues box.  Duh!  You'd think I'd learn!), I read an article in the March/April, 2008, issue of Trends magazine that triggered my long-buried "mommy guilt."  The article suggested that just because a companion animal lives with a good family in an upper class suburban home, the pet may not be getting the attention he or she needs.  In fact, the pet might actually be "neglected."  And---this is the part that really got me---the article was accompanied by a photo of a brown dog, laying on a bed, chewing up rolls of paper towels and toilet paper.

Yikes!

How did this writer get into my house?

The article's philosophical discussion is the brain child of the writer Jon Katz.  Katz has written many books about dogs and it's his contention that there are plenty of companion animals out there who are fed and kept comfortable, but who are otherwise bored out of their minds and therefore neglected.  He calls them "pampered yet neglected" pets.  And he even goes so far as to call neglectful owners "abusers."

"...abusers aren't lowlifes who mercilessly beat, starve, or tether animals.  Quite the opposite: [these] owners are affluent, educated people who consider themselves humanistic and moral.  But they've been cruel nonetheless, through their lack of responsibility, their neglect, their poor training, and their inattention."

Oh, oh...

I feel another version of the "Mommy Wars" coming on.

You have to read this blog!

I'm in love with Oscar, the dog who blogs.

If you haven't found this daily journal written by a 13-year-old peek-a-poo named Oscar, check it out.  Oscar's deadpan humor puts a comical spin on his observations about the world around him.  It's so well-done, I actually find myself believing a dog is blogging...

Here's one of Oscar's favorite quotes: "When a man's best friend is his dog, that dog has a problem."--Unknown

Join Oscar at http://lifeofoscar.com as he wonders what it's like to be a horse, wishes for a doggie Starbucks, and contemplates renting himself out when his people are on vacation.  He'll brighten your day!

"Honey, have you seen the dog's remote control?"

While I was still working at the CSU Veterinary Hospital, the staff had the opportunity to spend an afternoon with a robotic dog.  The director of a human-animal bond program at another university was touring the country, demonstrating the robot and enlightening us about its potential benefits.

I was really skeptical about going to the seminar.  My main objection was that, if people began to "adopt" robot dogs, millions of real dogs would die in shelters and never have a prayer of finding homes.  And, what would happen to the field of veterinary medicine if real animals faded away, replaced by robotic cats, gerbils, etc?  We'd have generations of out-of-work veterinarians, needing to be re-skilled as "robotics technicians."  The whole futuristic scenario seemed too cold and impersonal for me.  I mean, I complain about the piles of fur and the wet-dog smell in my house, but I don't really want to come home to a dog who doesn't greet me until I turn him on with a remote control.

Even so, I went to the seminar and, as you've probably already guessed, I fell in love with the stupid dog.

Seriously, if I'd had the $1,000 + to buy one, I would have...

It was amazing how real and responsive the dog seemed.  True, it wasn't what I'd call cuddly.  Its sleek look and silver and black body was definitely machine-like.  But, his eyes (it was a male robot, we were told), his movements, his very presence offered comfort and friendly companionship.  I envisioned bringing him to work with me every day, taking him on trips, going all the places with him that I can't go with my real dogs.

Now, studies are showing my feelings about the robot dog are common.  One recent study looked at nursing home residents and found that they felt less lonely when a living dog OR a robotic dog kept them company.  Researchers found no statistical difference in "improvement" (meaning relief from feelings of loneliness) between the real or robotic dog.

Robotic dogs began in Japan, popular with residents of high-rise apartments where it was almost impossible to have a real pet.  While I still believe living animals are the best form of companionship, I can see lots of applications for robotic dogs in our current society.  Nursing homes, home-bound elderly, children's hospitals, prisons, chemo sessions, office environments, restaurants...

What if I could have a robotic dog to accompany me during my next mammogram?  It'd probably make it a lot easier to go back for annual exams, just to check in on my robotic friend, see how he's doing, give him a pat on his little, metal head....

But, alas, Sony, the manufacturer of the robotic dog we bonded with at CSU and the one that was used in the nursing home study (named Aibo), discontinued him in 2006.

Oprah and Sophie

Did you see the Oprah show on Friday?

Of course the big buzz was about the puppy mill situation.  Oprah issued a call to action, urging all of us to stop this practice now!  Believe me, when you see the show, you'll think twice before supporting these businesses in any way.  Please watch it if you can.

But, for me, the heart of the show on Friday was the brief tribute to Oprah's beloved cocker spaniel Sophie who recently died.  Following the photo montage, the camera came back to Oprah who was doing everything she could do to hold back her sobs.  The male guest sitting beside her was also on the verge of tears.

To me, this was an historic moment.  A man and a woman on national TV showing their feelings about the death of a little dog, devoting prime television air time to eulogizing her....

I'm sure Oprah will take some heat for this, but once again, she is leading the way for our country to accept the deep, genuine emotions that come with loss.  And when those feelings of grief stem from the loss of a beloved pet, Oprah shows us it's normal to let others see how it affects you.  She honors Sophie and her own feelings.

I was deeply touched and my heart goes out to Oprah.  Even with all her wealth and wide circle of support, I can only imagine how lonely and empty she feels right now without her Sophie.

Rest in peace, Sophie girl....

Pet Ownership in U.S.

The March 1, 2008, issue of JAVMA published the results of the 2006 AVMA survey of companion animal ownership.  The AVMA conducts this survey every 5 years using large samples (80,000 randomly selected households).  This time, almost 60% of the households contacted responded.  That's an amazing return rate!

The results are interesting, though not earth-shattering.  Almost 60% of all US households owned at least one pet at some point during 2006.  Dogs and cats were the most common pets, with 15.6% of the households surveyed owning both.  Overall, pet ownership continued to rise since the last survey (2001), although only by a small percentage (1.2%).

Personally, I was interested in the finding that said 21.2% of the households surveyed owned more than 5 pets during 2006.  And I thought I was the only one silly enough to try to care for this many animals!

As a parent to two human children and a pet parent to six animals, I often feel overwhelmed with caregiving and berate myself for getting my family into this "pet mess."  I mean, think about it, my kids are old enough now that they could stay by themselves for a day or two if need be, but, with six animals, it's hard to go away for even an overnight stay.  Why?  Because the dogs have to go outside to pee right before bedtime, they have to go out first thing in the morning, to kennel 4 dogs for one night is expensive and almost not worth the hassle of getting them all there, yet, to find someone to stay at my home for only one night can also be difficult...

But, now I learn that I'm not alone.  It seems that almost 25% of pet owners are as crazy as I am!  Honestly, knowing there are others who keep adding to their animal families makes me feel better about my choices.  And, when I think about it, I know very few people who only have one pet anymore...

If you'd like to see all the AVMA survey findings, they are available in the AVMA 's newly updated US Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook. Schaumburg, Ill., 2007.

This is Nagging at Me

I don't want to use this blog to become a complainer, but this is nagging at me.

I read the veterinary medical journals on a regular basis and, in a couple of them, the monthly columnists often complain about and even "make fun of" their clients.  I know why they do this.  It's a way of "venting" and bonding with the thousands of practitioners out there who have had similar experiences with less than ideal pet owners.  I'm sure the columnists assume their readers will recognize the stereotyped pet owner personalities and chuckle as they recall their own struggles with one or more of them.  They aim to entertain, not educate and that might make their sarcasm and cynicism okay.

But, still, it's nagging at me.

I don't like it.  As a business owner who considers herself part of the veterinary medicine field and as a pet owner myself, I feel insulted by these doctors' comments.  I'm a fairly intelligent, responsible pet owner and I'm willing to pay for veterinary services that I believe are necessary and justified.  But, I myself do many of the things that seem to annoy these writers...I ask questions, sometimes I don't understand my pet's problem, occasionally I challenge and even refuse some treatment recommendations, and more often than I'd like to admit, I really can't follow (or remember!) all of the instructions my vet has given me.  Too much jargon, too many "start this, then stop, then start the other one", etc.

And, as a client, I think my behaviors are normal and to be expected.  After all, I have a right to know and understand what I'm paying for.  And I shouldn't have to worry that I'm going to labeled or be gossiped about just because I have opinions or concerns that, to a medical professional, may seem naive.

I'd like to see these columnists exhibit a bit more understanding and empathy for human nature.  As a mental health professional who is very familiar with veterinary medicine, I know that clients often exhibit "annoying" behaviors because they are afraid about what may be wrong with their pets.  For example, sometimes anxious clients call the clinic a dozen times a day to check on their pet.  Veterinarians and staff members who don't understand emotions don't address this anxiety with appropriate comforting communication.  Instead, they speak to the client more and more abruptly each time the client calls, hoping the client will get the message and stop calling.  But, instead, the client usually gets more and more anxious because they can't get the reassurance they desperately need.  So, they call more and more and...you get the picture.

Anyway, I'd like the veterinary medical journals to realize that their profession is of interest to and is watched by a diverse audience, many of whom are paying customers.  We read the journals.  We are your clients.  I've never seen demeaning columns in a mental health journal and I would be shocked if they are included in journals concerning human medicine.  Why are they in the veterinary journals?

Your clients want to trust you.  Don't erode our trust with your need to be cute and clever at our expense in a column.  It's beneath the profession.

Cat Parasite Linked to Schizophrenia

Here's a news item for my mental health colleagues as reported in the February, 2008, issue of DVM Newsmagazine.

A new study suggests there may be a link between schizophrenia and infection with Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite carried by pet cats (found in their feces).  The key finding of the study was that people exposed to the parasite infection had a 24% higher risk of developing schizophrenia.  Researchers believe the infection might help trigger the illness in those who may be genetically predisposed to it.

A more complete description of the study can be found in the January 2008 issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.  The study was conducted among U.S. military personnel by researchers from Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

A possible treatment that may emerge from this study is the aggressive use of antiparasitic drugs to halt the progression of the disease.  If you're a mental health professional who treats schizophrenia, it might be a good idea to determine if your patient owns a cat.  Then, work with a veterinarian to discover whether or not this parasite is present.  If it is, find a doctor who can treat the condition.

It's my belief that collaborative health care teams like this are the way to solve many of our biggest health care issues.  But, in order for this to happen, we all have to learn to communicate more effectively with one another, to share information, and work across disciplines.  With developments like this, it's important for us all to remember that veterinarians are as important to human health as they are to animal health.

AVMA Conference Offers Variety of Sessions

I've been looking over the program for the AVMA's 145th annual conference in New Orleans this coming July.  I'm so happy to see so many presentations about communication, the human-animal bond, and practice management topics regarding work-life balance.  For instance, there's a session called "Turning Emotions into Assets" (a great reframe, I think!) and several exploring gender issues in the workplace. 

I am disappointed that there aren't sessions that target grief support skills, family-present euthanasia protocols, or even decision-making, but some focus on the human side of veterinary medicine is better than none!

If you plan to attend this conference, be sure to save time for some non-medical training and updating.  More and more often, research and clinical experience demonstrates that it is the non-technical skills that lead to greater financial success and personal satisfaction.

Find out more at www.avmaconvention.org

Rx: Cats

I've always lived with both cats and dogs and often find myself pondering which species I truly prefer.  You know the question. "Are you a cat person or a dog person?"  Well, being a fairly indecisive creature myself, I can never decide!

Yet, lately, I've found myself having very different responses to each species.  My dogs fire me up, make me feel loved and welcome and excited with their rambunctious invitation of "Let's go outside and play ball!"  But I notice that I also feel burdened by their neediness sometimes and, then, guilty if I choose to do something I want to do rather than play with them.  In other words, my relationships with my dogs seems similar to my relationships with people...a mixed bag of blessings and obligations...

But, my cats are a different story.  They typically spend their time in my bedroom where they have numerous places to lounge in the sun and chase small toy mice.  When I enter the room during the day, they barely open an eye to check me out.  "Shhhhh...we're catching the last rays here..." I can almost hear them say.  Just looking at them, so peaceful and content, makes me feel the same way.  For a moment, I slow myself down and indulge in a little "cat spa" break in the midst of my busy day.

Now some new research seems to validate my own impressions about cats.  In a nutshell, researchers who analyzed data on more than 4,000 patients between the ages of 35 and 70 concluded that NOT caring for a cat appears to put you at higher risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke!  After adjusting the data for several variables, the study showed the risk of death from a heart attack was 40 percent higher for people who never had cats than for those who now have a cat or even those who at any time owned a cat.  Dogs simply don't have this same effect.

Why?  The researchers (from the Minnesota Stroke Institute, by the way) pose several theories.  Perhaps interacting with cats has more of a stress and anxiety reducing effect than hanging around with other companion animals. Or maybe it's because cats are easier to take care of, tend to live with their owners longer, and have been shown to create other positive effects in humans, like higher self-esteem and more effective rehabilitation from injuries.

The findings make sense to me.  So, for goodness sake, if you have high blood pressure or a heart condition (or just want to prevent anxiety-related disease) get a cat.  Even better, get two or three and just add sunshine!

The Bond Goes Mainstream

I've spent a lot of time searching the web this weekend and I've found articles about the human-animal bond and pet loss everywhere.  Oprah and integrative medicine guru Dr. Andrew Weil both have articles on their sites, as well as about.com and even WebMD.

This is encouraging as people now have so much more access to information about the benefits of living with pets, as well as how to cope when pets die or are sick.

It also tells me that people are taking animals much more seriously and giving those of us who work on behalf of animals (and their human families) more credibility.

Check out the articles in these links and let me know if you know other mainsteam, popular sites that offer human-animal bond related information.

I Can Have the What??

I've been working on the next edition of our company's monthly eNewsletter.  The theme is Body Care and how important it is to pet owners that this aspect of pet loss be dealt with sensitively and respectfully.  It's reminded me of some cases from my past.

During my 20 years in the clinic at the CSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital, I experienced the whole range of body care requests.  One client didn't care what we did with his dog's body, but wanted his right canine tooth and a sliver of his heart.  (The surgeon granted his wish.)  Another told me he would like his nine-foot python skinned so he could nail it to his shed and then he offered me the meat! (I respectfully declined.)

While the vast majority of my clients (and the majority of pet parents today) chose cremation, there were many who had a very difficult time deciding whether to bury their pet or have the body cremated.  In many of these cases, the people involved were simply not ready to let their pet go.  They needed more time and wanted to be able to see and touch their pet's body over the days following the death as part of their process of saying good-bye.

Now, don't be saying, "eeeyooooo...."  This isn't a morbid need.

It is, after all, what we're accustomed to when a human loved one dies.  We have visitations, viewings, funerals, etc.  We get to spend time with the body, let the reality of death sink in a bit before we part with the body forever.  The only difference is the embalming procedure which allows a human body to be preserved until burial or cremation.  Without preservation, an animal's body begins to smell and decompose after about 6 to 8 hours unless it is kept somewhere very cold, so we have this notion that we have to "deal" with it immediately.

I always give people permission to "keep" (usually freeze) their pet's body until they feel ready to choose the body care option that is right for them.  And, there are often very good reasons for doing so...to allow a family member who is away from home to see their pet's body (research absolutely shows that viewing the body of a loved one who has died is beneficial for a healthy grief process) or to allow for time to make ClayPaws® prints, clip fur, etc. when everyone who wants to be involved can participate.  In fact, my own family did this with our dog who recently died.  He died suddenly during a very busy week and we couldn't all be together to say the kind of good-bye we thought he deserved until the weekend.  So, we cleaned his body of any fluids that had leaked out, wrapped him in a light towel, placed him in a Body Care Bag with a tightly sealed closure, and preserved him in our freezer for a few days.

While this might gross you out, it's far more common than you'd think.  And, I think it's time we all talked more openly and honestly about, not only our feelings of grief when a pet dies, but also about HOW we handle the details of their deaths.  These are the situations that throw us off balance and cause us to feel guilty, shameful, or just plain weird because we think we're the only ones having these thoughts and feelings.

While it's probably pretty difficult to freeze a horse or even a large dog, it's not impossible, especially in the cold winter months.  If this is important to you, check with your veterinarian or your local human funeral home.  And, if you own a large freezer and feel you need a few days to say good-bye to your pet, don't feel weird about it.  Do what's right for you.

Relaxing and Being Productive at the Same Time

My business partner Debby and the rest of the World by the Tail, Inc., crew have encouraged me to work at home for the better part of the last two weeks.  (In truth, I think they've seen my absence as a mini vacation.  I drive them crazy with never-ending "ideas" most days!)  Anyway, there were several writing projects I've been wanting to do and never really had the time for...so, I've been writing.

And I've noticed two important things about myself.  First, I've been happy.  I mean really, really happy.

I'm not sure my mood is due to my creative pursuits, though being a writer is one of my all-time, top life dreams.  I think it's more about the slowed-down pace of daily life and the fact that I am completely (almost) in charge of my own time.  According to my energy level and interest, I can decide to lose myself in work for two hours, take a break to play outside with my dogs, eat something, read a journal article, throw a load of laundry in the washer, write some more...you get the idea.  The work day is free of interruptions and distractions and I can feel the FLOW of my own thoughts and interests.  It's relaxing and productive at the same time.

And, second, I'm have fewer "ideas" not more "ideas."  It's as though I've created the space for all those free-floating bits of creative dust to land somewhere and they're finally cleaning themselves up.  Suddenly, I have the clarity to know what's a 'keeper' and what to throw out.  And I have a much clearer knowledge of who I want to be professionally and what our business is really about (at least for me!)

You might say that, with a slower pace, I've gotten more in touch with my inner wisdom or my emotional intelligence and that's no small accomplishment.  Both are important factors for stimulating creativity, and creativity leads to business growth.  Study after study these days shows that, in today's economy, fostering company creativity is critical to remaining a leader in the marketplace.  Those of us in pet-related businesses need to go beyond our comfort zones ("But, we've always done it this way and it's worked just fine...") and be open to new ways of working.  Maybe you can't take a week out of the office to brainstorm for yourself, but you could take a day to recharge your creative juices.

Now, after a break, I'm looking forward to getting back to the office.  Just as I knew when I was a young mother that I would be a better parent if I got out of the house at least part time, I'm a better business owner if I can keep a balance between alone time and staying in touch with the office news and the lives of all the special people who work with me.  I'm a person who needs feedback and debate and brainstorming and communication.

"Look out, team, I've got a new 'idea'...."

A Bit of Magic During Pre-Op Paperwork

My 87-year-old mother-in-law and I were in one of the Admissions cubicles at our new, extraordinarily beautiful regional hospital the other day.  She's going to have eye surgery in about three weeks, so we were filling out the pre-op paperwork and asking anxious questions about the advisability of a woman her age (recovering from pneumonia!) receiving general anesthesia.

Everyone, from the doctor to the EKG technicians to the consulting nurse we were now meeting with, listened attentively to my mother-in-law's fears and, by the time we got to the nurse's office, I was pleased to hear that she already knew about our concerns.  Each person we had talked to had passed on, not only my mother-in-law's medical data, but also her emotional status!  This view of her, as a whole person and not just a "patient" had been communicated all the way through the "intake chain!"

And now, the consulting nurse was reassuring us that a general anesthesia with the tube down the throat and the other potential scary side affects would probably not be required.  And she picked up the phone, paged anesthesia, and told us we would probably have an answer in about two minutes.

Then the truly magical thing happened.  We heard a lullaby...

You know the song, "Lullaby and good-night..."  That soothing, comforting, rocking melody that takes you right back to childhood and makes you feel you are in a safe place and all is right with the world...

"Oh, there's a new baby in the hospital!" the nurse smiled.

"How do you know that?"

"That's what the tune you just heard means.  Each time a baby is born, they play that song over the paging system so everyone here can stop a moment and welcome them to the world."

My mother-in-law and I looked at each other and grinned.  We felt privileged to be included, even in such a small way, in this happy event.  And, the magical part was that now we felt we belonged here, that we were part of this warm, very 'human' hospital community.  A community that has the wisdom to stop for a moment in the midst of a busy day and pay attention to the birth of a new life.

A minute later, Anesthesia called back and said my mother-in-law wouldn't need a general.  But, we would have been fine even if she had---we'd heard the lullaby...

Endowed Chair in Animal-Assisted Social Work

Here's another 'First and Finally' story about the human-animal bond...

The American Humane Association and the University of Denver (DU) recently established the first-in-the-nation endowed chair to explore the field of animal-assisted social work and the bond between humans and animals. The chair will perpetuate the already-established partnership between the Association and the University by advancing research on the therapeutic benefits of animal interactions, as well as the connection between animal abuse and violence towards people.  A national search is underway for an academic professional to fill the position.

Best wishes to all applicants!

Veterinary Hospice Care Symposium

I'm so excited to see the recent announcements of conferences, symposiums, associations, etc. related to the emotional support side of veterinary medicine.  There is the Association for Veterinary Family Practice www.avfp.org that plans to develop a new specialty area based on pets as family members, the first Veterinary Social Work Summit at the University of Tennessee www.vet.utk.edu/socialwork/summit/ that will draw mental health professionals from all over the world together this April to discuss counseling roles within the field of veterinary medicine, and the first International Symposium on Veterinary Hospice Care http://conferences.ucdavis.edu/ISVHS at UC Davis in March.

When I began my job as a "pet loss counselor" at CSU's Veterinary Teaching Hospital in 1984, there were only two other such positions in the country.  One at the Animal Medical Center in New York (Susan Cohen) and the other at Penn (Jamie Quackenbush).  We all got a lot of press (not to mention ridicule) in those days because our efforts on behalf of grieving pet owners were still deemed at bit "whacky."  Upon learning of our grief support program at the veterinary hospital, one social worker actually asked one of my colleagues why she wasn't doing something more important with her counseling degree.

Another sign of change in the right direction?  Consider my experience in 1989.  A colleague and I were invited to present the keynote lecture at a regional veterinary meeting in the midwest.  We spoke about family-present euthanasia and client grief support.  We knew what we were talking about.  We weren't just grief counselors trying to teach medical people about Elizabeth Kubler-Ross' stages of grief theory.  We were in the trenches, facilitating end-of-life care for pet owners who had sacrificed time and money to try to save their pets from cancer, life-threatening injuries, chronic disease.  We listened as they struggled with difficult decisions about their pets' treatments and we supported them as the need for euthanasia became more and more apparent.  We were active members of the veterinary health care team and we knew our work made a difference to both our clients and our veterinary teammates.

After our talk, we learned that attendance at this meeting was the lowest in several years and that some members had even boycotted the conference due to what they thought was inappropriate and insignificant subject matter for veterinary medicine.  It was an eye-opener to me, but a very important lesson about how we needed to proceed slowly and respectfully with our efforts to integrate counseling and communication principles into the care of animals AND the people who love them.  Many people were just not ready for such emotional work to be part of everyday veterinary practice.

Emotions are much more accepted in contemporary veterinary medicine.  If you're a veterinarian, a member of a veterinary health care team, or a mental health professional working within veterinary medicine, you're lucky to be working in these exciting time.  Please take advantage of these organizations and conferences.  Your work does make a difference and the information you'll glean, along with the colleagues you'll meet, could be invaluable for you.

Shocking Customer Service

Yesterday I wrote about how comforting my veterinarian was when our dog Sam died.  Today, I want to vent about a totally opposite experience.  This one with a pet care business--one of our service providers.

We have an annual contract with this provider so they will automatically send us replacements every three months. When Sam died, I called the business to let them know that, next time, we would only need three items.  I also asked if I could return the fourth that I had just received since Sam would no longer be needing it.  I have to admit that my voice cracked a bit when I said this.  The finality of it caught me off guard and I got choked up just thinking about Sam.

Obviously, though, my emotion had no affect on the business woman on the other end of the line.  She was all business.   She made no comment about being sorry to hear of our dog's death.  She didn't even ask his name so she could remove him from their records.  She simply informed me that she couldn't refund any money to me this year as we had an existing agreement.  "Just change 4 to 3 when you renew your contract," she told me.

"You mean you don't have any provision for revising your customer's needs if their dogs die?"  I asked.

"If we did that, we'd be changing our contracts all the time," she said.  End of conversation.

Well, I won't have to change anything on our contract because I won't be renewing our contract.  I'm sure I can find what I need elsewhere.  It's beyond my understanding why a business that depends on animal owners for its entire customer base wouldn't be more aware of and sensitive to the emotions surrounding a pet's death.  Since I know what I know about pet loss, part of me feels it's my responsibility to inform her about the effect of her insensitivity.  The other part of me just wants to be your average consumer and take my business elsewhere.  Let her figure it out on her own....

What would you do?

Who are the Real Doctors?

Since this blog is called the Insider, I'm moved to share a lot of what I know and have experienced "behind the scenes" in veterinary medicine.  I firmly believe that the little details make a huge difference in the veterinary care experience---from both sides of the pet!  Obviously, with my work background, most of the details I know about come from the area of end-of-life care.  My recent experience with my own dog's death reminded me again about a bottom line truth concerning patient loss and family grief.  Veterinary medicine is soooooo much better at this than human medicine!  Here's an example:

About four days after Sam died, I had a follow-up appointment with my veterinarian with another dog.  (We've been trying to gain the upper hand on a chronic yeast problem in his ears).  Once we had Bear's exam completed, the doctor looked up at me from his seat on the floor (Bear's head in his lap) and said, "We were all so sorry we couldn't get you more time with Sam."  Then, he did something that totally blew me away.  He apologized.  Not for Sam's death.  That was in no way his fault or responsibility.  He apologized because, on the day his office received Sam's blood work from the diagnostic lab, he didn't read it for two hours after it came in.  "If I had read it immediately, we could have gotten Sam's treatment going two hours sooner," he said with regret in his voice.  "In fact, I want you to know that we have all learned an important lesson from Sam and changed one of our policies because of him.  From now on, if blood work comes back that looks that dramatically out of whack, I am to see it immediately, without exception, no matter what I'm doing."

I couldn't believe it.  He was doing so many things right.  First, he acknowledged Sam's death and let me know, through his relaxed body language and direct eye contact, that he had time to talk about it with me should I want to do that.  I did.

Second, he revealed something about himself, his practice, that he felt they could have done better and then told me how my dog, my situation, was going to make him an even better doctor and even more committed to his job. This was particularly amazing to me because the day before, my husband and I had spent the better part of the entire work day trying, with no success, to get my mother-in-law's doctor to call us back with the results of a chest x-ray she'd had TWO DAYS ago to confirm pneumonia.  When we finally reached his nurse, we learned that the doctor hadn't even seen the x-ray yet and, furthermore, was gone for the day and wouldn't be in the office the next day.  Then, she proceeded to blame the hospital lab for the delay.  We were livid!  My mother-in-law is 87, was sleep-deprived due to her illness, and dehydrated.  We thought she should probably be hospitalized.  As a doctor, wouldn't you be sure you followed-up on this case instead of waiting for the family to call you and demand that you follow up?

Who are the real healers in our society these days?  Who demonstrates the care and concern that should be a hallmark characteristic of medical care?  For my money, it's the veterinarians and the veterinary health care team. 

Good-bye Zen Master Sam

Last week, my family lost our wisest soul.  Sam, our 10-year-old cockapoo (that's him in the photo with me to the right), died one week after being diagnosed with acute onset leukemia.  We didn't treat him with chemo because the odds for cure or even lengthy survival were very poor.  He had a blood transfusion and gladly swallowed prednasone stuffed into a cheese cube twice a day.  This combination gave him about six days of good quality life and, on the seventh day, he waited for me to come home from a two-hour meeting, took several very deep breaths while twitching and stretching, and died quite peacefully as I stroked his curly fur and talked him through the transition.  Honestly, he died like I would hope to die...no mess, no fuss, no frantic trip to the hospital, in the company of a trusted, loving family member.

As part of my former job at the university veterinary hospital, I've been present for literally hundreds of animal euthanasias.  In my personal life, I've also been at the deathbeds of a handful of humans.  I can say, with no doubt, that our dog Sam's death was the most peaceful and spiritual dying experience I have ever witnessed.  At one point, I even felt joyful, almost giddy, and I swear I felt something pass through me that was uplifting and energizing.  Whether or not it was Sam's soul escaping from a body that no longer served him or just my own adrenline surge, I'll never know, but I prefer to think it was Sam, the Zen Master, the advanced soul, teaching me that death doesn't have to be agonizing and sad.

Good-bye, Sammy, our little Wiggle-butt!  Thank you!  Namaste.

Human-Animal Bond Boosts Spending on Pet Care

Finally, the headline I've been waiting to see for almost 25 years!  And in JAVMA, no less!

Data from the 2007 U.S. Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook, drawing on a survey responses from almost 50,000 pet owners, reveals that "the human-animal bond has a close association with mean number of veterinary visits and total spending on veterinary care."  Well, Hallelujah!  Now the proof is there.  People who LOVE their pets and consider them to be close companions and even family members, spend more on their pets' care than those who still consider their pets to be 'property'.

When I worked at the Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, we (those of us who considered ourselves to be 'bond-centered' vets, techs, students, and counselors) knew that fostering a strong emotional relationship between pet owners and their pets was good for the veterinary medical profession.  From experience, we knew that deep bonds translated into better care for the animals, as well as higher levels of treatment compliance and financial investment from pet owners.  We just couldn't prove it.

For example, at CSU, we often found that including a counselor on the case management team to facilitate higher levels of trust, understanding, and communication about the role pets play in pet owners' lives ultimately resulted in more willingness to seek and pay for more complex diagnostics and treatments.  Indeed, beyond paying for high-end treatments, the "human-animal bond" was often cited as the basis for many of the financial gifts and donations made to the hospital.

Over the past 30 years, the 'human-animal bond' has literally come 'out of the closet' to be accepted as a legitimate friend and/or family relationship.  When I first began to work in the animal world, most people I talked to were somewhat ashamed of or embarrassed about the strong feelings of love and loyalty they felt for their pets.  That has completely changed!  Today, most pet lovers can't wait to tell you story after story about how much their pets mean to them.  When they visit their veterinarians, they don't apologize for their feelings; rather, they demand skilled support for their own emotions, as well as high quality medical care for their pets.

As a pet owner, I'm more than willing to pay for quality veterinary care that also makes me feel understood and supported.  And, as a professional who is part of the veterinary health care industry, I'm happy that all the tender-hearted, 'bond-centered' veterinary teams I know can be optimistic that the sensitive care they provide pets and pet owners will now bring financial rewards, as well.

What I'm Going to do Here

Welcome to the PetPeopleHelp Insider or as we sometimes call it---as the World by the Tail Turns!

World by the Tail, Inc., is the company I co-own and ClayPaws, the original paw print kit, is our signature product.  But, we do so much more...

Both Debby (my business partner) and I have worked in the world of veterinary medicine and pet business for over 20 years.  Debby's husband is a vet and Debby has worked at AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) and CSU's CVMBS (Colorado State University's College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences). I'm a counselor/teacher and co-founder of one of the first clinical grief support programs and professional veterinary medical client communication courses.  I began working at Colorado State University's Veterinary Teaching Hospital in 1984 and, even though it makes me feel old, I'm proud to be one of the "pet loss support" pioneers within the field of veterinary medicine!

Debby and I have had cool careers and we've learned a lot about human-animal bond related jobs, services, and resources.  And, like you, we have opinions we're eager to discuss with you.  So, that's what I'm going to do here.  Write my take on all things human-animal bond-ish!  Follow along, make some comments, and join our PetPeopleHelp community.  We'd love to hear your thoughts!