11/24/2023
Who else has been made a liar by saying my horse/dog/cat are comfortable with me doing absolutely anything around them. Or, my angel would never hurt a fly.
I have.
Well, in reality when your pet is in pain sometimes, (not always) it does not matter who you are to them. In those moments they are scared and they are hurting. That is all they have on their minds. And then your coming out, or vets are trying to poke them with needles and wrap them with scary things they’ve never seen before. These moments are highly stressful without the people touching them and applying things directly to there injuries.
This is where I want to mention the importance of bonding, I mean quality bonding with your animals. What ever animal it is you have, horse, dog, cat, cow, donkey, pig. Etc. If you take it to the vet, you are responsible to prepare your animals for these experiences. This can look like hours of grooming, massaging, talking to or just existing with your animals. In all kinds of environments. If you truly have a relationship and can read your pets body language there may be a strong relationship of trust built. And in emergency situations it is dire that your pet sees you as a friend and this can truly be the difference between life and death for them.
I also want to emphasize the importance of conditioning, if you can not touch your pets everywhere, literally everywhere, then you may have some homework. Spend time grooming and holding there mouth open, touching their teeth, tongue, eyes, ears etc, while making it a slow and comfortable experience for them. Lots or praise and treats come in handy. And it is also your responsibility to make them comfortable with being medically taken care of, practice wrapping various limbs with gauze and vet wrap. If you can’t get it on a heathy animal, then it is going to be an even more traumatic experience for them after an injury.
On the plus side they look super funny after they get all wrapped up for fake First Aid scenarios😂
Ps. Iris has not gotten injured recently, she is just my trusty adorable assistant. And the Cremello mare Sapphire is making a good recovery still.