Okay buckle up. This is a pretty unfiltered, emotionally charged post, but that’s where we are at today after a call with my own doctor 😅
Today I posted a story asking what holds people back from digging into pain for their dogs.
The results of that question brought tears to my eyes. Outside of finances (which is a big one, that requires its own separate post!) the running theme was not that people aren’t digging.
It’s that people in veterinary medicine aren’t listening.
They can’t see it, and so they don’t believe it.
The dog is “too young”, so they don’t believe it.
The test results are “clear”, so they don’t believe it.
As a human who started their chronic pain journey at a very young age. I have dealt with all of this in the human medical world.
I then got my own dog who was “too young”, “not showing it ‘enough’” and I went through all of these same things in the vet world.
I may not have cures or perfect answers for every piece, and I am not a person who gives 100% guarantees. But the one thing I can guarantee is this:
I see you. I believe you. I hear you. I will problem solve with you. And I will fight for you and your dog’s well being when it seems like no one else will.
Have you ever been told that your dog isn’t in pain by a veterinarian?
Bonus points if you’ve been told this and they have a condition that is known to be painful in humans like hip or elbow dysplasia, luxating patella, spondylosis, lumbosacral disease etc.
Have you ever walked out of the vets office overwhelmed and frazzled, with no idea what you were supposed to do from there?
Have you ever left the vet feeling guilty that you let the vet push past what you knew your dog was able to cope with?
Have you ever been nodding along as your vet spouted off a bunch of jargon, handed you medications you’ve never heard of and sent you on your way?
Has your vet ever made you feel unheard, or like the symptoms you are watching your dog struggle with on a daily basis aren’t real?
I have. I have experienced every single one of these. And sadly, this is a common recurring theme I hear about from clients as well.
It can be really stressful in the moment to question someone of “authority”. So having some simple, straightforward phrases that you’re easily able to articulate in the moment can be really helpful!
What simple phrases do you use to advocate for your dog when at the vet? 🐾
If you know, you know 😅
And if you want to know, book a Dynamic Dog assessment 😉
Video description: Jamie, a white woman lip synchs at the camera.
#badfeeling #advocateforyourdog #beyourdogsadvocatealways #beforeyoutrainconsiderpain #caninechronicpain #caninechronicpainawareness #dogtrainer #dogtraining #doglife🐾
A little preview of my new, free webinar!
Link to sign up in bio!
Video description: two slides from the webinar play.
Slide 1, image description: A dark brown background with a photo of a brown and white Basenji dog looking to the left on a white surface. On the left side of the photo is light blue writing that says, “What subtle signs of pain will we be looking at?” To the right of the photo is light blue writing that says, “1. Picky eating, 2. Hating car rides, 3. Losing sociability”
Slide 2, image description: A light blue background with large dark brown writing that says, “Picky eating”. Underneath in smaller dark brown writing it says, “Why statements like, “the dog won’t starve themselves”. “the dog will eat when they’re hungry enough”. and “you’re the reason your dog is being picky”, are not only unhelpful, but can actually be detrimental to a dogs health.”
To the right of this is a gray background with a brown and black dog with his lip curled up, his right eye closed and a disgusted look on his face. There is a stainless steel dog bowl in front of him overflowing with kibble.
Accessibility ID: Large text at the top says, "Slippery floors - Rugs and runners and carpets, oh my!" There is a photo on the top left of a person with dark hair and glasses, wearing a black shirt and green pants holding a clicker and smiling. There is a brown and white basset hound puppy on a mat facing her. There is a text bubble beside it that says, "Training surfaces - Be mindful of the type of surface you work with your dog on. Especially when you're practicing things like position changes! Pay attention, are there certain places that they seem hesitant to do a sit, or a down? If you're attending group training classes in a place with slippery flooring, bring a mat for them as well!"
On the bottom left is a text bubble that says, "Tub Time - Tubs are already slippery, and even stressful for some dogs! Add water to that mix, and it becomes a whole lot harder to keep themselves stable. Add a bath mat to help them from sliding around and potentially harming themselves!" There is a short video clip beside it. It is a small brown and white basset hound in the bathtub with a very small amount of water in it, standing on a mat. Someone is holding a green lick mat for her that she is licking.
Slide 1 - Accessibility ID: Large text at the top says, "Slippery floors - Rugs and runners and carpets, oh my!" There are 4 photos, one in each corner. The top left is a light brown dog, sitting on a rug. The top right is a brown and white basset hound sleeping curled up on a rug. The bottom right is a brown and white basset hound sitting on a runner placed between two rugs, looking up at the camera. She is surrounded by toys and a pair of slippers. The bottom right is a brown and white basset hound looking at two stairs with small rugs on them. There is a text bubble in the middle that says, "How can we help our poor dogs in an age of laminate and hardwood? Aside from heading back to the 70's and filling every home with shag carpet?" Underneath that, there is text that says, "Add them in where you can! Give your dog as many pathways and safe spaces as you are able to! Can you spot how many rugs or runners there are between these two photos?"
Slide 2 - Accessibility ID: Large text at the top says, "Slippery floors - Rugs and runners and carpets, oh my!" There is a photo at the top left of a small brown and white basset hound puppy, sleeping on a mat in a pen, surrounded by slippery flooring. There is a photo at the top right, of a brown and white basset hound in a carpeted store sniffing some items. There is an arrow pointing toward it with text that says, "Visiting Cabela's for enrichment and exploring where there are carpeted sections!" In between is a text bubble that says, "Be mindful of what the flooring will be like at the places you bring your dog! Try finding places that offer carpeting, or bring a lightweight mat with you that your dog can use!"
On the bottom left is a photo of a brown and white basset hound in a store near some cat stands. She is laying on a cloth sign. There is an arrow pointing toward it with text that says, "Penelope often comes to drop me off, or pick me up from work - our store, like most pet stores, has slippery flooring. Notice ho
Slippery floors and seniors!
Slide 1 -Accessibility ID: Large text at the top says "Slippery floors & seniors". There is a text bubble in the middle that says "Balance and coordination begins to deteriorate as our dogs age. Core strength can start to decline, and they also begin losing the elasticity in their soft tissue. This makes stopping the paws from sliding out from under them much more difficult, and they can end up injuring themselves just by trying to hold themselves steady." To the left is a photo of a dalmatian dog in a red collar on an "A" frame. To the right is a small brown and black dog wearing a sweatband and blue and grey hoodie. It is surrounded by barbells, a ball, and resistance bands. Underneath is a black senior dog with white covering his face and he looks to be barking.
Slide 2 - Accessibility ID: Large text at the top says, "slippery floors & seniors". There is a text bubble in the middle that says, "Just like us, as dogs age, things can become a little more fragile and brittle. This can make them more prone to being injured as well as struggling to bounce back as easily as they may have when they were younger with injuries taking longer to heal." To the left is a graphic of a bulldog type dog with a red sweater on, hunched over with a cane. To the right is a small brown and white dog lying tucked into a human bed, with his head and paw wrapped up, and a Band-Aid on his chest in the shape of an "X". Underneath this is a graphic of a broken bone.
Slide 3 - Accessibility ID: Large text at the top says, "Slippery floors & seniors". In the middle is a text bubble that says, "Pain and discomfort cause overcompensation in posture and movement. The compensatory processes cause more pain, more discomfort.. and it's a vicious cycle!" Above that is larger text that says "pain and discomfort", with an arrow pointing downward to a photo of a brown dog holding its front left leg up and text that says "Altered posture and movement". There is an arrow
Accessibility ID slide 1: Large text at the top says " Slippery floors''. On the left side of the page are three interlocked circles. The top is a sleeping St. Bernard type dog. Beside it, it says "fatigue". Underneath is a black and white dog with long ears sitting on a vet table, there is a woman listening to his heart with a stethoscope. Beside it, it says "Pain". At the bottom is a small black puppy tugging at a shoe with a human pulling the other end. Beside it, it says "Behavior". The text bubble on the right hand side says "Pain is tiring! Physical pain, especially chronic pain (pain lasting longer than 3 months) can leave your dog feeling a lack of motivation, as well as feeling fatigued. Things like muscle imbalances, gait changes, and postural compensation can keep their body "working", even while at rest. Pain, fatigue, and your dog's behavior are all intertwined!"
Accessibility ID slide 2: Large text at the top says "Slippery floors''. There is a text bubble in the middle that says, "Tension in a dog's neck and shoulders can actually reduce a dog's ability to smell. There is a test you can try - Grab a container of coffee, and sit for 5 minutes with your shoulders held high and tension in the neck - Try to smell the coffee. Can you smell it? Now, relax your shoulders and walk around a bit. Try to smell it again. Can you smell it now? Tension in the neck can reduce the ability of the nasal receptors!" On top of the text bubble is a graphic of a table with some food on it, there is a small brown and white dog sniffing hopefully at the table. There is a graphic under the text bubble that is the same table with food, but a sad looking black and white dog facing away from the table.
Accessibility ID slide 3: Large text at the top says "Slippery floors". There is a text bubble at the top that says "When a dog gets injured - no matter how small the injury, this starts the compensatory processes. Which puts stress and strains on healthy limbs, creates tension
Accessibility ID: Large text at the top says "Slippery floors". There is a text bubble underneath that says "Pain is subjective! We can never say with 100% certainty that a dog is pain free, because we will simply never know. As humans, we can let others know that we are in pain by telling them, but even then some won't agree or understand. Our dogs do not have the luxury of speech. They are masters at hiding their pain, and some will continue to push themselves to take part in their favorite activities even when they are hurting. Ever tried to keep your rambunctious puppy calm after a neuter?" Underneath to the left is a fluffy brown dog in a cone excitedly looking at someone's hand holding a ball. To the right is a short video clip. VD description: Pigeons fly across the screen and a large brown dog runs toward them, limping on his back left leg.
Accessibility ID: Large text at top says "Slippery floors''. Text underneath says "Did you know?" To the left is a small legend that says "Red = Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Blue = Caudal cruciate ligament (CCL)." In the middle of the page is a text bubble that says "Torn or ruptured ligaments are not the same as a bone or muscle injury that will take around 6-8 weeks to heal. These types of injuries can take over a year to heal." To the left is a skeleton of a dog's hind end assembly with a red and blue line crossing over each other at the knee. The right is a skeleton of a dog's hind end assembly with a blue line going across the knee intact, and the red line split - depicting a tear. There is small text at the bottom that says "**This is not a 100% accurate depiction of where these ligaments lie. Just a general representation to show torn vs. intact**"
Accessibility ID 1: Large text at the top says "slippery floors & puppies!" The text bubble underneath says "What other potential injuries can be lurking with even a small amount of slipping on a slick floor?" There are four photos in circular frames in each corner. The top left is a photo of a bruise with an arrow pointing toward it that says "bruising". The bottom left is a graphic of an arm with an angry red muscle. It has an arrow pointing to it that says "Muscle spasms/cramping" The top right is a golden dog getting a wrap put on his paw. With an arrow pointing toward it that says "sprains and strains" The bottom right is the back portion of a dog with someone's hands massaging the shoulder. There is an arrow pointing toward it that says "trigger points (knots within muscles)
Accessibility ID 2: Large text at the top says "slippery floors & puppies!" The text bubble underneath says "What other potential injuries can be lurking with even a small amount of slipping on a slick floor?" There are four photos in square frames in each corner. The top left is a photo of an X-ray of a forelimb with an arrow pointing toward it that says "fractures". The bottom left is a graphic of a small white dog with a vet examining a hind limb. It has an arrow pointing to it that says "Dislocations/luxations" The top right is a brownish dog's back, with human hands feeling along the spine. With an arrow pointing toward it that says "spinal misalignment" The bottom right is a muddy white dog holding up its front left paw. There is an arrow pointing toward it that says "torn or ruptured ligaments"
