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| Max, Magic and Chloe. Companions and teachers. |
~ A friend is one who knows you and loves you just the same. - Elbert Hubbard
We are so fortunate to have animals in our lives. Quietly, and without judgment, they offer little insights and life lessons simply by living them for us.
Sometimes, we understand their messages to us. Other times, we make ongoing adjustments in hopes of creating a better environment without awareness of what we have done or their role in that shift. And it all works.
In offering my intuitive assistance, it can be frustrating to learn that there are only certain outcomes that will be accepted as helpful. Suggestions to visit a vet are not always welcome. And there is a reason.
I can offer my insight but I cannot judge. The information will go where it is needed and the result will be as it should. My role is only to provide a clue into what might be creating the problem. The pet and their person are charged with creating their solutions. If I can heal it in any way, that healing comes from another source.
I was asked to check in with a very special dog to see why she was so cranky and frequently snapping at and biting those who loved her. She greeted me with great enthusiasm the moment I entered the door. She knew I had come to try to help her.
What I felt in the physical contact with the dog was pain. Recently diagnosed as diabetic, no matter how delicate or gently one had to administer a daily shot, the pain it caused, given her reaction, also seemed to be more intense for her. I noticed swelling in the lower back area and some puffiness around her kidneys. Contrary to what I sensed, I was told a check up with the vet had shown no trouble other than the diagnosis of Diabetes.
Unfortunately, the more I sensed, the more I realized this was a downward trend. I suggested giving the recently diagnosed dog a breather to ask when she would accept a shot and then to think about the quality of life versus the quantity. It might be better to focus for a bit on comfort.
My person was interested in trying to listen to her pet and she did. They spent some TLC time without shot administration that helped improve the quality of their connection. However, that shot thing did not get any easier and the possibility her pet was in failing health was hard for her to hear.
A trip to the behaviorist produced a routine to give the dog a shot while she was eating at her food dish. After that, she was given a treat. The dog loved her "treat". The routine continued until the dog died - three months later.
Revelation: right and wrong is not part of this. We are charged with honoring our own guidance in how we care for our pets. The outcomes of our actions are how we learn. My frustration comes in knowing there are some areas that are simply too painful to access.
In that case, the person told me ... don't give me any information that requires another trip to the vet. "I can't afford it right now."
When she finally made another trip to the vet, the diagnosis included kidney failure. Not wanting to go may have seemed like a reluctance to provide quality care. That wasn't the case. The quality of her care during that transition time increased. The flip side of her avoidance was that a more thorough health examination may have given her a terminal diagnosis that she wasn't prepared to handle at the moment.
The diagnosis came when she and her pet had bonded more intensely as a result of the ups and downs of the health crisis. They were taking the steps at the right time for them.
Our intuited answers remind us, while we are not in control here, we are not alone. We take on the challenge of relationships with pets (and people) in order to grow, to learn how to go with the flow and simply appreciate the beauty of life in the moment as a demonstration of how things are supposed to work out on a grander scale no matter how hard we try to assign a perfect ending in one note.
Any ending will be perfect in its own special way. It can even include surprises.
