Putting the Pieces Together

When I am working with an animal, I get information in many different ways--physical sensations in my body, pictures and images, words and phrases.  There is often some interpretation required to understand how everything I am picking up fits together.  When I am asked to help "solve a puzzle" the animal's guardian is often the key ingredient to making sense of what I pick up.

I recently had an experience that showed how all of these pieces work together.  I was asked to do a session with an older pit bull who was crying all day long.  For months, the only time he stopped crying was when he fell asleep and his guardian was very concerned.  She wanted to know if I could help them figure out what was making him so unhappy.

When I first put my hands on me, my stomach began to hurt.  It felt inflamed and irritated but I couldn't get a sense of why, so I asked this sweet boy if he could tell me why his tummy hurt so much.  He showed me the sensation I feel when an animal is struggling with allergies.  I explained this to his guardian but after reviewing what he eats and how long he's been eating his particular food and treats, we couldn't figure out what he could be allergic to.  My stomach still really hurt, which told me that we hadn't identified what was going on yet.  (Once I "name" or "identify" what is going on, the sensation will go away, so when the sensation lingers, it indicates to me that we haven't figured it out yet).

As I continued to give him Reiki in the hopes it would help soothe his tummy, his guardian and I moved on to the other questions she had about his health.  While we were covering those other topics, his guardian asked me if he mentioned his skin, as he has some pretty severe skin allergies.  I was telling her that his itchy skin didn't bother him at all in comparison to how bad his stomach hurt when all of the sudden I could see a major light bulb going off in her head.  She explained that she had been spraying something on his skin to stop him from itching but that he was constantly licking it off.  She asked if that could be the cause of his stomach pain and offered to grab the bottle of this spray.  I took one whiff of it and knew it was definitely the cause - not just because of the smell of it but because of the way my stomach hurt just talking about it.

His guardian and I sat there, putting the pieces together. She realized that his constant crying started about the same time she started putting this particular spray in his skin.  I realized that when I asked him why his tummy hurt and he gave me the "allergy sensation," I interpreted it as food allergies because it was something he was ingesting but he was trying to show me it was connected to his skin allergies.

She said she'd never use that spray again and we also talked about some things she could do to help soothe his stomach.  We were both so relieved to put all the pieces together and figure out what we could do to help her sweet boy feel better.  Animals do the best they can to communicate with us and as I was reminded last weekend, partnering with the guardian is the best way to ensure I am interpreting the messages correctly.

Understanding Pain

For most animal guardians, one of their greatest concerns, especially as their pets get older, is their animal's level of pain.  Of course, no one wants their animal to be in pain and we will do whatever we can to ensure our pets don't suffer.  And while I know this concern comes from a place of love and compassion and it always well intentioned, sometimes, our own fears can get the best of us.  Our worries about our animals being in pain can make us so full of fear that we over-react to what our animals are showing us. 

 

I am fortunate enough to be able to feel what animals are feeling when I touch them so it is easy for me to get a sense of an animal's level of pain.  Most of the time, when a client expresses concern about how much pain their pet is in, what I feel is the equivalent of how you would feel the morning after you worked out for the first time in months (or years).   I have felt that stiff before, I have ached when I stood up after sitting for a while or felt stiff as I tried to move certain ways, but the pain wasn't anywhere close to making me want to have someone put me down.  

One of the things I have learned is that we often overlook the fact that what we do for ourselves when our muscles are sore are often the same things our animals can benefit from . .. gentle stretching, gentle massage, warm and cold compresses.  If we can do those things for our animals, we can often relieve the discomfort they are feeling in their bodies.  

I know that not everyone has the ability to feel what their animals feel that way I do, but that doesn't mean you can't see what your animals are showing you.  Here are some concerns that my clients have shared with me and what I believe the signs could mean.

- My animal is sleeping a lot. Is that a sign they are in pain?   Usually not.  Think about when you are in pain.  How much are you able to sleep?   I believe when animals are sleeping a lot, it is their body's way of trying to repair itself.  When we're sick, we usually feel better when we sleep a lot.  I don't believe animals are that different.  They sleep because they are trying to fight off whatever it is they are trying to fight off.  I don't believe it is always a sign they are in pain.  

What I DO think is often a sign of pain or discomfort is when an animals can't sleep, or an animal can't get comfortable.  If an animal keeps moving, repositioning themselves again and again, that is something I would pay attention to.  That is more likely a sign they are having discomfort.

- My animal won't eat.  Is that a sign they are in pain?  It can be but it can also be a sign that they have an upset stomach.  Often times the medicine we are giving them to help them get better, or medicine we are giving them for pain can make their stomachs upset.  It doesn't always mean they are in pain.  Try giving them something to soothe their stomach, give them foods that are easy on the stomach/digestive system (think about what you want to eat when you are sick . . . rice, chicken broth, etc) but be careful not to automatically assume it is a sign they are in a great deal of pain.  

Don't forget you can also ask your animal directly.  Tell them how you'd like them to indicate a "yes" and  "no" - it could be "Look at me, if the answer is yes, look away if the answer is no"  or "take a step forward if the answer is yes, take a step back if he answer is no".  Then ask them "Are you in pain?"  "Is it more pain than you can handle?"  "Do you want me to get some medicine to make the pain go away?"  and if you do try pain medicine, you can ask "Is this medicine making your pain go away?"

If an animal is in pain, I think they show us through their eyes.  If you are unsure of how much pain they are in, look into their eyes.  It's hard to explain what exactly to 'look for' but I think you'll know when you look into their eyes.

The other thing to keep in mind is that animals, like us, aren't always in CONSTANT pain. Sometimes the pain is stronger in moments (first thing in the morning, when they first stand up, when they've been standing too long, etc) and not so bad the rest of the day.  Don't assume that the pain is constant and don't assume that it is "intolerable pain."  You can ask your animal if it's more pain than they can handle. 

I know with Lucky, sometimes she does have pain.  But I also know that the discomfort she feels from time to time isn't enough to make her want to leave.  It's one of the things that bothers me about how we deal with animals. I think we are often too quick to decide an animal should be 'put down' without truly understanding the true level of pain they really are in.  The next time you work out and wake up with stiff muscles, ask yourself if you think you should be 'put down' to 'get you out of pain'.   Keep that in mind when you are trying to decide what to do regarding your own animals pain.  

In my experience, animals are noble and strong.  They are here to play very important roles in our lives and they are willing to put up with a little discomfort if it means they can fulfill the promise they made to us when they came into our lives.  And I also believe they can tell us when the pain is too much and they are ready to go.  

Redefining "normal"

As our animals grow older, we may find that they can't do things they used to be able to do in the past.  Sometimes, this can make us sad and we can spend more time grieving over the things our animal can no longer do, instead of enjoying what they can still do today.  It is a subtle shift in how we view our animals but a shift we can't always make if we aren't aware of it. 

A sweet pug that I had the honor of knowing passed away last Thursday.  When I first met him last summer, he has some advice for me and as a way of honoring him and his life, I would like to share his wonderful advice with all of you.  He told me that I needed to keep redefining what "normal" was for Lucky.   At first, the advice took me by surprise, as I wasn't sure how it related to me and what was going on but after a few minutes of contemplation, I realized his advice couldn't have been more on target.  

At the time I met this darling pug, who went by the name Pug, Lucky was losing use of her back legs.  Our world was changing and I wasn't very happy about the changes.  It made me focus more on the fact that she was getting older and she probably wouldn't be with me much longer, which made me even more sad. After thinking about Pug's advice, I could see that I had been focusing more on "what we couldn't do anymore" instead of what we could still do.  Lucky wasn't able to chase the tennis ball anymore, which meant our daily trips to the park weren't going to be the same.  We couldn't go to her favorite beach anymore because there are about eighty steps from where you have to park to get to the sand and Lucky just couldn't do stairs anymore.  I was spending so much time thinking about what we couldn't do anymore that I was missing out on opportunities to enjoy what we still had.  

While our trips to the park couldn't include chasing the tennis ball, it didn't mean that we couldn't go and enjoy some social time with the children that Lucky loved so much.  We redefined "going to the park" to be about socializing instead of ball chasing.  And while we couldn't go to our favorite beach, it didn't mean we couldn't find a new beach to go to, one without stairs.  And when we went to our "new beach" (the one without stairs), our new definition of a "normal trip to the beach" involved us sitting in the sand, watching the waves and the birds and the other people and sharing a snack.   I began trying to find new ways of defining "normal" so that I could be happy about what was, instead of thinking about what used to be, and I was amazed at how much it lifted my spirits. 

Now that Lucky needs my help to walk with the use of a sling, we go out in the yard together when she has to go potty.  I used to go out in the backyard with her, but if it was raining, I would stick close to the house, hanging out under the eaves so that I could stay dry.  Now, I am out there with her, regardless of how hard it is raining and I think of it as an adventure.  It's our new "normal" - both of us getting drenched in these rainy days and nights and it doesn't make me unhappy.  It makes me feel happy to be able to be there with her, to help her, and I even laugh sometimes about how drenched we are both getting.  

I try to look at each change in our routine in a positive light, seeing it as our "new normal" so that I can keep enjoying every day that we have together.  I know I am not the only animal guardian who is faced with this dilemma . . . of seeing your animal unable to do the things they used to do and I also know that I am not the only animal guardian who can benefit from trying to find joy in the new definition of "normal."

I am grateful that I met Pug and that I was able to receive such wonderful advice from him.  As a way of keeping his spirit alive, I am going to keep his advice in the forefront of my mind.  I know it will help Lucky and I make the most of the time we have together, enjoying every moment, regardless of how different it may be from how things used to be.  Maybe it will even help some of you who are reading this, who have an animal who is getting older.  I hope you will keep redefining "normal" and making the most of the time you have together.