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What Pets Can Do: Health and Healing

Posted by Colleen Young, Connect Director @colleenyoung, Sep 15, 2017

I was visiting a community hospital recently, waiting in line for a coffee. Across the lobby was a large, beautiful dog. As visitors and patients stopped to pet the dog and talk with the owner, you could literally see how their faces lit up with smiles and their bodies relaxed.

In the week leading up to exams at my daughter's school, they bring in therapy dogs for the students to interact with. It helps reduce anxiety at a very stressful time for students. For many people, animals provide countless health benefits.

Cats, dogs, birds, fish, hamsters: How have animals comforted you, helped with recovery or promoted good health for you?

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Mentor
Ginger, Volunteer Mentor | @gingerw | Jul 10, 2019
In reply to @becsbuddy "@colleenyoung Well, this may not be such a good story in the end, but... We rescued..." + (show)
@becsbuddy

@colleenyoung Well, this may not be such a good story in the end, but... We rescued our dog, Peaches, the year that my dad, my MIL, and a friend were all at the same end of life point. Peaches needed so much from us, so really, she added to the stress. But she gave us a lot of joy, too, wanting to go to the park and snuggle. My dad, MIL, and friend all died that year, so Peaches was our stressful comfort. For the past 18-20 months of my illness, she has been a super-Velcro dog. Her anxiety levels were out the roof if she couldn’t find me. But she always wanted me to sit on the sofa and cuddle. She became deaf and blind but could still find her way around. She was incontinent and wouldn’t eat. So Sunday we decided we had to put her to sleep. She’s in a better place and I’m in a safer place because she can’t trip me anymore. RIP Peaches

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@becsbuddy My reply disappeared in to the techy blackhole last night. Peaches had her job to do and she did it well. We are lucky to be part of a furred/feathered/finned one's life, and when they can no longer enjoy day-to-day, it is our privilege to ease their burden. Sending gentle cyber-hugs,
Ginger

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Merry, Alumni Mentor | @merpreb | Jul 11, 2019

@gingerw- Absolutely. I hope the same treatment is given to me.

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lioness | @lioness | Jul 11, 2019
In reply to @contentandwell "@parus Beautiful! Not being in color, the only bird I recognize is the blue jay by..." + (show)
@contentandwell

@parus Beautiful! Not being in color, the only bird I recognize is the blue jay by the crest on its head. I really do not know that much about birds despite there being many around me.

@johnbishop I really do not understand why we never see rabbits here! I have never seen one in the yard at all. Maybe the fox, bear, fisher cats, etc., eat them. 🙁
JK

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@johnbishop No birds like back east.I did see a golden eagle though it was beartiful but mostly crows,raven. No rabbits and saw a squirrel yesterday. Different trees and plants here . But I miss the beautiful birds.

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lioness | @lioness | Jul 11, 2019
In reply to @merpreb "@gingerw- Absolutely. I hope the same treatment is given to me." + (show)
@merpreb

@gingerw- Absolutely. I hope the same treatment is given to me.

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@merpreb Hi Merry I missed this response to Ginger you did are you alright?

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Merry, Alumni Mentor | @merpreb | Jul 11, 2019

@lioness- Yes, I was referring to the future! you are a sweetie

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Mentor
Becky, Volunteer Mentor | @becsbuddy | Jul 11, 2019

Thank you, everyone, for your nice notes on my dog, Peaches. She was a handful but will be missed. But, of course, caretaking never ends, does it?! Just yesterday my husband broke 2 ribs while out trout fishing with a friend.😓. Thankfully I’m at the point where I can help him since he’s done so much for me. Now, we both have to get in excellent shape so we can go soo the grandchildren next week! Becky

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1 reply
Merry, Alumni Mentor | @merpreb | Jul 12, 2019
In reply to @becsbuddy "Thank you, everyone, for your nice notes on my dog, Peaches. She was a handful but..." + (show)
@becsbuddy

Thank you, everyone, for your nice notes on my dog, Peaches. She was a handful but will be missed. But, of course, caretaking never ends, does it?! Just yesterday my husband broke 2 ribs while out trout fishing with a friend.😓. Thankfully I’m at the point where I can help him since he’s done so much for me. Now, we both have to get in excellent shape so we can go soo the grandchildren next week! Becky

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@becsbuddy- It's never just one thing is it? I've had broken ribs and they aren't any fun. I have a funny story, at least looking back it is. After my first lobectomy I was not told that one of my ribs broke as a result of the rib spreader. That was in October. In November I picked up the turkey in my arms and , ta da, re-broke it again! I needed Xrays because my Dr. thought that my lung collapsed. But the rib broke a second time because of a damn turkey. lol

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1 reply
Mentor
Becky, Volunteer Mentor | @becsbuddy | Jul 12, 2019
In reply to @merpreb "@becsbuddy- It's never just one thing is it? I've had broken ribs and they aren't any..." + (show)
@merpreb

@becsbuddy- It's never just one thing is it? I've had broken ribs and they aren't any fun. I have a funny story, at least looking back it is. After my first lobectomy I was not told that one of my ribs broke as a result of the rib spreader. That was in October. In November I picked up the turkey in my arms and , ta da, re-broke it again! I needed Xrays because my Dr. thought that my lung collapsed. But the rib broke a second time because of a damn turkey. lol

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@merpreb That’s a great story! I’m glad it’s not near Thanksgiving! And we have someone to do most of the yard work. 😊. Now, if our grandson can just go easy on him

REPLY
JK | @contentandwell | Jul 14, 2019
In reply to @becsbuddy "@colleenyoung Well, this may not be such a good story in the end, but... We rescued..." + (show)
@becsbuddy

@colleenyoung Well, this may not be such a good story in the end, but... We rescued our dog, Peaches, the year that my dad, my MIL, and a friend were all at the same end of life point. Peaches needed so much from us, so really, she added to the stress. But she gave us a lot of joy, too, wanting to go to the park and snuggle. My dad, MIL, and friend all died that year, so Peaches was our stressful comfort. For the past 18-20 months of my illness, she has been a super-Velcro dog. Her anxiety levels were out the roof if she couldn’t find me. But she always wanted me to sit on the sofa and cuddle. She became deaf and blind but could still find her way around. She was incontinent and wouldn’t eat. So Sunday we decided we had to put her to sleep. She’s in a better place and I’m in a safer place because she can’t trip me anymore. RIP Peaches

Jump to this post

@becsbuddy We had a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel that we had to put to sleep when he was 14. That breed generally lives from 8 to 12 years so we were fortunate to have him with us for longer than that. He was deaf and could barely get around though so it was time. I still get tears in my eyes when I think of the day I brought him to the vet.
He was such a sweet dog, loved everyone. My daughter and I named him Keller, which is Gaelic for "little companion" which he was. Of course when I was out with him and people heard me call him, they thought I was calling this gentle little dog Killer!
Here he was napping on my son when we were up at our summer camp in Maine.
JK
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1 reply
Mentor
Chris Trout, Volunteer Mentor | @artscaping | Jul 15, 2019
In reply to @contentandwell "@becsbuddy We had a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel that we had to put to sleep when..." + (show)
@contentandwell

@becsbuddy We had a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel that we had to put to sleep when he was 14. That breed generally lives from 8 to 12 years so we were fortunate to have him with us for longer than that. He was deaf and could barely get around though so it was time. I still get tears in my eyes when I think of the day I brought him to the vet.
He was such a sweet dog, loved everyone. My daughter and I named him Keller, which is Gaelic for "little companion" which he was. Of course when I was out with him and people heard me call him, they thought I was calling this gentle little dog Killer!
Here he was napping on my son when we were up at our summer camp in Maine.
JK

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@becsbuddy, JK, Oh, be still my heart. That picture is so adorable.

I found a painting of Roxie that caught one of my favorite Roxie looks.
It says.....Don't you know it's 5:00 pm? Where is my dinner? @johnbishop, can you make this image smaller. I can't even grab it.

My little Roxie used to like to lie on folks. I have just let my last Cavalier King Charles Spaniel cross the rainbow bridge and fly with the angels. They are truly "Love Sponges". Oh, the joys and the memories. I don't trust myself physically to care for another Cavalier. And I don't want to leave one behind. Two of my three Cavaliers were therapy dogs in an Alzheimer's center where my father was housed.

Unbelievably, I am still grieving for Roxie. When I first wake up, I listen for her snoring at the foot of the bed. I am waiting for the day when the joyous memories of having Roxie will far outweigh the pain of losing her. It's not happening. Please be safe and protected from harm. Sleep well. Chris
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