The end of March 2024, my german shorthaired pointer Quinta đ¶ was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. She has a tumor on her pancreas, which causes her to suffer from hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar.
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During the diagnostic process – and frankly, throughout my entire time as a dog mom – I have been âaccusedâ several times of watching my dog too closely and superimposing emotions on her. A returning quote:
âShe is an animal and not a human.â
Such words can irritate me immensely đźâđš.
Firstly,because dogs are mammals -yes just like us – with a regularly underestimated cognitive ability.
Secondly, because humans tend to feel âsuperiorâ, even though we sapiens are absolute champions in taking from the planet without giving anything back.
No, Quinta canât solve math problems. She also doesnât know many secondary emotions, such as shame, guilt or contempt.
But the emotions she does feel, however basic, are 100% sincere, day after day. Sadness, happiness, love,: all are intensely experienced and shared with the environment.
They are not stuck in unbalanced nervous systems, that due to societal pressure and chronic overstimulation, are no longer connected to that beating thing keeping us mammals alive (traumatized dogs aside). đ«
Never has she disappointed me. Never has she not been happy when I come home. Never has her head been absent from my lap whenever I feel upset.
She is my buddy.Now that sheâs slowly slipping through my fingers, I realize more than ever how intensely grateful I am for my unconditional friendship with this dog.
And so, without personifying her, I want to scream from the rooftops đŁïž:
âShe is my animal. And luckily, not a humanâ.
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ps. Medical Status:
To answer frequently asked questions: Quinta is 9 years old. At the time of diagnosis, the tumor had already spread locally and surgery was too risky. I didnât want her quality of life to suffer under my (egocentric) wish to increase her quantity of life. I can only hope she will beat the odds and live many more months to come.
My vision loss is relatively new, about 11 years now yet everyday brings a challenge. I’ve traveled within my country, the United States, but have concerns about other countries because I also use a Guide dog. But through you and your travels, I am more confident to take that step. I’ve even started to learn a new language, (Irish) to travel to that country, all thanks to you. Keep the travels coming, for many, it may be the closest thing to actually seeing some amazing places through your descriptions.