3 Reasons Why People Avoid Their Pet's Health Issues
How we get in our own way when tending to the health of our pets
I ignored my own advice recently.
I always tell people that they shouldn’t give bones to their dogs. Hard chews like bones and deer antlers are dangerous for dogs, namely due to the risk of fracturing the teeth. But when a friend of mine got Luca a bone for his birthday, he was stoked — so I caved.
And within 24 hours he had two broken teeth.
At this point you might have expected me to work some of my ~vet magic~ and to have dealt with it immediately. But I didn’t — I avoided it. And before I knew it, the problem grew larger, more expensive, and more difficult to deal with.
Why would I do that? Well, maybe you can relate.
There are usually 3 reasons why people avoid dealing with their pet’s health issues:
1. They’re afraid of what the vet will find
A case of broken teeth requires a sedated oral exam and dental x-rays, at minimum. I was nervous about what I might find on those x-rays and what might need to happen next, like having to pull his tooth under general anesthesia.
2. They’re afraid of what it will cost
Veterinary care isn’t cheap, and it isn’t cheap for me either. As a vet, I save some money on labor, but I still have to pay the nurses, to run the equipment, and pay for all of the medications.
3. They’re afraid of losing their pet
If I’m being honest, this was (and still is) my deepest fear of all.
It might sound ridiculous to escalate to the idea of losing your dog over a bum tooth, but Luca has kidney disease and carries a higher anesthetic risk. If something went wrong while he was under anesthesia, he could’ve gone into kidney failure. And I couldn’t bear the thought of that.
Having fears like these is completely normal.
As you can see, I share them too.
But ignoring your pet’s symptoms or health problems won’t make them go away.
Instead, the longer you avoid the problem, the:
larger it will become
more expensive it will become
less likely it is to be treatable
more your pet will suffer
The sooner you bring them in, the sooner you’ll know what you’re dealing with, and the sooner you can get them help.
Now, if you’ve read until here, perhaps you’ve realized something…
This isn’t a post about my dog’s health issue, this is a post about mine.
Luca’s broken tooth came at a time when I was struggling with anxiety, and I let my fears dictate my decisions and (in)action.
My inability to tend to my mental health prevented me from me tending to my dog’s dental health.
And in avoiding these problems, I just made them larger for the both of us.
If you catch yourself brushing off symptoms or behavior changes in your pet — even if they’re subtle — it’s important to check in with yourself and ask why.
Is it really nothing, or do you just want it to be? Do you have limiting fears or unchecked anxiety that are standing in the way of you acting in the best interest of your pet?
(If so, I’m thinking of you ❤️)
Dr. Sami
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