DIY-Pandemic Papers | Pets | Animals
My Old Dog and a New Trick
On necessities and comforts of at-home animal care
You are about to read a DIY tale from what I refer to as my “Pandemic Papers,” a legal-sized pad filled with random scrawlings of skills I needed to acquire and projects I needed to address during the Coronapocalypse lockdown. We can all relate to what a frightful time it was; the uncertainty, zero frames of reference for such a devastating global condition, and the shift in our daily routines, particularly the most necessary of them, those that ensured our health, well-being, and survival.
I found that providing continuity of care for our family, human, furry, feathered, and scaled, would be quite challenging. We were, in fact, two humans, three dogs, an African Grey parrot, and a tortoise, all cozied up together under one roof for an extended, unspecified time. Like human children, our kiddos have their individual needs, so with five of them, it is a revolving door of medical care, grooming, and shopping for different foods, medications, supplements, and treats.
Certainly, buying staples during lockdown due to the resulting supply chain delays made things difficult, but nothing was as challenging — and heartbreaking — as seeking veterinary care. If you were lucky enough to score an appointment with a vet, they would only take your babies curbside. You could not go inside an exam room with them, which, as any pet parent knows, is a tough and heart-wrenching situation, particularly for those with anxious pets.
Now, two of my three dogs are elderly, which complicates things as they tend to need more medical attention. One, in particular, our baby Zelda, who we’ve had since she was eight weeks old, was sixteen when this insanity began and had been diagnosed with Canine Kidney Disease two years before. However, she was doing pretty well through diet and fluid therapy; we had taken her to our vet for weekly subcutaneous fluid treatments over those last two years.
Sub Q fluids flush out the toxins that build up in compromised kidneys, and it is a life and death treatment for her, one we could not simply stop. However, taking her to the vet under lockdown protocols became untenable. Being old and ill, and having some cognitive issues, Zelda was highly stressed out and upset without having us there by her side. Her anxiety became so pronounced that the vet techs began to have trouble completing the therapy; she would thrash about and pull out her IV.
So as any good mommy would do, I added to my list, “Learn to give Zelda Sub Q fluids at home.” First, I got a prescription for the fluids and needles from my vet. Next, I researched online veterinary supply companies and bought the lactated ringer solution, infusion tubing, needles, and an IV stand.
I learned all the steps for a successful treatment: attaching the infusion set and needle to the bag, marking off the amount of fluids she required, and how to “tent” her skin above her shoulder blades while carefully inserting the needle, as to not cause her any discomfort. But, the most crucial factor in this endeavor was that my wife was also there, distracting Zelda with food. She plied the little darling with treats while I kept her needle stabilized, and the IV trickles away.
After repeating the treatment a few times, I learned some tricks to maximize Zelda’s comfort. I started freezing the needles to help numb the area upon insertion, and I also heated the bag of fluids in a warm bath to take away any chill while it flowed into her.
Zelda likes her treatments much better now: no more stress and no fussing. Instead, she feels only comfort and love as her family surrounds her — and gets to finagle plenty of treats.
Our at-home fluid therapy began in April 2020, and she has gotten it every week since. If it is written in the stars like it is in our hearts, Zelda will be eighteen years old later this year. We must be doing something right.
