Dr Cynthia Maro
As the new year approaches, I can’t imagine how fast 2022 has flown by. This week I groomed a pet that I have taken care of all year.
A few days before Thanksgiving in 2021, a dog named Maizie walked into my office paralyzed. She was unable to have a bowel movement and she could not urinate on her own. I was very concerned about how her owners would handle her care AND recommended a surgical referral. They were not in favor of a surgical referral because they had already seen a spine surgeon who had given them bleak prospects for recovery and recovery of Maizie’s legs. The surgeon also felt it was likely that the animal would be able to eliminate without a catheter and without assistance with daily bowel movements at home.
Although I had never met her owners before, they hoped that alternative and integrative therapies, including acupuncture, could help their sweet Maizie break free from pain and walk again. I told the owners that I would do my best, but could not guarantee the outcome of the care.
Maizie spent the day in my hospital. The staff and I performed a deep tissue massage to reduce his spinal pain and muscle spasms (drug therapy had not succeeded). We helped her empty her bladder and bowels. Then I performed acupuncture and attended to her medical needs. She was dehydrated, so she received fluid therapy.
At the end of the day, as I was dismissing her, I warned the owners that Maizie would need more care and might have to be hospitalized over the weekend, if she didn’t start the eliminator on her own.
Throughout the meeting, his family expressed hope and gratitude. Although concerned, they said they knew my staff would do their best. They added that they were very grateful that we helped them get an appointment quickly and that we were compassionate, AND that they took responsibility for their decisions and the outcome of his case, realizing that she could no longer walk.
As Maizie left the building, I silently said a prayer that she could manage the holiday weekend, without needing hospital care at a large referral center. Maizie is a very energetic dog and tends to get restless in a veterinary clinic, so hospitalization would be difficult for her, and she would probably need to be heavily sedated.
Ten minutes after leaving the building, one of its owners came back inside. They decide to walk Maizie around the office (while supporting her with her back leg harness).
She had both urinated and defecated without help! Although at the time I knew it might be a one-time event, this ability raised everyone’s hope for Maizie’s recovery in response to acupuncture.
The animal has now been paralyzed for 13 months, and she has fully utilized all of her limbs and bodily functions. She stopped using her wheelchair cart about 5 months ago. Underwater treadmill therapy played a big part in his return to function. I now see her monthly maintenance chiropractic care and her acupuncture.
Maizie made a remarkable recovery without surgery, and I believe the positive attitudes, hope, and expressions of gratitude from her owners not only helped their pet, but also helped the staff and me to have the ability to deal with without undue owner pressure, anger and hesitation. Every treatment decision I made.
Pressure on veterinary staff occurs when customers ask us to treat their pet and then say they want to do their “own Google searches” or “ask the groomer, breeder, or cashier at the pet store.” ‘pet food’ what they think before agreeing to treat their dying pet. These behaviors are not only stressful for staff, they also delay possible life-saving therapy.
The take-home message from Maizie’s case is that every day we have the choice to be kind, to express our gratitude, and to seek hope in situations that are both happy and tense. The decision to be hopeful and grateful only changes the way we think. It costs nothing, but increases the value of all our experiences in life.
And in a health care environment, gratitude and hope create a healing environment for the patient and the healers. Reduced anxiety actually alters bodily processes, decreases inflammation, and allows healing chemicals to be released into the body to speed up the healing process.
Even when a patient does not fully recover, I have seen pets experience less pain and suffering in situations where owners maintain calm, peaceful, hopeful, and grateful behaviors.
As we celebrate the holidays and look forward to 2023, I pray that Maizie’s recovery and her family’s example may be an inspiration to others facing challenges related to the health of their family members, their own and that of their pets.
I hope the outlook for a wonderful New Year inspires all readers to reflect on what they can feel grateful for in their lives and to spread kindness through positive interactions in 2023. Happy Holidays, everyone!
Dr Cynthia Maro is a veterinarian at Ellwood Animal Hospital in Ellwood City and Chippewa Animal Hospital in Chippewa Township. She writes a bi-weekly column on pet care and health issues. If you have a topic you would like to discuss, email ellwoodvet@msn.com.
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