Healthy Spot Blog

We’re so excited for our very first Puppy Social at Healthy Spot Santa Monica! We’ll have some helpful handouts available to help you with things like crate training and socialization. Our expert team will be on hand to help you out with any questions that you might have, especially in regards to diet and nutrition. We’re very lucky to have Carol Ann Heinis of Life of Riley Dog Training with us as well! She has run Puppy groups just like this for the Humane Society in the past and will be a great resource for you.



For those parents who are interested, we will be opening up our daycare room only for puppies 4 months and younger. This is a great way to get early socialization in a controlled environment with an expert on hand to help you out. If you’d like for your puppy to participate it is important that you bring the vaccination records for your pup that include his/her birthdate and be sure to bring your puppy in with a regular buckle collar. If your puppy has been diagnosed with any communicable ailments (kennel cough, giardia, etc.) we’ll be asking your puppy to skip nose to nose interactions until they’ve been cleared by your vet. You will be required to go into the daycare room with your puppy so that you can learn some good do’s and don’ts with Carol Ann. Depending on the size of the group that we have, we’ll be doing 15-30 min rounds of play in the room per group and then rotate the groups a bit to give the puppies breaks.



Here are a few points to keep in mind:
*Potty your dog prior to playgroup. Feeding your pet after play can reduce the chance of an accident. Play will be stopped while the owner cleans up after their dog’s accident.
*Keep dog on leash while entering the playgroup. All dogs will be let offleash at the same time so wait until the trainer instructs you to do so.
*Prior to play time, make sure to take off your dog’s harness if he/she wears one.



If you have any questions, give us a call at (310) 458-2004.



Visit Us at:
Healthy Spot (Santa Monica)
1110 Wilshire Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 9040

Hey all – If you’ve got a Facebook account, this is the last weekend to lock in your votes in for your favorite dogs!

The top 5 ranked will all get free Healthy Spot tees! The grand prize winner will be taking home a $50 gift certificate to pamper their pooch. Aww, there are some cute entries, be sure to click on the contest section on our Facebook page and vote!

Stay tuned, we’ll be hosting more contests in the future, the more you participate, the more fun and swag (stuff! we! all! get!) for all.

As dog owners, we must treasure the time we spend with our loved ones because we never know what tomorrow may bring. I wanted to take some time to dedicate this entry to a friend who was special to me. My dog, Tiger, who you may recognize in some of the Healthy Spot newsletters and videos, has been an angel in my life. He has had a good almost 14-year run, and it was time for us to say goodbye today. Tiger, you will always be missed and loved.







*** I will preface this with a warning, if you do not wish to read about a sensitive topic such as death, or euthanasia, please do not proceed reading this specific article. This article is geared towards those who may not know what to expect and would like to learn more about the euthanasia process, or how to make this difficult decision in a dog’s final days. ***



As I approached his final moments, I did everything I could to prolong his life in the most comfortable and healthiest way possible. Tiger was diagnosed with a very large cancerous, abnormal growth in his stomach within the last year. I learned a lot about the physical and emotional strain that is involved, especially during his last months here. Special thanks to Healthy Spot for the valuable diet and nutritional changes we had made for him, which has no doubt in my mind, helped extend his life and made it easier for him over these fragile months. His appetite never dwindled until the last few days, and it is my belief that the joint supplements aided his arthritic joints so that he could still stand even as his conditions became worse.



When you have a dog who is reaching an older age, realize this is a natural process, and some things cannot be fended off. When he was first diagnosed and our primary vet offered putting him to sleep as an option, I realized the emotional toil that this decision caused. I don’t think anyone wants to hear that, and it is a very difficult decision to make. Many times you second guess and wonder if you are doing the right thing, if it’s too early, or if there’s anything else that can be done before this is the last resort. In fact, at that point, we were not ready. I monitored him closely and made sure to make him as comfortable as possible for the little time he had left.




How Do You Know When It’s Time?
If you are faced with the question of possible euthanasia for your pet, please consider the following. Since dogs (and cats) cannot literally talk to us and verbally communicate their pain, you must be in sync with your dog to understand the underlying pain with other methods of communication. I didn’t know myself until I was at that crossroads, what the signs were, until they were there. I could pick up on the nuances from the way he lays motionless and despondent. He wouldn’t acknowledge me the way he had before, so I knew it was severe. I’d find him randomly laying down in unusual places. He had trouble sleeping and would wander around at night. He would walk a few feet before his legs would collapse on him. I’d have to pick him up and bring him back to his bed. He panted heavily even when he was just laying down. He would soil himself when he went to the restroom. And in the very last days, he had stopped eating completely, even his favorite, beef, he’d turn away. My dog never whimpered a day in his life until last night. It was then I knew he was truly suffering. I don’t want to go into detail because that would just evoke Marley & Me feelings, let’s just say it was overwhelming. All dogs are different. Some dogs show obvious pain, others are more discrete. You just pick up on it. You know when it’s time, when your dog is experiencing more pain than pleasure and there is nothing you can do to stop the pain. When medication and surgery are not viable options, and your dog is suffering, it may be time to let him go. I even obtained a second vet’s opinion just to be sure this was the last resort.







Before It’s Time
Before his final moments, you may want to treat him with something extra special. How about that steak dinner? Or something that’s a big no-no, like ice cream? Maybe you want to take him out to his favorite beach or park? Saying goodbye doesn’t happen in the vet’s office, it starts from home. You can hold your dog and comfort him in his last days to help reassure him that everything will be better soon. The biggest difficulty is the guilt you feel, but you have to understand that you may be making a decision that is ultimately better for him. As selfish as you may be, wanting to keep him around forever, if there is extreme pain involved, you have to do what’s best for him.







Understanding the Euthanasia Process
Some veterinarians offer the option of putting your dog to rest at home, in a familiar environment, some people may feel this is a better environment for their dog. It’s up to you, but note there will be a cost difference. Traditionally, vets will do the euthanasia in the hospital or clinic, and a good vet will be understanding, giving you more time as needed to spend with your dog before it is time to go. Once you decide which road you want to take, the hardest part will be making an appointment. Believe me, I know because I made an appointment, cancelled it because I was frightened, and then I made the appointment again. The admin seemed to understand as they said, “just let us know when you’re ready, hon”. It may be extremely difficult, and you may want someone to accompany you to help drive you home afterwards. When you arrive at the vet, they will provide you with paperwork to authorize them to perform euthanasia on your dog. You can also take care of the fees beforehand, so once it is over, you can just exit without having to worry about any of that in your emotionally-stricken state.







Humane euthanasia is essentially a two-step process. You can choose to be with your dog at any point during the process, or if you are like me, you can choose to be there for everything. I decided I wanted to be there for the entire time, because I wanted to make sure I was the last person he saw before he departed. If you are sensitive, and would for whatever reason, prefer not to be there when it actually happens, you can opt to hand your dog over to the vet to take care of him. Keep in mind, your dog loves you and does not stop loving you regardless of what action you take. It’s just a personal preference. For instance, my father who is close to my dog, chose to wait in the lobby because he was not emotionally ready to be there when he actually passed.







The first step involves prepping your dog for sedation. It involves shaving their fur on their hind leg for example, to insert the catheter into his vein. Then they proceed to inject sedatives, to help relax and calm your dog. Once the sedatives sink in, I was given additional time to spend some last fleeting minutes with my dog. The next step involves the actual injection of the euthanasia. On occasion, dogs may twitch, shake, urinate, or have uncontrollable bowel movements during the last step. In case you were not expecting it, a good vet will tell you beforehand so that you will not be surprised if these events occur. You may choose to hold your dog, or be right by his side during the entire process. This is when your dog will go into what seems like a deep “sleep” as his heart stops beating and he takes his last breath. Some family members may wish to see the dog afterwards, just to say a final goodbye, though they were not there during the procedure.







It’s OK To Cry
We face death with emotions, and you are welcome to let your feelings go. It is uncontrollable at times, and if you wish to cry before, during and after, the vet understands. There is no rule that says you cannot cry. Let it all out. I had been crying for the past 3 days since my dog had stopped eating. My dad who I’ve only ever seen cry once before in my lifetime, also cried. Crying helps. I was lucky enough that my vet hugged me, it helped so much.








Ask Questions
Whether it is the first time you have ever had to be in this type of situation, or you’ve been here before, we still have questions. If you are wondering anything about the process, don’t hesitate to ask your vet, they are there to answer your questions as well. I asked questions such as how long between the sedative and the actual injection.. are you certain he’s fully sedated now… sometimes you may not have logical questions, but it doesn’t matter. They always tell you there is no such thing as a stupid question.







Considering Arrangements for After
It’s a lot to take in during the time, so if you are reading this now, you may want to consider ahead of time the arrangements you plan on making for your dog’s body after he is deceased. In California, by law, you are not supposed to take him home and bury him, though some might want to bury him in the backyard. Keep in mind, you may not always live in the same house either. Depending on what state you live in, check your local laws, the vet should be able to tell you, and if you want to keep his body for burial purposes the vet will help you take your dog home. In California, there are two options for cremation. You can choose to have your dog cremated through your vet and there’s a standard fee that comes with the weight of your dog, however they will dispose of the ashes. Or you can opt to have you dog undergo private cremation, where a third-party cremation service will be rendered and they can have the ashes returned to you. It’s entirely up to you whether you want to keep your dog’s ashes. Some people may keep the ashes, simply to spread them at a location your dog loved. Pet cemetaries are also gaining popularity if you’d like to research local options for burial services.







Coping
We mentioned crying as a natural mourning mechanism. Good family and friends are there for you in your time of need. Some of us may want some space and alone time as we grieve, while others would prefer company to help them remember the good times and cope together. Remind yourself, you were a good owner and your time spent together was well-spent.







It can also be extremely difficult for young children to cope with the death of a pet. If you have a young child in your family, be there for your children, help them mourn and be honest as possible. For more information about how to help young children cope with pet loss, read here.







Remembrances
Some people like to take this time to keep something of their dog. Perhaps their collar and leash, a snip of their fur, a favorite toy.. it may help to dedicate a little funeral service for him. I personally went to print our last photos together, so that I could place his picture by my bedside. It’s your dog, so whatever you feel will help you remember him, is up to you.








Make Each Moment Count
Even if your dog is nowhere near a grave stage, this is a reminder we should make every second count. Our dogs pass knowing how lucky they were to have spent a good life with their family. We should ensure that everyday we give them the love and attention they need. Treat your dogs to a special day together at the park or give them a special day at the spa. Each walk we take them on, each game of fetch, each chase around the backyard, each time we come home to our dogs who are ready to jump on us and knock us over, each time we spend just sitting next to each other on the couch, those are the moments we must hold on to. I spent a lot of time hugging my dog, because I can never repay him for the loyalty he has given to me. No matter how selfish we are as humans, for all those times I may have gone out and left him home alone, regardless, his love has never faltered. My last words of goodbye to my dog is, I will always be here for you, because you were always there for me.