nothing i wouldn't do for my Roo

Yesterday I took Kiera and Chelsea to the vet for their annual health exam. Chelsea has to be kept current on all vaccines because of our participation in Pet-assisted Therapy so her check up was pretty straightforward. And she's healthy! Yay!  The vet also said she's approximately 8-10 years old, which is pretty consistent with my guess of 8 or 9.

With Kiera, as always, it was a little more complicated. I was anticipating some blood work because my vet recommends "wellness screening" in mature animals to catch problems in early stages if at all possible.

The decision whether to vaccinate Kiera is always a struggle for me.  Kiera has problems with allergies, and hair loss previously attributed to allergies. She gets "special baths" every two week with a medicated shampoo containing salicylic acid. And you probably know I'm extremely particular about everything that goes in to her, especially food. I don't even allow her treats unless I'm sure they don't contain potential allergens. So you can appreciate that I'm also very uncomfortable with injecting her with something that might wreck havoc on her already out of whack system. I turn myself inside out weighing the pros and cons and in the end I follow my instincts and pray I've made the right decision for my dog. She don't have a voice so I need to weigh the facts, the risks, and make the very best decision I can, even if it seems to be the less of two evils, because obviously there are inherent risks in not vaccinating pets against known diseases. It  helps to have a supportive vet who will provide information, and work with me and not try to talk me out of what I believe to be best for my pets.


I would never recommend making decisions about vaccinations or heartworm prevention lightly. If this is something you're considering I urge you to talk to your vet and do your own research. At the end of the day there are pros and cons to each path, it is not black and white in any way, shape or form. There are a number of variables to consider including the pet's health, lifestyle, possible exposure to diseases etc. A supportive vet who will provide information, and work with you to find a solution you're comfortable with as a pet owner is really a treasure, please don't settle for anything less.

My vet recommended a more comprehensive screening of Kiera's blood work that would include thyroid hormone levels. I walked out of the vet clinic $370 poorer but my vet called me today and Kiera has a significantly under-active thyroid. This could explain the loss of fur over the past few years that another vet had attributed to allergies. Hypothyroidism is not uncommon among Cocker Spaniels although they usually look like little snausages. Kiera is quite lean. Other than the thyroid issue and some slight anemia (which the vet suggested may be attributed to the hypothyroidism) Kiera's blood work was completely normal. Great news.

I kind of feel like she's starting a new life today. Not in terms of age, she will still be 7, but she's been one of the oldest 7 year old dogs I've ever known. I think of Sarah/Alpha at that age and it's like night and day (though they were very different dogs in many ways). Her skin and coat will probably improve, and maybe I can even loosen my death grip-ish control over what she eats so she can have the odd treat at a dog park if someone asks. And I feel good about myself. There will be repercussions for the $400 that just disappeared out of this month's budget but I'll never have to question whether I've done everything I can to help her be healthy and happy. That's the kind of furmom she deserves and it makes me happy that I can be that for her.

If anyone is interested the outstanding vet is Sarah Machell at North Oakville Animal Hospital 
Sarah has never steered me or my family wrong. She took exceptional care of our beloved Sarah (dog) aka. Alpha in her declining years and made a generous donation to canine cancer research in Sarah/Alpha's memory when she died.  My parents' rescued Australian Shepherd Reilly is epileptic and again Sarah worked with my parents to provide them with information and options so that they can make decisions they feel good about.  And then of course there's Kiera - ruptured cruciate ligaments and now hypothyroidism, Sarah has seen us through a lot.  She even volunteers her services at the Oakville & District Humane Society.

Pet Therapy Update: Youth Detention and Secure Treatment Centre

I took Chelsea to the Youth Detention and Secure Treatment Centre for a meet and greet. We were also given a tour to get a feel for the facility. I didn't really know what to expect. Heather had warned me that it's an extremely stressful assignment and the e-mails I'd received from the guy who coordinates the programs were more friendly and familiar than I was comfortable with. Today I received an e-mail from Heather assuring me that's just how this guy is so I felt better right away. I deal with a lot of different personalities through work and I grew up around cops so I know how to handle myself as long as I know what I'm dealing with.

In person the man I've been exchanging e-mails with is much more what I would have expected and not overly familiar. I got the impression that he really understands how beneficial Pet Therapy can be and he said it would be really important to the kids. We'll be dealing with kids who have mental illnesses and are at this particular facility getting court ordered treatment. Chelsea is so intuitive and she really has a gift of knowing where she's needed. I'm so glad I'll get to share that gift with kids who truly need it so I'm looking forward to getting started. Going in there just felt right and I know this is where we're supposed to be.

Test day!

Whew was I nervous! Heart pounding, shallow breathing, the whole nine yards. Chelsea being the intuitive soul that she is clearly picked up on my nervousness and was not nearly as obedient as usual.

Me: "Chelsea, sit".
Chelsea: "Piss off mummy, ask me again when you're normal".

Nevertheless, WE PASSED! There were four dog/handler pairs tested. Chelsea and I were third in line to get our results, and with a simple "congratulations" all of the tension just melted away and I realized that I hadn't drawn a normal breath for the entire two hour test! I am so, so proud of Chelsea. She's truly got a gift and I am thrilled that we'll have a chance to share it with people who would otherwise have minimal contact with "the outside world", and almost no contact with animals. Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if I couldn't have pets due to illness or age or because I was no longer able to live independently. For me, it's unthinkable. If that day comes (and I somehow manage to refrain from throwing myself off a bridge) a visit from a therapy animal will mean the world to me.

Those who are intimately familiar with my little zoo know that when I got Kiera as a puppy my intention was to mold her in to a dog that could do therapy work. We've worked really, really hard, but as it turns out the most realistic goal we could set was helping her be a happy, confident, friendly dog. Chelsea, on the other hand, came in to my life by chance or fate or both. My only intention in adopting her was to find a great addition to our "family". I haven't put nearly the time or effort in to her training as I did with Kiera's because she's naturally such a well-behaved, well-balanced dog. As it turns out Kiera has other gifts to share, and no amount of training or socialization would have made her a candidate for this type of work. To be honest I really don't think she'd enjoy it either. Chelsea, on the other hand, is such a natural and has such a gift for relating to people that it seems like this is the job she was meant to do. I'm so grateful to be blessed with such a special little zoo. And such amazing friends! I deeply appreciate the words of encouragement and support leading up to the test. Tuesday night we'll be celebrating this milestone so if you're free and in the area pop in for a drink - it will be "Chelsea's passing party" :-)

Counting down...

Chelsea's test to become a certified therapy dog with St. John Ambulance is the day after tomorrow! Eek! I met with H after work Monday to go over paperwork etc. and learned that the fail rate is a whopping 60%! I still need a sitter for Kiera too. Usually she'll just tag along but that really isn't an option in this case. I've been hoping my brother won't mind coming over and hanging out with her for a couple of hours but he seems to have developed an aversion to returning phone calls (naughty pookie). I suppose I could leave her with my parents but for reasons I won't get in to here I'm not at all comfortable asking my mother for any kind of favour right now (SNAFU: situation normal, all f&cked up - ha!). I haven't been to my parents' house for about a week, and of course a downside of that is missing my mom's puppy Lulu to pieces! Anyway, as far as Saturday goes I'm sure it will all work out, it always does. I'll just feel better when some arrangements are made for Kiera.