I Can Administer Medication

Welcome back to my blog! I hope you enjoyed my last post about Barkbox! Today, I am going to tell you my stories about giving some of my client's dogs their medication.

Dogs get sick too just like us humans. Some of my client's dogs need everyday medications for anal glands or diabetes whereas some of my client's dogs just take seasonal medication such as allergies.

The most nerve racking medication I have ever given to one of my clients dogs was insulin. My client, Laura, has a 13-year-old Weimaraner-PitBull Mix named Barkley, who has diabetes.

Barkley

When Laura first reached out to me and explained the situation I was scared. I had never given a dog a shot before in my life. (The only reason why I decided to help Laura was because I personally knew her. She used to be my old basketball coach so I felt comfortable knowing that I knew the client beforehand.) Besides just Barkley's insulin shot, Laura explained all specific details that go into Barkley's feeding schedule, potty breaks, and even water breaks. Since Barkley has Type 1 Diabetes, one of the symptoms Barkley has is excessive thirst and always having to go pee. Laura has a special water station for Barkley that has a flow-control valve that refills the bowl with fresh water every time Barkley drinks and she even has a doggie door for Barkley to go in and out of at all times. When it comes to feeding time, Barkley can only be fed two times a day at 6AM and 6PM. Not only can his food just be any regular dog food, it is has to be his medically prescribed Hill's Prescription Diet with Multi-Benefit Digestive, Weight, Glucose, Urinary Management Chicken Flavor Dry Dog Food. If Barkley is stubborn, which sometimes he is, I have to sprinkle his food with cheese or even put his medically prescribed Hill's Prescription Diet with Multi-Benefit Digestive, Weight, Glucose, Urinary Management with Chicken Wet Canned Dog Food. Sounds complicated right? That's not even the hard part!

Preparing the syringe

The hard part is once Barkley is done eating his food, it's time for his insulin shot. I take the insulin from the refrigerator, get a syringe ready, measure the exact amount of insulin for Barkley, and administer it. When giving a dog a shot, the best place to ensure the least amount of pain, is grabbing the excessive fat on their neck and giving the shot. Since Barkley is 13 years old, he is used to the shot. He doesn't even whine or jump when receiving his shot. The only time he will ever whine is if he can sense I am nervous. The first few times he would but now we have our routine down pat.

Barkley is probably my most complicated client when it comes to medication but my most weirdest medication encounter was with Vaydah. Vaydah, a 6-year-old Pitbull,

Vaydah

has constant infections with her anal glands and vaginal area. In order to control her infection, I had to take a medically prescribed wipe, and wipe her vagina. Let me tell you, it was just weird. But whatever my client's owners ask of me, I do it, despite being uncomfortable.

Not only are dogs smart, sometimes they know when you are trying to give them a pill. Some of client's dogs take seasonal allergy pills so I try to hide the pills in the food.... well, the dogs aren't dumb. They will eat everything but the pill! FUNNY. They know it's a pill. Sometimes I have to coat the pill with peanut butter so they will eat it.

But no matter the medication or the situation, I am always glad to help my clients! That's what I am here for. Even though I am not professionally certified by a veterinarian office, as long as my clients are comfortable and teach me what they want, I am all for it!