As some of you may know, I have been absent from The Adventure Geek Dog Pack walks and my work as a Clinical Canine Massage Therapist for a little while. This week marked my return, and I was a bit apprehensive—imposter syndrome was rearing its ugly head again. Have you heard of it? It’s when people feel they are not as competent or intelligent as others think and believe they are undeserving of their achievements.
In the past, I have also suffered from severe depression. I know my warning signs, one of which is not going out of the front door, not even to the shops. So, the pack walk was going to be difficult. Was I building walls and confining myself to negative thoughts?
Thankfully, I jumped back into it straight away. My heart and my hands knew exactly what to do, and I treated some amazing dogs this week. One of my long-standing clients has moved into palliative care, and I see him every two weeks. A few others are regular clients who come for top-up or maintenance treatments three or four times a year. There’s a newer client for whom we are trying to find the right frequency of treatments. Lastly, there’s a beautiful ex-guide dog I use as my demo dog in training courses, who also needs treatments occasionally.
I also attended the Adventure Geek Dog Pack walk this week, which was brilliant—a lovely ramble in beautiful weather with fantastic people and their dogs. I met a wonderful Beagle whose owner needed a little canine first aid support and Jack, whose owner and I chatted about lameness. I love meeting the Adventure Geeks and their dogs on pack walks. We discuss a whole host of things, and I’m getting to know them individually as well.
Our round-robin this week was, “Do you have a birthmark?” I deftly added, “Does your dog have a birthmark?” This extended into discussions about what birthmarks are and whether dogs get them. So, I did some research. According to John Hopkins Medicine, birthmarks are areas of discolored and/or raised skin that are apparent at birth or within a few weeks of birth. They are made up of malformed pigment cells or blood vessels, are generally benign, do not require treatment, and are called nevus. The MSD Veterinary Manual states that the term nevus is used for any area where the skin is malformed, including abnormally pigmented spots. Some displace the normal structure of the skin, including hair follicles, and these patches are hairless. Yes, dogs can have birthmarks, and some you may see (hairless patches) or some may be hidden under fur! If you’re worried, ask your vet to check it out.
It is wonderful being back, doing what I love, and not confining myself to negative thoughts that would stop me from meeting beautiful people and dogs. Thank you, everyone, for all your support. It’s much appreciated.
Namaste, Lou xx