Faith Middleton Show: A Veterinarian Explains How To Speak For Your Dog

Excerpt: Speaking For Spot
by NANCY KAY

Chapter One Medical Advocacy 101

You've now found yourself totally enamored of a hairy, four-legged creature and will want to do the very best possible job you can to care for him. You feed him high quality food, and provide him with regular exercise and plenty of play time. You even let him sleep on the bed! That's the easy part. The hard part comes when you need to make significant medical decisions that will impact your dog's health. You may not have thought much about it at the time, but when you accepted your dog as part of the family you agreed to take care of him both in sickness and in health. You "signed" an unwritten contract, whereby you accepted "power of attorney" to act for your dog and be willing and able to make medical decisions on his behalf.

Your role now becomes much more than caretaker and friend. In exchange for that wagging tail and unconditional love, you now become your best friend's medical advocate. Maintaining your dog's health means gathering information, making important choices, dealing with illness, and potentially tackling the question of euthanasia. Welcome to the toughest part of sharing your life with a dog.

Consider the example of Riley, a 12-year-old German Shepherd mix who is cared for and adored by the Johnson family. Riley is the family exercise partner, newspaper retriever, nanny, bedmate, and comic relief in his busy household. He's also in charge of training the newest family member named Bubba, a 10-week-old Shepherd puppy. But recently, the normally ravenous Riley has been leaving some food in his bowl, tiring on his walks, and vomiting. The family veterinarian has determined from some blood tests that Riley has kidney failure. She's recommended that Riley be hospitalized for round-the-clock intravenous fluid therapy as well as an abdominal ultrasound examination, specialized blood tests, and a possible kidney biopsy to determine the cause. Although the outlook is bleak, it certainly isn't hopeless. The cost for all this is estimated at $3,000 to $5,000.
On first hearing the news, the Johnsons are devastated and confused. They had no idea Riley was so sick. They ask if they had brought him to the clinic sooner, could all of this have been avoided? The three Johnson children have never known life without their beloved pet. How will they respond to this news? Who will model civilized "doggie" behavior for Bubba? The Johnsons aren't sure the recommended care will be affordable. They don't want to throw in the towel too early, nor do they want Riley to suffer. Should they get a second opinion? Is it reasonable to proceed with the recommended diagnostic tests and treatment with a 12-year-old dog?

The veterinarian asks if they have any questions. Questions? The Johnsons don't even know where to start. They want to do what's best for Riley. The problem is they aren't exactly sure what that is. They feel incapacitated by their lack of medical knowledge and their emotional turmoil.

I suspect that some of you are reading this book because you have a "Riley" of your very own and are perhaps experiencing many of the Johnsons' struggles and emotions. If this is the case, now is the perfect time to learn how to effectively "speak" for your dog.