id: pwi title: Pets Worry and Information previous: gs next: independence date: 2022-07-23 ---

## Pets, Worry, and Information

I am just coming out of a long haul taking care of my Rabbit through a particularly rough time health wise. He had a gastric obstruction which essentially means that his gut was blocked. Rabbits have a digestive tract that is completely one way. They need to keep food moving through it or gas builds up. Because it is one way they can't burp or vomit to relieve the pressure. Eventually the stomach can't take the pressure and bursts. This is a very serious condition.

We struggled with meds, iv fluids, emergency food that can be given by a syringe, and multiple trips to the vet. There were a few days when I was sure that it would be my last with him. Thankfully we seem to be getting through it and he is eating and acting normally again.

This whole process got me thinking about pets and death in general. I had to come to terms with the fact that my friend of 7 years, who has been with me for 2 moves across the country, whose existence has been fundamental to my lifestyle and many of my life choices, won't be here someday. I have always known that would be the case but never had to face it so clearly.

Everything in life is transitory even though we like to think that it is not. I think the thing that helped me come to terms with his potential loss was knowing that I had done what I could. The first few days we went to the vet a couple of times for emergency care. I got given some meds to give him but because the visits were emergency and not planned appointments they did not have the time to really explain what whas going on and what could be done about it.

The third visit was an appointment. We talked and I was asked how much I was comfortable doing. I got fluids and needles to inject them sub cutaneously to keep him hydrated. We went over his reaction to the meds and tweaked the doses. I was taught how his gut works, what the various parts are, and what foods would be better or worse for him in his condition.

Armed with this extra knowledge and these tools I was much more at ease. Even though he still had a few more very rough days before things turned around I was more at peace.

When we clearly know the boundaries of our control it is easier to let go of the other things. Until I knew what I could do, and that I was doing it, my worries extended to the entire situation, including the parts that no matter how hard I tried I could not directly affect.

I had no direct say in if he lived or died. His body was either going to heal or not. What I could do was give it the best chance, make the best environment, give him the right medication at the right time, and wait.

I am so glad that he is doing better. I love him deeply and having more time with him is invaluable. However he is transitory just like everything else. He is getting old so someday, possibly soon, he is going to die. I don't get to do anything about that. I can however enjoy the time that we have to the fullest and come to terms with that eventuality.

So much worry comes from a lack of information. Not knowing enough about how we can affect a situation causes us to worry about everything. Next time I find myself overwhelmed, terrified about some possible outcome I am going to learn as much as I can. Find out what I can affect (and thus can take action as opposed to worrying), and what I can't (which is pointless to worry about anyway). There is no need to make difficult situations more so because of the way that we think.