Melissa Courtney has recently written a book about caring for you pets when they are reaching their last few days of life. Ms. Courtney lost many dogs in her life and has learned many ways to treat them. She has told me that the reason she wrote this book was due to the lack of knowledge people had about how to treat their dog during these times.
The book starts off with a little back story about Ms. Courtney “waking up” with her dogs next to her, which fits the title of her book. As you read the book you notice that Ms. Courtney has been through all different kinds of trouble with her dogs. In every situation, Ms. Courtney found a way to work with her dogs to make things better. She points out that there are three rules that are necessary in taking care of your dogs: nutrition, befriending your veterinarian, and medications. The book states that you need to be aware of any symptoms that your dogs may have. Whether is it a continuous symptom or not you should get it checked out with your local veterinarian.
I was fortunate enough to interview Ms. Courtney and got answers to many of my questions. I learned that the reason that she wrote this book was because many people in her life did not know how to take care of their pets when the pets are coming close to old age or dying. In order to have a comfortable ending, people need to have knowledge of what their dogs need and want. She said that one of her friends got false information on her pet’s illness and that is what encouraged her to write. I asked her, “what would you say is the most important message your book has?” She said that the main message she would like her readers to understand that dying does not have to be scary. “Sadness is not always the answer,” she said.
Overall, I feel like reading this book made me learn more about how to take care of my pets and made me a better pet owner. Being prepared and knowing how to take care of any pet before the time comes is a weight off anyone’s shoulder.