Why Being a Fur Mom Counts
There has been a very interesting article going around the web recently about a scientific study that was conducted between dogs and their owners. It showed that when a dog and owner look into each others’ eyes, the same chemical is produced as when a mother and child look into each other’s eyes.
Interesting stuff, huh?
If you follow me on twitter or instagram, you’ll know that I had a pretty traumatic weekend. On Thursday, I noticed that Rosie would not stop licking her back left paw and upon further inspection, I saw two hard twigs poking out of her skin. After grabbing tweezers and sitting over her to keep her steady, I pulled out two foxtails that were embedded about 1/2 of an inch into her skin. I couldn’t see anything else, so I put some neosporin on the wounds and wrapped her paw up in gauze. However, she would not stop licking at it for the rest of the night and the following morning. Her paw continued to bleed and a small abscess had formed in between her toes. She was favoring her paw and becoming protective of it and it was getting me very worried.
We don’t have kids yet, and in all honesty, we aren’t entirely sure we’ll be able to have kids after going through chemo. That’s a future journey we get to take when the time is right for Dustin and I. So, for right now, for all intents and purposes, I view Rosie as my child; a living, breathing being that I am responsible for the welfare of.
This weekend was the first time I truly felt like a Mama Bear while getting ready to fight for my girl’s health. I spent all morning on the phone, looking for a clinic that could squeeze Rosie in. Once I found one (over 20 minutes away) I had to take her in, comfort her while she got her temperature taken and make choices on a treatment plan for her from the options the vet gave me. I decided to take aggressive action and have Rosie put under so that the vet could open up her paw and check for any additional foxtails. It was terrifying and comforting all at once to know that we were finally going to get some answers. The vet found another foxtail way up in her skin and removed it before stitching her up and getting her some antibiotics. Hopefully, we have found the answer to her poor paw problems.
As I waited for the procedure to be done, I realized that I am Rosie’s mama. Rosie relies on me to be her advocate. No one else is going to stand up for her, watch out for her and be in tune to her needs like me. Rosie completely relies of me to provide her shelter, food, water. Rosie can’t tell me what hurts or what is bothering her, so it’s up to me to make sure I’m paying attention to her and working hard to figure out what is wrong. I have to make the tough calls on how to treat Rosie’s owies when we go to the vet, I am in charge of making sure she gets her pain meds and keeping her comfortable and out of the water for the next two weeks. I am Rosie’s mama.
The definition of “mothering” is: “to look after kindly and protectively, sometimes excessively so.” I may not have kids, but I have a living thing to look after, to raise, to protect. I have a place in my heart that I didn’t know exist that now belongs to Rosie, and I have been given a taste of a mother’s love. And to some, that may seem ridiculous, because she’s just a dog and a dog will never compare to a child for some people. But to me, a dog is not an accessory to my life and a dog isn’t just a family member. Rosie is my baby and I am Rosie’s mama. I will forever be grateful that she chose us that rainy March day to teach me over the last year and a half what it’s like to be a mom.
I may not have a human child, but I have Rosie, and I’m learning every day what it’s like to be a mom by taking care of her. Fur moms count! Let’s celebrate them!
Are you a fur-parent? How do you view your relationship with your animal?
