Being in the Flow – Learning from animals

23rd June 2019

Dr Lennon’s Sunday Musings…

One of the hardest skills to learn and master when working with animals is animal handling. I am not talking about cuddling animals, playing with them or carrying them around (though that takes a certain skill and technique in some cases!). I am talking about positioning them to allow minor procedures to be done in the veterinary context. For example, holding a dog’s or cat’s legs or neck expose for blood sampling or drug administration, holding their claws for clipping, keeping the head still for an intricate eye examination or simply keeping cats on the table, while the vet places the stethoscope in her/his ears.

Notice I did not use the word ‘restraint’. There are different methods to achieve the above tasks. Some of them are holding the animal very firmly, almost like a restraint. What I am about to share may be controversial to some. In my experience, I find restraint is only useful or necessary in the smallest of situations. The majority of the situations, I prefer to work with the animal to facilitate what I need to do. It is not easy to explain in words but I will try. It is like applying a hold that allows the animals to stay in a comfortable position with minimal strength. By staying in that position, the animal is kept comfortable to allow the procedure to be performed. It is not easy.

Some people do it naturally where others struggle. It involves understanding the anatomy very well so you know where to place your fingers, arms, body to make sure the animal feels in contact and held in isolation. It also requires the understanding of each individual’s temperament and mood at that moment in time. Fundamentally, it is acknowledging that those procedures that we perform that is essential for that animal is unnatural and it is not able to understand that we are doing it to help. It should be approached with finesse, empathy, patience and understanding that our patient have no clue to what we are doing or we are simply doing something to them without their consent.

Working with animals has allowed me to understand about BEING IN THE FLOW. They are natural beings that react on instinct and response to their environment. Humans are more complicated as we are built with higher faculties. We amplify emotions and thoughts. When one works with an animal, one has to understand the flow of that being to be able to actually work with them and not just force them to do something that we think needs to be done but they have no idea why. I believe in doing so, it allows us to understand nature and ourselves better. Also, it allows more job satisfaction. Personally, I tend to feel better about what I am doing if I manage to do it clinically without stressing my patient too much. But that is just me.

It has allowed me to understand life a bit better as well. Looking for what is natural for me, appreciating little sense of ease here and there and enjoying BEING IN THE FLOW whenever I can. It can be such a powerful feeling that allows increased productivity, greater self-understanding/appreciation and learning about our power within and what we are capable of.

I do wish you find the FLOW and experience it first hand for it is amazing…

“Water is what it is, and does what it does. It can overwhelm but it’s not overwhelmed. It can be still but it is not impatient. It can be forced to change course but it is not frustrated.”

Comment below your moments of FLOW and your greatest struggle to achieving FLOW…🌊💧💦💨😃👍🐶🐱

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#flow #animalhandling #livinglife #thisisamity

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