Anyway, the weigh-ins in question are for G. I took him to the vet for routine shots today, and he has lost two pounds since the last time he was there (January), bringing him down to 67.5. G! This is not good! I try to keep him around 75, but he still hasn't entirely rebounded after his scary hunger strike last summer, when he went from 77 to below 60 in just a few weeks while I was out of the country doing research.
And now I have been designated as That Owner, that needs to have someone else looking over her shoulder to watch out for her animal's welfare. I used to measure his food out, but since I've been building him back up from last summer I just fill a huge bowl and let him eat as much as he wants (although he still has specific feeding times, I don't leave food out all day for pest control reasons, but I never take the food away until he loses interest on his own). He also gets peanut butter for a bedtime snack, instead of the little dry tidbits I used to give as the evening treat. I swear I do not neglect my G! This animal is my best friend in the world, hands down, no question, and it doesn't bother me if that sounds pathetic. If you knew him, you'd understand. He also gets a lot of credit for the fact that I hung on long enough to make another stab at recovery.
I had to leave him for a few days over spring break while I toured grad schools, and he of course didn't eat then, which could partially explain the loss. Also, we've had lots of stormy weather lately. He has major storm anxiety, and won't eat when he's nervous. All logical explanations, I am really hoping nothing internal is going on...we'll just have to keep an eye on it. I'm going to have to leave him for more than twice as long this summer, and I'm already worried about the effects on his health...
I almost forgot, the vet tech made an unsolicited comment: "We could throw you up on the scale too, hyuk hyuk, put you both on the bulk-up program." Um, or you could not. I'm having extreme body issues this week, so it felt halfway validating to have her make a comment alluding to the fact that I should gain weight, but the other half was just depressed by the reminder that people are constantly evaluating each other's weight.
8 comments:
Poor G.! First off, we all know you take care of G! Sometimes, when we find something distressing like this, it makes us rethink how "good" we are as parents.
But logically, it could be a lot of things. It could be he is just not eating as well. It could be something else. I think the vet is just concerned to rule out any possibilities.
As for the comment by the tech, ugh! Whether it was sarcasm or not, it is just not called for in that environment nor professional in my opinion.
By the way, I need to shoot you an e-mail.
Of course you don´t neglect G. Cammy!
Actually I think his not-eating while you are not with him shows very strong bond between you and him. And it shows anorexia is pretty universal psychosomatic reaction. It could be lot of things and I hope G will be well soon!
I have similar experience with my vet´s huge scale. I was so nervous and scared that my cat seemed to have kidney failure that I just stepped on the scale. Maybe it was only weigh-in in xx years when I wasn´t concentrated on my own weight.
Awww, G! We all know you take good care of your pup - you write about walking and spending time with him frequently. I'm sure your vet does too - your tech just has a touch of the moron.
I know G for you is like Aria for me. At times, Aria has done her own little hunger strike-esque things, and it's frustrating. But I know you're not neglecting G, and I'm glad the situation is being monitored.
As for the vet tech. What an idiot. I've found that people say the most inappropriate things, yet I've also found that most people tend not to dwell on things like my weight (well, except my treatment team but I think that's part of the job description). It's a sign that she's uncomfortable and has nothing to do with you.
Lisa- I love the phrase a touch of moron. I think I'm going to integrate that into my daily vocabulary.
Thanks for the votes of confidence. G. is acting fine, so hopefully this is nothing. This vet is the same one we've been going to since moving here almost 4 years ago, so I would hope he realizes that if I were a neglectful abuser it would have manifested before now.
"touch of the moron"
Lisa you have found a perfect phrase for a feeling I have often had about people but have never quite been able to articulate. Like Carrie, I think I'm going to have to start using this. ;)
Oh, wow. Oddly enough, I've just gone through a similar situation with my greyhound Holley. The vet's been monitoring his weight since I adopted him because ex-racers' body composition goes through a massive shift when they come off the track and adjust to domestic life. That is, they inevitably lose muscle, gain fat, and one wants to make sure that the transition happens in just the right way. And just this week I was mortified to learn that he's "off." Despite the fact that I feed him what was previously thought to be the appropriate amount of the appropriate type of food, and provide him with several treats a day, he's losing muscle but not gaining enough fat in exchange. He's slightly underweight.
For a recovering anorectic, this whole vet conversation, this whole process, is challenging in a way that I don't imagine it would be for other people. I became immediately self-conscious about my own weight, worried that the vet would think that I'm imposing anorexic fantasies on my poor puppy or something.
All that to say, I'm sorry that you are going through this. My best wishes for a healthy pup!
Thanks for the comments!
T.S.T.: I'm sure you're taking great care of Holley, if it were an easy process then the vet wouldn't need to monitor it! And I completely understand about the fear that the vet and staff will think thin people also restrict pets food: when the vet tech told me G had lost weight, she immediately asked if I was "trying to take some off of him." No no NO!
Awww...poor dog! I've heard of animals getting stressed out like that, but it's always sad to hear.
Totally unnecessary comment by the vet tech, too.
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