Kraft ended yesterday, and while the crowd applauded and praised the elegance and excellent breed of dogs, for me the best dog of this year was a mongrel named Chewie. Now, no matter how great a mongrel he is, Chewie, a Yorkshire terrier mix, will never win Best in Show. However, he was nominated for Hero Dog of the Year, and surely that’s the top prize in canine circles?
A rescue dog, Chewie saved his owner’s life by raising the alarm and performing CPR, which he learned to do on other dogs. Its owner, Ray Whiteley, 55, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, passed out in his home while his wife Loretta was in the garden.
Little Chewie started barking frantically, licking his face, and then jumped on his master’s chest and started jumping up and down trying to revive him. His wife heard the noise and ran into the house.
Dr. Max Pemberton talks about how dogs can help people cope with illness (file image)
Before she could get her husband out of the wheelchair, his heart stopped beating. She performed CPR on him after calling 999 and waiting for the ambulance. Mr. Whiteley has made a full recovery and the couple are planning to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary this year, thanks to Chewie’s actions, they say.
The story would be great if it ended there. But for me, the really touching part was Mrs. Whiteley’s comments about the little dog in general.
“Ray struggles with his speech, but it looks like he’s found a way to communicate with Chewie,” she said. “Chui has always had his eye on Ray. It’s like he’s his soul mate.”
And to me, that’s really the magic of dogs: the special connection they can make with people, and the way they seem to make that connection implicitly, even with those who struggle to speak.
While not all dogs can resuscitate their owners, I have seen many of them bring their owners back to life – so to speak.
In several of the rooms where I worked, therapy dogs came to us, and I always liked to see how elderly patients come to life when a four-legged friend is nearby. I remember an old man who had a stroke and became depressed.
He refused to engage in any activity in the ward and only got out of bed when the nurses forced him to. He did not see the point in this and spent whole days sitting and looking out the window.
Physiotherapists came every day and tried to get him to do exercises to improve his gait, but he flatly refused.
Psychiatrists came in and diagnosed him with depression, which often occurs in people after a stroke, not only because of the disturbances they experience and their impact on their lives, but also because damage to the brain can disrupt delicate neurochemical functions. substances. leading to a drop in mood and motivation. He was put on antidepressants, but they take effect after a few weeks.
Dr. Max (pictured) has seen people so stricken with arthritis they should be bedridden, but who nonetheless get up to take their dog for a much-needed walk.
The clinicians were at a loss as to what to do, and there was a risk that if he did not start walking again soon, his leg muscles would emaciate and he would remain bedridden for the rest of his life. .
To make matters worse, he began to develop bedsores from lying in bed day after day. Everything looked pretty bleak to him. However, an enterprising physiotherapist came up with the idea to bring his dog into the ward.
The trick came when she introduced him to the patient and, noticing a flash of interest, explained that she did not have time to go with him.
It’s hard to ignore the cold wet nose against your hand and the wagging tail. Bingo! Soon the man got to his feet and again learned to walk with the frame.
The physical therapist brought her dog three times a week, and soon the man was persuading the physical therapists and nurses to lift him up so he could go out and follow the dog through the hospital garden.
A study published in the journal Nature last week found that Covid can shrink the brain and cause faster cognitive decline in older adults. The study found that the areas of the brain responsible for the sense of smell contract three times faster than normal. Now the question is whether these changes are reversible.
Maybe it’s fiction, but I think this dog somehow knew what he was doing. He ran and then stopped, waiting for the man to catch up, and then ran some more.
It was quite surprising to watch, because little by little he encouraged the man to push himself in a way he would never accept from a physical therapist. The dog may not have saved his life in a big, dramatic way, but it helped change it in a way that none of the staff were able to do.
Ask any doctor and they will tell similar stories about dogs that have helped people survive illness or bonded with their owner, which means they have a reason to keep pushing themselves.
I have seen people who are so stricken with arthritis that they should be bedridden but still get up to take their beloved dog for a much-needed walk.
Despite their disability, thanks to their dog, they actually do more exercise than many people half their age.
I often think that if dogs were the cure, they would be hailed as a miracle cure.
I’m glad PC Penny is on my beat
Dr. Max said he was keen to meet TV star and former model Penny Lancaster (pictured) in the rhythm of the City of London.
Penny Lancaster made her first arrest as a special constable. I still can’t believe she’s actually a special constable in my area (City of London) and I really want to meet the TV star and former model, pictured left, in rhythm. I was so impressed with her volunteering. I’m especially interested to hear that she believes that being a mom was the best preparation for her role, saying, “I think having patience and empathy with teenagers especially helps.” Rod Stewart’s wife could easily be at home with her feet in the lap of luxury. Instead, she fights crime. What an amazing role model!
Last month, the University of Leeds placed content warnings on 43 books, plays, poems and films that contain “potentially disturbing or sensitive” material, including Orwell’s 1984 (pictured).
- Last month, the University of Leeds placed content warnings on 43 books, plays, poems and films that contain “potentially disturbing or sensitive” material, including Orwell’s 1984 and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night. What is the cargo hold. Those who participate in these meaningless warnings are appropriating the tremendous work that has been done to combat the stigmatization of mental illness in order to stop debate and silence people they don’t like. This is insulting to those who actually have conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder. The idea that simply discussing topics or challenging ideas can cause their symptoms is laughable. It’s all about appropriating mental illness as a status symbol – people love the idea of being special and deserving of extra attention. If they understood the real cost of mental illness, they would be less interested in standing up for their rights.
Dr. Max prescribes…
Cinderella musical
Dr. Max said he was shocked when he went to see the musical Cinderella with his godchildren last week.
I’m not a fan of musicals, but I went to this with my godchildren last week and was blown away. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s retelling of the classic is silly and funny, but gently defies gender stereotypes and fairy tale tropes. It has many related posts. Cinderella realizes, for example, that trying to be someone else at the ball is useless and she should just be herself. In the age of Instagram, this message needs to be heard by many young people. Real tonic.