Difficult dog issues; blessing in disguise

 

Difficult dog issues are definitely challenging. Why do some of us decide to deal with them through to the end instead of giving up on our dogs?

I ask myself this very question sometimes. Why, exactly, do I try so hard to help? It can be so frustrating not to know what to do or to try everything you can come up with and not be able to help with whatever the problem is.

I think I try so hard to help my animals simply because I love them. If I see something that can or should be better, I want to make it that way. Even when it seems like a lot of work. And even if it might not work. I feel like I’m the one to advocate for the best possible outcome.

When I was young and inexperienced, my animals all seemed like they were pretty healthy. We went to the vet for the usual stuff, but nothing big or chronic. Pretty simple.

Attracting difficult dog issues

Lately, I seem to be attracting all sorts of animals with issues. The horses I get have joint issues or unexplained health problems. One of our dogs has a sensitive stomach and needs a special diet. We have various animals with mysterious pain issues. We go to the vet, but everything is complicated with few real answers.

For example, the lameness issue Quinn has on her front end. She’s a three-year-old Aussie that should be totally sound. Almost daily, she favors one front leg or the other. We’ve had it x-rayed from top to bottom. We’ve tried joint supplements. Chiropractic. Everything! The traditional experts can’t seem to figure it out.

We’ve had Gabby, a mini Aussie, who developed seizures when she was older, and meds didn’t control them. Tasha, a rescued Boxer, had severe spine issues and mouth cancer who was basically a hospice patient. Then there was Janie, the elderly Australian shepherd, who had chronic ear infections, arthritis everywhere, and bladder infections that would never get better. Currently, there is Lucky, the elderly chihuahua, with his digestive issues.

All of these dogs had issues that were diagnosed after we got them. Each one of them needed help to be comfortable and feel loved. And I have done the best I could for them.

I think we get the ones with difficult dog issues because the powers that be know I’ll take care of them. And, although it can be frustrating as well as time-consuming, and sometimes expensive, I do it because I want them to get the best care possible.

Our biggest current challenge

Another one of the difficult dog issues we’ve been working on is what Lincoln, our malinois mix, deals with. We don’t know his history, but we know he has hip dysplasia, his back seems to have a strange curve to it, and he’s very fearful. He also has some digestive issues.

We haven’t been able to get a diagnosis so far because he’s so fearful. He’s had several traumatic vet visits despite various measures we try to make it better. Each trip is worse than the last. Understandably, the vets don’t want to work on him if they are afraid of serious injury. However, that leaves us with no plan for making things better.

We have recently connected with an animal behaviorist who has agreed to work with our vet and us. They have a plan for training to make everyday situations better and address the pain that could be contributing to the aggression. And finally, they are helping us develop a plan for getting Lincoln in to get diagnosed and treated with minimal trauma for all concerned. Read my post, Training a difficult dog, for more about this situation.

Why difficult dog issues are actually a blessing

If it hadn’t been for all the mysterious or difficult to treat medical issues, I wouldn’t have learned about cold laser therapy, reiki, acupressure, CBD oil, crystals, herbal remedies, etc. In trying to help my animals, I’m learning how to help lots of animals. And as I learn about all the things, I get a great deal of satisfaction in seeing how much better they feel as a result.

I think, in looking back, these animals come into my life because they are leading me to learn new ways to make their lives better. As a result, my life has improved too because of their love and because of the experiences they have given me.

For more about Lincoln and his story, read this post. For more information about alternative health, read this post from dogtime.com or my post about holistic dog health. Have you had a difficult dog issue? Tell me about it in the comments below.