5. Don’t ignore behavior changes and health related concerns
Yes, the holidays are hectic. You are overbooked, and your schedule is filled up to the minute. You have a million things on your mind, and an ever-growing to-do list…
Yet…something is not quite right with your pet. What do you do? Ignore it, pretend it will get better on it’s own. Or give your pet some attention and find out if it is something requiring medical attention, a little bit of quiet time or ???
While it is really tempting to ignore that little voice that says “Something is just not right with Willow,” the reality is that you know your pet better than anyone else. If the little voice is saying something is not quite right…it isn’t.
Pay attention and take some easy actions to find out what’s going on.
If you’ve been through my “Know Your Pet’s Normal” class, then you have a baseline to compare against. Is your pet anxious? Guarding a limb or part of their body? Temperature off? Breathing more stressed?
Perhaps your pet is picking up on your holiday anxiety, which is easy for them to do, since they don’t correlate your stress with holiday cheer. Giving them some one-on-one time, or maybe even just a quiet & cozy timeout away from all the hustle and bustle will be just the ticket they need. This won’t take much time or effort, and may be a great way to some create space for yourself.
If that doesn’t do it, then perhaps a quick message or chat with Dr. Shaw or your vet where you can discuss your observations and how your pet has responded. She may have some additional behavioral suggestions, or she may have concerns due to your pet’s specific health which dictate looking a little more deeply to see what is going on.
Either way, don’t just ignore behavior changes and any health related questions you have. Trust your intuition – your pet is trying to tell you something. Give yourself the gift of peace, knowing you didn’t ignore a small issue until it became a big problem. This way you can truly have a Happy Holidays!