If you watched the Super Bowl this past Sunday then chances are you saw the Budweiser commercial about the “lost puppy.” If you’re anything like me, you probably balled your eyes out the whole time too! As you may have seen on my website or other Social Media pages, I have a four-pound shih tzu named BaileyLee who is my baby. From the moment I laid my eyes on him, he was a part of my heart and I know that he will be a part of me forever.
To all of you who have dogs, cats or other animals, you know that these pets are not just “animals,” but are acting, loving members of our families. Seeing the joy, love and pure excitement when I walk in my front door to BaileyLee’s greeting is one of the most fulfilling feelings in the world! There are few things that I look forward to more on a daily basis than coming home and feeling BaileyLee’s love for me.
This past week was a difficult one for my family and me. BaileyLee had a very bad reaction to a tick repellant that could have killed him. Luckily I noticed that he wasn’t acting normal shortly after applying the ointment and I immediately washed it off of him. Unfortunately, his symptoms worsened and we rushed him to the animal hospital. I am so blessed and thankful to say that I was able to wash off the ointment before it affected him even more severely and the Veterinarian told us that he would make a full recovery, but that didn’t change how absolutely terrifying the whole experience was for me and my family.
I had put the ointment on BaileyLee on Sunday afternoon and by Sunday night I could notice he was acting a little strange which is when I washed off the ointment. By Monday he wasn’t responding to his name and would sit in random corners just shaking. Even after rushing him to the vet and getting news that he’d be ok, I was so terrified that I had lost my baby and that he’d never be the same. He seemed to be in such a bad place that I wasn’t certain that his four-pound self would be able to fully recover from this allergic reaction that had seemed to take over both his brain and body. BaileyLee has always been such a great dog who never whined, complained or made much noise, so seeing and hearing him whimpering and crying in pain was the most devastating and heartbreaking thing in the world!
I was an emotional wreck and felt so helpless! All I wanted to do was take away his pain and make him all better because that is what he had done for me.
When BaileyLee came into my life, I was at a point where I knew I needed something to help lift me above all of the struggles that I was enduring. BaileyLee gave me that lifeline that I really needed and since laying my eyes on him for the very first time, my life has been changed for the better. He brings so many positive emotions out of me and just makes my life so much happier. Without knowing it, this little four-pound animal has done more for me and my emotional health than I’d have ever thought possible! You can imagine my heartbreak and distress while I faced the possibility of losing him. There are few worse feelings in the world than seeing your baby suffer; being left helpless and on pins and needles waiting to see whether or not they would recover!
I spent the next few days nursing BaileyLee back to health and I was inspired to reflect on how blessed I was to be his Mommy. As owners of pets, we’re given a gift of unconditional love. In return, we owe it to these animals that we chose to bring into our families to return that love. Like taking care of a sick child, I dedicated all of my time and energy to making sure that BaileyLee was getting better and it made me appreciate him even more. As pet owners, it is so important to know your animal so that you can detect things like this before it is too late. It is not very uncommon for animals to have bad reactions to over-the-counter or even prescribed medications! Your judgment for knowing your pet could end up saving their life. Since they can’t verbally express when something is wrong, they rely on us to detect these things even more! I am so blessed that in time, BaileyLee made a full recovery and is back to his perky, happy self. This experience has made me appreciate him so much more and I will never take for granted his health and the light that he brings to my life!
Pets are such an incredible gift. It kills me to hear about people abusing or abandoning animals and I truly believe there should be no tolerance for those found guilty of animal abuse. These poor creatures are usually unable to defend themselves against this abuse and I think that those who abuse animals should be shown no mercy when they’re arrested. I am a huge supporter of animal rights groups such as The Humane Society who work hard every day to help ensure that animals are treated humanely.
BaileyLee has brought so much joy and love to my life. It is such an incredible feeling to know that he loves me so much and that I truly do return that love for him. I am constantly amazed by how much love and emotion my little four-pound shih tzu emits! For such tiny animals, they are so loving and so smart! They are truly phenomenal creatures. We should all take the time to reflect on how much joy and fulfillment our pets bring to our lives on a daily basis and also how much joy we, as their family, bring to theirs.
Sure, he gets dirty and makes a mess sometimes… but at the end of the day, BaileyLee is my baby and I love him unconditionally! The love of a pet is unlike any other love I’ve experienced before. He is my happy place and whenever I am with him I just feel better! If you have a pet, I encourage you to take a moment to reflect on the joy that your animal(s) has brought to your life. We’re truly blessed to have them and I hope that we can all return the unconditional love that they give us!