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When Baby had to go in for surgery to clear up a ear infection,
Sophine Tann brought along his favourite blanket. She knew Baby needed
something familiar to help him get over the trauma.
After the surgery, which took six hours, and during which time Sophine
fretted endlessly, the doctor called to say Baby was doing fine. His
vital signs were okay, and she was not to worry.
"Half-an-hour later, the doctor called again. Baby was whimpering and
wouldn't rest even though he was under sedation.
"No one could pacify him. When I went to pick him up, he cheered up
considerably. The moment he got into the car, he started to sleep.
"When we reached home, I had to half drag him out of the car. Being
sedated, he seemed so much heavier.
"He stumbled to the porch and, poof, went off to sleep right there. He
was home and safe."
Baby, the five-year-old half-Great Dane, half-Rottweiler, has a
special place in Sophine's heart.
To her, he is not just a dog, but a friend and confidante. He is her
child, she says.
So is her other dog, Margaeux, Baby's sibling.
When Baby's other ear got infected, Sophine didn't want him to go
through the same trauma. Instead, she painstakingly cleaned it day
after day, and spent a tidy sum on medication.
"I understand my dogs' characters. Baby is a loner. He is also very
cautious. If he sees me crossing a drain at one place, he'll do the
same. And if we re-cross the drain, he will do it at the very same
spot. Margaeux, on the other hand, is happy-go-lucky, but territorial.
"When my mum died four years ago, I told Baby and Margaeux not to
bark, especially during the funeral. They were so sensitive to my
grief.
"Baby actually slept near my mum's coffin and didn't make any noise,
despite the loud rituals."
Having assessed her "children" as smart, Sophine now relies on them to
screen her maids. This is because they, especially Baby, are good
judges of characters.
"I had a maid whom Baby didn't take to. He always barked when she came
near him.
Finally, I found out she had been bullying my other maid. So I sacked
her. The new maid wasn't any better. Baby would bark at her as well.
"Eventually, I found out she had made sexual advances to my other
maid. So I now rely on my dogs to sniff out my maids for me!"
Sophine talks to her "children" all the time. She feels they
understand what she says.
She has never seen them as mere animals, and has gone through good and
bad times with them the past five years.
In fact, she says, if we don't treat animals as beasts, but as pets
who need our understanding, the relationship can be very rewarding.
"When they die, they even come back to tell us they're okay. My
previous dog, Hero, had cancer, and for two months, I fed him through
a tube in his neck.
"I had to blend his food and use a syringe to pump it in. I kept
telling him to get well so I could give him good food, chicken and
other stuff.
"Eventually he died. Four days later, I dreamt of him eating, and with
every mouthful, he looked up at me, as if to tell me he was eating
well.
"I felt comforted when I woke up."
Clinical psychologist Dr Teoh Hsien-Jin says pet owners believe their
pets are able to see their best side.
Teoh has lived with pets for a greater part of his life, and continues
to do so.
"The calming effect that pets have on people can be observed
physically.
"Patting familiar dogs and horses has been found to result in slower
heartbeats and deeper respiration. The effect is similar to the
feeling of relaxation when reading quietly.
"Capuchin monkeys, known for their manual dexterity and friendly
disposition, can be trained to be devoted helpmates.
"Research on quadriplegics shows the monkeys help brighten their
outlook, bring relief in their hours of loneliness, and help them
become more independent."
While it is not widely practised, pets have been used in psychiatric
settings as well.
The effect of having pets produces positive effects on those who are
depressed, suicidal and withdrawn. In some settings, even violent
patients have calmed down in the presence of pets.
Hostile patients who would not tolerate invasion of their personal
space, didn't seem to mind when a pet came into their space.
"It is interesting to note that many suicidal patients have no qualms
about leaving family members and friends behind.
"However, if there is a pet they care for, suicidal patients tend to
worry about who would look after their pet if they died."
Not surprising though that Teoh has written Understanding Pets:
Feelings and Community Roles, a book on pets.
In it, he cites the widely publicised study on pets and prisoners
carried out at the Lima State Hospital for the Criminally Insane in
the US. The maximum security facility had many prisoners with signs of
depression, mental illness and suicidal tendencies. To improve their
mental state, the authorities placed two parakeets and an aquarium in
the day room.
When no one broke the aquarium and no one tried to strangle the birds,
more animals were introduced and inmates were trained to look after
the pets.
The research found a marked reduction in fights and attempted
suicides. The patients with pets also needed less medication. Even
violent patients resorted to talking to their pets rather than letting
their tempers flare.
In examining the benefits we derive from pets and what they mean to
us, let us not forget that they too have feelings, says Teoh. "Pets
can get depressed, and when such signs are present, it helps to get a
vet to check them out.
"Sometimes, vets treat depressed pets with anti-depressants, and
sometimes blood tests are crucial to determine the problem.
"When a stressful event has occurred, pets need to be handled in
exactly the same way that grieving humans are treated."
What happens when a much-loved pet dies? How does the owner come to
terms with the bereavement?
A veterinary surgeon in the Klang Valley says for some pet owners, it
is far more difficult to overcome the death of their pets than that of
another human being.
"Some people invest heavily in their relationship with their pets.
While they can't open up to other people, maybe because of previous
bad experiences, they can to their pets. So their pets become their
emotional outlet. When death happens, it can be very hard to accept."
Teoh says he has often been asked if there is a meaningful way for pet
owners to say goodbye to their pets.
"Actually, the question is whether there is a way to make saying
goodbye less painful.
"Most pets who die are either cremated or buried. Some owners even
have them embalmed and stuffed by a taxidermist.
"Whatever way you choose to handle your dead pet, it helps to do
something special afterwards.
"Some suggestions: have a memorial service, say a prayer, write a
poem, plant a small tree over the grave, have a photo framed, have a
picture painted in memory of the pet, or construct a small memorial
for him.
"Whatever method chosen should be personalised to suit the emotional
needs of the pet owner, so that the goodbye holds special meaning."
In this context, the vet sees his role as a moderator. He must control
his own grief before he can counsel others. "
Vets must have strong relationships with their clients, so that pet
owners can trust their decision. I feel it is better to let a pet die
in a dignified manner rather than die in a miserable manner."
Teoh looks at the situation positively.
"If the life of a deceased pet can be celebrated as a life of
worthwhile companionship, and fond memories, then the bereavement
becomes more manageable.
"What was once the fear that the pet was suffering, and would no
longer be around the owner, has given way to relief that the pet is no
longer suffering, and is in another place and another time, exploring
another world."
MAIN POINTS
* Pets produce positive effects on the depressed, suicidal and
withdrawn. Even violent patients have calmed down in the presence of
pets.
* Hostile patients who would not tolerate invasion of their personal
space don't seem to mind when a pet enters their space.
* Research shows that if there is a pet they care for, suicidal
patients tend to worry about who would look after it if they died.
By: Yeang Soo Ching
Source: The New Straits Times
Bonding with Your Pets
"No matter how little money and how few possessions you own, having a dog makes you rich." Louis Sabin
The Blue Whale's whistle is the loudest noise made by an animal.
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