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Caring for Itchy Dogs This Allergy Season

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Sponsored content from Zoetis Petcare

Allergic dermatitis is the number one reason why owners bring their dogs to the veterinarian, yet many pet owners are not aware that their pets can get allergies, and don’t realize that there is an underlying medical issue that’s causing their dog to itch. With August being the peak of allergy season, Zoetis Petcare is proud to have launched the inaugural Itchy Pet Awareness Month to bring attention to how itching can negatively impact a pet – and owner’s – quality of life. As veterinary professionals, it’s our job to protect that pet-owner bond, provide itch relief through effective treatment and get life back to normal as soon as possible. We hope Itchy Pet Awareness Month helps do just this. 

Veterinarians need to get dog owners past the thought that constant or even intermittent itching or scratching is their dog “just being their dog” – because if left untreated, itch can begin to impact the day-to-day lives of dogs and owners, and may progress to become something more serious that could be increasingly difficult to manage. I strongly encourage veterinarians to discuss general skin and coat health at wellness exams, and when there is any indication of pruritic behavior, make it a point for active discussion and investigation; don’t let the early subtle signs go unattended. 

To ensure the appointment is as efficient as possible, it’s important that every member of the veterinary team knows their specific and unique role for the patient visit, from the first phone call to the check out after the appointment. Remember that pet owners don’t want to answer the same questions over and over, so consider these tips on how the larger team can be used to add depth to the visit, to better inform the veterinarian, resulting in a work-up with the best possible outcomes. 

• Receptionists are often the first point of contact for our clients. Receptionists should reassure the pet owner that they have done the right thing by coming for an exam, and have the pet owner complete an intake form to help the team understand the cause of itch. 

• Technicians have a responsibility to review the intake form with the pet owner and gather a more detailed history including signs of allergic itch beyond scratching. Start the conversation about skin health to help identify itchy dog behavior. Technicians can also connect with the pet owner to gain clarity on how the itch is affecting them and their dog. Ask questions like, “Is the itch getting in the way of normal activities and your time with your dog?”

Technicians also have an opportunity to educate pet owners on the value of the diagnostic work-up and what to expect. They may also assist the veterinarian in diagnostics and provide the pet owner with positive reinforcement of work-up findings.

• Veterinarians engage the pet owner in a deeper discussion of history and stress the importance and value of a full diagnostic workup to understand the cause of the issue and to identify specific treatments for long-term solutions. They can further reassure the pet owner that the entire team is committed to providing their pet with relief from the itch.

Even during wellness visits, it’s important to not ignore those mild early signs – redness of the ear canals or between the toes, or the dog that scratches or chews on itself in the exam room. When discussing pruritic behavior, as soon as it is obvious that the problem has persisted for several weeks, or is recurrent, we need to impress upon the pet owner the importance and value of a diagnostic workup, to understand the cause of the issue and to identify specific treatments for long-term solutions. If we don’t complete a full diagnostic workup, then we are left with fire engine medicine: short-term solutions that can put pet owners and dogs on an emotional rollercoaster.

Oftentimes, allergies cannot be cured. However, pet owners need to know that there are great treatment options, like APOQUEL® (oclacitinib tablet) or CYTOPOINT®, that veterinarians can provide that are specifically designated to relieve their dog’s itch and inflammation. These treatments go beyond at-home treatments like lotions, shampoos and antihistamines that may not provide the much-needed relief to their dog. Relief of itch is so important to maintain a positive quality of life for the pet and their owner.

This allergy season, clinics can implement activities to impress upon owners the importance of finding effective treatment for their itchy dog. By visiting www.ScienceofStrongerBonds.com/Resources, you can download helpful resources for your practice to help spread the message on recognizing and treating allergic itch effectively. 

APOQUEL IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Do not use APOQUEL in dogs less than 12 months of age or those with serious infections. APOQUEL may increase the chances of developing serious infections and may cause existing parasitic skin infestations or pre-existing cancers to get worse. APOQUEL has not been tested in dogs receiving some medications including some commonly used to treat skin conditions such as corticosteroids and cyclosporine. Do not use in breeding, pregnant, or lactating dogs. Most common side effects are vomiting and diarrhea. APOQUEL has been used safely with many common medications including parasiticides, antibiotics and vaccines. For more information, please see the full Prescribing Information at https://www.apoqueldogs.com/apoquel_pi.pdf.

CYTOPOINT has been shown to be effective for the treatment of dogs against allergic dermatitis and atopic dermatitis.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Andy Hillier is from South Africa where he went to veterinary school. He spent 8 years in small animal practice in South Africa and Australia before going to the University of Florida to complete a residency in dermatology. He was on faculty at Ohio State University for 17 years, becoming a full professor and head of the Dermatology and Otology Service before joining Zoetis in May 2013 as a senior veterinary specialist. He now serves as the Veterinary Specialty Operations and Veterinary Medical Lead – Dermatology for Zoetis Petcare.

Coping With An Unknown Diagnosis

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As an ER veterinarian, I have become quite skilled at quickly assessing an animal and coming up with a plan to begin patient stabilization. Unfortunately, this does not mean that I always know exactly what the underlying cause of each patient’s illness is. If a situation arises when a diagnosis has not been reached, it may be upsetting for the pet owner, but also affects me, the veterinarian.

Imagine the following scenario: Concerned owners bring a sick cat to the emergency room because she has been acting abnormally lately. Examination reveals a high fever and some lethargy but little else. We proceed with a blood panel, urine sample and X-rays and still, there is no concrete diagnosis. The owners have now spent hundreds of dollars and, while we have ruled out many possible causes for the cat’s fever, it feels to them like we have done nothing productive. How would you feel in this situation? If you answered annoyed, aggravated, frustrated, worried or any other synonym for just plain unhappy — I am with you! Welcome to the realities of medicine.

Human or animal, medicine is imperfect. Yes, there are plenty of times when an examination and history on a patient, combined with the basic diagnostics that are available to us in an ER setting, may lead to a final diagnosis. But there are also numerous times, possibly even more times, when a clear diagnosis cannot be reached. This may be because the test required to interpret the cause of illness for the pet has not yet been tried. For example, we have not performed an ultrasound or perhaps advanced imaging like an MRI. Or it may be because the animal may have something that can be very hard to diagnose with certainties such as a viral response or behavioral-based anomaly. Whatever the case may be, a lack of diagnosis leads to feelings of frustration.  

In these moments when we have exhausted our readily available modes of diagnosis and have still not solved the mystery of the cause of the clinical signs, a feeling of frustration is fully justified. And believe me when I say that those feelings are felt by me as well. As a veterinarian, I feel it is my duty to give each and every animal my all and do everything that I can to put together the pieces of the puzzle that is each animal’s illness.  Unfortunately I, like many in my field, also struggle with attempts to hold back feelings of inadequacy in those moments. Maybe I am missing something? Maybe there is a hint on physical examination or history that I neglected? Maybe if I had another tool at my disposal I could solve this? Maybe someone “smarter” could figure this out? Well, maybe! But maybe not! As a veterinarian, and as a person, I try to do my very best. And in those situations, despite not having all the answers, I always come up with a plan to help the animal by stabilizing, increasing comfort, and then determining how best to move forward towards obtaining a concrete diagnosis.  

Medicine is imperfect, even under the best of circumstances. But rest assured that while I, your emergency veterinarian, may be unable to provide you with an exact diagnosis at the time of your pet’s presentation, I will do everything in my power to help your pet by controlling the pain, alleviating discomfort, treating the clinical signs and stabilizing him/her, as best I can. If the situation necessitates obtaining additional information, I will discuss additional options with you and we will collectively formulate a plan. Not every question can be answered. But, rest assured, in those moments of frustration that stem from a diagnosis that has not been achieved, we are all in this together. 

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Chivvis is a 2011 Iowa state graduate and emergency veterinarian in Roanoke, Virginia. She completed undergraduate studies in Massachusetts and moved to Iowa for veterinary school and an additional 1 year Small Animal Rotating internship. Dr. Chivvis is strictly an emergency veterinarian, who treats dogs and cats, and strives to provide her patients the highest level of care as well as communicate with, and support, their human families. 

Giving Our Patients the Best of Both Worlds

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I was sitting on the exam room floor with Lucy, a 13-year-old black Labrador Retriever. Her eyes darted from her mom, then to me, and back to her mom as we talked, her tail gently wagged every time her name was mentioned, making soft thudding noises on the floor. Mom was holding back tears when she said, “Isn’t there anything else you can do for her?”

Lucy had severe arthritis that limited her mobility. She could barely get up and when she moved, it was with great difficulty. We knew she was in pain and we tried medications, but we couldn’t get the result that we hoped for. We also decided together not to pursue treatments that were overly intrusive. But Lucy loved life – she loved being around her family and following them around to see what was going on with everyone. Her health was good otherwise, but her arthritis was causing significant quality of life concerns. I’ve been treating Lucy for years, she was one of my favorite patients. My heart was breaking for her and I wanted to wave a magic wand and cure her debilitating condition. My brain raced to search for all other possibilities that can help with her condition but in a gentle way that was right for her family.

This was the beginning of my journey as an integrative veterinarian – to practice both conventional western medicine and holistic eastern medicine. It started with an overwhelming desire to be able to offer more options for my patients. Two years later I received my certification of veterinary acupuncture and really began to incorporate eastern medicine modalities into my existing western practice. 

Practicing integrative medicine means the best of both worlds to me. I love the advancements of scientific diagnostic tools and treatment modalities that continue to provide specific ways to improve the physical wellbeing of the animals. At the same time, I am a strong advocate for using holistic modalities to heal the body as a whole.  

In my mind, combining both modalities should be a harmonious art, weaving together threads of different practices and philosophies and ultimately creating a fabric of options that are unique for each patient and their circumstances. 

But sometimes, it becomes difficult to blend the worlds of western and eastern medicine. Most troubling to me is how divisive our profession can be when we disagree on the different approaches of patient care.  

For example, what do you think the ideal diet for a pet should be?

This topic has always triggered passionate responses from the pet-loving community. The debates intensified with the recent discovery of problems associated with grain-free diets. 

I can scroll through comments firing off in the veterinary community with colleagues on each side passionately defending their beliefs. But I am often shocked when this escalates to blaming and name-calling. 

If I came into a holistic discussion as a western practitioner, would I be immediately considered as closed-minded and dogmatic? And what if I presented myself in a conventional veterinary forum as a holistic veterinarian, would my colleagues dismiss things I have to say as anecdotal and woo-woo?

At the end of the day, I can’t choose sides. I can’t even see why there are sides. These labels that we place on each other are discrediting all of the hard work we have done to get to where we are. And we are all working towards a common goal of giving our patients the best life possible.

I am not suggesting we can all agree. Our practice of veterinary medicine is our art. An art curated to the unique needs of each patient. We can choose to disagree with a colleague, and we can choose to do so respectfully. We can share more facts, rather than emotions, so others can learn and grow from these lessons. We can put aside our biases, in the name of advancement of knowledge. We can listen.  

What I know, for a fact, is everyone I have met in the veterinary community has the best interests of our patients in mind. I don’t know of another profession that cares so deeply and personally about the work we do. This is an industry of compassion. The compassion and empathy we have for our patients and their families, we can have for each other – because we are all really working towards the same goals. 

As for Lucy at that time, I continued to manage her care as her regular veterinarian with conventional medicine, while another colleague took her on to treat her with acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. Lucy had the best of both worlds. She had another year and a half of very good life, going on walks and playing outside with her family. These are the things that meant the most to her and her family.   

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lily Chen, DVM, CVA is an integrative veterinarian practicing in Southern California. 

Financial Self-Care in Veterinary Medicine

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What sort of activities do you envision when you hear the words “self-care?”

Maybe it’s a walk in the woods or meditation? A day at the spa or a round of golf? Playing with the kids or taking a vacation. Catching up on your favorite shows?

Sure, these activities can provide relief from anxiety and stress. But one part of the self-care equation that doesn’t get mentioned often is taking care of your money. 

Why Veterinarians Need Self-Care 

First, why the need for self-care? 

This stems from feeling overwhelmed, overworked and burned out. Our busy days are crammed with a lot of competing obligations – work, family, loved ones. We tend to put ourselves last on the list because, of course, everything else takes precedence. 

This is especially true for veterinarians. This profession is full of compassionate and empathetic people who have a passion for helping those who have no voice. This constant desire to help others can naturally lead to compassion fatigue and burnout. 

Financial Stress

Try adding financial stress on top of the everyday stress we encounter in our personal and professional lives.

How many times have you looked at your credit card bill and felt your heart race a little faster? How about those student loan balances? Your retirement account? Daycare bills? Does thinking about money give you a sense of relief and security, or do you feel panicked? 

Want to go on that nice vacation or join that health club, both considered self-care activities? If you haven’t budgeted for these items, then you could find yourself feeling even more anxious every time the next credit card bill arrives.

Whether we like it or not, money plays a big part in our decisions and how we choose to live our lives. 

Financial Wellness

There is an unmistakable link between our financial wellness and general well-being. It’s not a difficult concept: feeling financially stressed directly affects well-being because so many aspects of our lives depend on financial stability. The Merck Veterinary Well-being Study clearly shows that money-related factors, like student debt and low income, are correlated with a lower well-being score.

Being financially healthy does NOT mean that you have millions in the bank. It means that you are spending within your means and you have a plan that allows you to feel confident about achieving your goals. You may be deep in student debt, but having a plan to pay them back in the most cost-efficient manner can provide incredible peace of mind. You may still be in the process of saving for home, but if you’re confident that you’re budgeting properly so that you will have that down payment ready to go in 2 years, your financial health is better than the person who buys too much house too soon and finds themselves stretched to the limit with their mortgage payments. 

Invest in Yourself

You may have thought that investing in yourself meant going deep into debt to attain your veterinary degree.

News flash: your educational debt was just the beginning. Now YOU are the asset. Your veterinary degree gave you the ticket to use your talents and resources to produce income as a veterinarian. It is now your job to not only practice veterinary medicine but to also make sure your income can provide you the life you’ve always envisioned for yourself. This will require intentionality and purpose.

You have worked so hard to get to where you are right now. Don’t blow your chance to take care of your money. Learn how to optimize your finances so that you’re making the most out of what you have, instead of working harder for the same results. You’ll save yourself a lot of time and money by making this a priority.

How to Start

Getting your financial ducks in a row isn’t difficult. It is truly an investment in yourself.

One of the first steps is to organize your finances. Understand how much you owe by listing all of your debt, including the current balances, interest rates and your monthly payments. Next, list all of your assets: how much you have in your bank accounts and your investment accounts? 

Now that you know your numbers, you can start making short and long term money goals. Examples include: fully funding your emergency fund, having a debt payoff plan, and planning for retirement. Making a cohesive plan will motivate you to use your money as a tool to achieve your money and life goals.

Learning how to take care of your money should not be a dreaded chore that falls low on your priority list. It is another form of self-care. Your ability to properly manage your own money will touch every aspect of your life. Feeling secure and confident with your finances will allow you the freedom to pursue all of those other areas of self-care that have been neglected. Make sure you include financial wellness in your self-care plan.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.

Grace Kim, DVM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Grace Kim is the founder of Richer Life DVM, a blog that promotes financial wellness for veterinarians. Outside of working and spending time with her husband and 3 children, she enjoys running and traveling. 

Trust Us, Please

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Everyone who works in the veterinary profession for any amount of time has heard that “vets are only in it for the money” or that we are in cahoots with pet food and pharmaceutical companies and get kickbacks for recommending their products. But those opinions are far from the truth. We know that our clients want their pets to live a happy, long, pain-free life. Well, here’s the big secret, we want that for your pets, too. That is why we do what we do.

When we recommend vaccinations, preventatives, prescription diets and tests for your pet, we do it with your pet’s best interest at heart. The recommendations we make are based on science. We spend numerous years studying veterinary medicine before entering practice, and once we enter practice, we don’t stop learning. We read journals and attend lectures so that we can stay up to date on the most current information on disease information and prevention.

It hurts when our clients trust other sources of information over our recommendations. I’m not saying that we as veterinarians are always right, but we have a lot of education behind the recommendations we make. When I spend a large part of a puppy appointment educating a client on preventive care and all of my recommendations are declined because of what the breeder said, or when I make a thorough dietary recommendation only to have it ignored because the teenager at the pet store said something else, it’s frustrating. When this happens multiple times in a day or a week, it can become demoralizing. 

With the wide use of social media, it is hard to escape this frustration outside of the office. Because we care about your pets, we often find ourselves sharing pet health information on our personal social media pages to help educate our friends and family. And then we get argumentative responses that are based on pure opinion, not science or fact, and get a harsh reminder about how little some people trust us as professionals.

One of the current hot topics on social media is the FDA’s investigation of a link between grain-free, exotic ingredient and boutique foods and dilated cardiomyopathy, a life-threatening heart disease. The FDA recently released an updated report that listed the most common brands they have seen in the reports they have received. Information from this report has been shared widely by the veterinary community and news media. 

While many of my personal friends, family and clients have simply asked for my recommendations on what to feed, I have seen posts on many other veterinarians’ clinic or personal pages that say this is a conspiracy, there’s no real science behind it, or praising the benefits of grain-free diets (without science to back them up). There have been hundreds of cases of diet-related cardiomyopathy, yet many still deny its existence. Many of these are the same people who refuse to use certain preventatives because they saw a news report that the product caused the deaths of a handful of pets, with no actual evidence other than the pet was given the preventative and died shortly after. No, we don’t know the whole story behind diet-related cardiomyopathy, but there are many more cases of this reported and much stronger associations between diet and this disease than there have been between preventatives and death. Science is complicated and there is much work to be done to truly prove causality in either of these situations.

There are ongoing investigations and studies into diet-related cardiomyopathies. We as veterinarians will keep you updated on what we know as the information becomes available. We truly want the best for your pet, but we don’t want to spend our evening at home arguing with you on Facebook.

You don’t have to trust us without question. In fact, I encourage my clients and friends to ask questions about the information I share with them in the exam room and online. Most veterinarians are happy to have a respectful conversation, but, please, don’t just ignore what we say because your breeder, or neighbor or local pet store employee told you something different. The bottom line is that we want you to trust us because we want the same thing you do — a happy, healthy pet who lives the longest possible life. The best health for your pet will only come through a partnership between you and your veterinarian. And that partnership will only work when it is based on mutual trust.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Kate Boatright, a 2013 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, is an associate veterinarian in western Pennsylvania. She practices small animal general practice and emergency medicine with special interests in surgery, internal medicine and feline medicine. She is actively involved in her state and local veterinary medical associations and is a founding member of the VBMA Alumni. She is passionate about the veterinary profession and enjoys educating both members of the profession, students, and clients through writing and speaking. 


I’m Still Here Fighting, and You Should Be, Too

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This article contains detailed discussion of suicide and suicide methods. If you are having thoughts of suicide, text 741-741 to connect with a trained crisis counselor right away or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

The topic of suicide is a potential trigger for those struggling with feelings of guilt after the loss of a friend, colleague or loved one. If you are experiencing these emotions, please reach out for support. You may also find related resources here.

August 13th 2018 started just like any other Monday. I am the practice manager of a private clinic. I worked my way through starting as a kennel assistant, moving to room assistant, then bookkeeper and finally into practice manager. I have been with my clinic for 12 years.

In 2008, the practice owner had to bring one of her cats to live at the clinic due to his uncontrollable behavior. She had a baby at home and the cat would attack unprovoked. He had a brain injury from trauma at a young age. He was thrown off a bridge with a bag tied around one of his back legs, which she had to amputate.

He led a normal “clinic cat” life. He was allowed to roam the clinic, mostly in “the back,” but ventured “upfront” every once in a while.

In February of 2018, the medical part of the business moved to a new location, leaving the boarding facility where it was. I was to stay at the boarding facility and run it. We boarded cats, dogs and some exotics. I had one assistant at the facility and she would be there when I ran over to the clinic for a few hours every day.

When the clinic moved, the practice owner left the cat with me at the boarding facility. He was my best friend. We spent a lot of time together. On weekends, I would work the kennels and we would take naps together in between shifts.

We would have “picnics” in the inside play area. We shared glasses of water, containers of yogurt and whatever else I was eating that he wanted. To say he was spoiled is an understatement. I loved him and I truly believed he knew how much. I also like to believe that he loved me.

On August 13th, 2018, everything changed. I left to go to the clinic. While I was there, the assistant called and said: “the cat is fine but you need to come back.” My heart dropped. I drove back as fast as I could. When I got there, she said two of the dogs boarding had flipped the latch on the kennel door and attacked the cat. He was sitting in the corner with no visible wounds, no blood, but something looked off. He had a pocket where it looked like he had been given subcutaneous fluids. He got them once a week due to early kidney failure, but I hadn’t given him the fluids that day. I got him in a carrier, loaded him up and headed back to the clinic. I called and told them I was on my way with him.

When I got there, we got him on the treatment table, the associate DVM looked him over, and the cat became agitated. They decided to do an X-ray just to make sure he didn’t have any internal injuries, and to see if there was anything in that pocket. He blew up like a balloon. Neither of the two doctors in the room had seen anything like it before (they both have 20 plus years’ experience). I went white when I saw him.

The dogs had punctured his trachea and his body was filling with air. They put needles in him to release the air they could and body wrapped him to keep it under control. For obvious reasons, he was sedated.

He stayed sedated until the next day when the practice owner and associate DVM attempted to repair the tear. It was the most stressful surgery I have been in. Probably because he was “my” cat.

He was on oxygen 24/7. We transferred him to the local emergency clinic each night, with instructions to call with any new developments. I soon learned what it’s like to try to sleep expecting that dreaded call in the middle of the night. We picked him up each morning and took him back to our clinic for the day. I sat with him and watched those damn machines that were breathing for him.

It was August 16th, my day off, but I met the doctors at the clinic to pick up our boy up and take him to our clinic. I had every intention of just staying with him that day.

I held the oxygen mask on him, while the DVM was preparing drugs for him. The plan was to wean him off the oxygen throughout the day and attempt to get him to breathe on his own. At 9:50 that morning, the O2 tank was empty. I hadn’t thought to check it before putting it on him. His pulse ox was going down quickly. I called his name. The doctor came over and tried to resuscitate but couldn’t. Mouth to mouth wouldn’t work because of the damage to the trachea, neither did chest compressions. She told me he was gone. I fell apart.

For four days I prayed to God not to take him from me. For three nights I slept very little. Just like that, my best friend left me.

Which brings me to why I am writing this. It turns out those two dogs had alerts on their charts that their kennel needed to have a lock on it because they could flip the latch. I missed it. I was the reason my best friend died.

I had some losses earlier in the year, and they broke my heart, but I was not responsible for them. I AM responsible for this.

I went home that day and sobbed. All I could think of was that I killed him. My carelessness cost a life. Not just a life, but my best friend’s life. I didn’t know how my practice owner could even look at me. He was, after all, her cat. Saying I’m sorry just didn’t cut it.

That day I changed. I suffer from (non-diagnosed) depression and anxiety. This almost killed me. Literally. My thought process was not “I can’t take it anymore,” it was “I don’t deserve to live.”

It’s a struggle every day to stay out of or veer away from the darkness that is in my head. Some days I’m more successful than others. When I’m not successful, the darkness can last for days or weeks and just get darker. The guilt I carry, I will carry for the rest of my life.

I’m still here. It has been a struggle. Every. Damn. Day.  August 16th I probably would have died along with my best friend, but I am a fighter. The demons and darkness will NOT win. They get the upper hand at times, but I fight back and I fight hard.

The following Monday, a client who had a dog that frequently boarded with us came in. She didn’t have the dog with her. She asked to talk to me. She told me that she just wanted to tell me in person that they had to euthanize their boy. He was a senior and it was just time. She thanked me for the care I gave him while he stayed with us and told me how grateful they were for the kindness I showed him and them when he started going downhill and couldn’t get up or walk very well. The lady came directly from that euthanasia appointment. She and her husband flipped a coin to see who was “going to tell Dawn”.

This is one reason I am still here. For all that I lost, and all the demons and darkness I fight, it’s the people who truly know how much I care that keep me going. This is my passion. This is my reason.

When you think about suicide, don’t always assume the person just can’t take it anymore. Sometimes, we just think we don’t deserve to live. But I do. YOU do. It may not seem like it at times but fight. FIGHT HARD! There are so many pets and pet parents out there that will thank you for sticking around.

My story is not ending. YOUR story should not end.

;

If you are having thoughts of suicide, text 741-741 to connect with a trained crisis counselor right away or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dawn is originally from Springville, NY. She moved to Arkansas in 2005 and found her passion for the animal field when she started at Best Friends Pet Clinic in Ft Smith AR in 2007. She has been with the same clinic for 12 years now. Dawn started as a kennel assistant and is trained in assisting in rooms, surgeries, front desk, and has been the Practice Manager for the past two years. Outside of work, she enjoys her children and grandchildren, crafting, and reading. She has 3 dogs and a cat.