Do your dogs hurt your stoma?

There are so many wonderful things about life and having people and things that love you.  I know that for me I love my family and count my dogs as being a big part of my family.  They are basically a child.  When people first learn they are going to get an ostomy surgery things can be difficult.  Lots of things happen all at once.  You meet lots of new people and get to know your ostomy nurse and surgeon really well.  They give you massive amounts of information to learn and are generally really good at teaching you what you need to know in a very friendly way.  They will give you great suppliers to get your ostomy gear from.  I personally like to use big corporate ostomy companies because they are really informative and easy to work with.  What most people won't go into detail about is how having ostomy works with having pets.  

We all know that pets and especially dogs have an incredible sense of smell and are generally very acute at picking up that something has changed. Dogs for instance generally have a sense of smell that is 40 times greater than ours! They know that you have a stoma and some are a little too excited about it.  In general, many pets get along just fine and match your emotions and become a great asset and friend for the situation.  Now I have two dogs and they both reacted very differently.  One pet was almost indifferent and really went along with life as absolutely normal as could be.  He was what I will call a very good boy.  On the other hand, one dog was not so good, but it was not the end of the world.  Having a stoma guard can also save any issues too.

My wonderful wife wanted a wild type of dog and now my other dog is a Yorkie breed.  He is a fast-paced dog that is always on the go. That dog breed is also known for being very one-track-minded or hard-headed.  This pet would simply not go away or stop pestering what he smelled.  Even when everything was perfectly sealed and working great thanks to using Hollister OStomy supplies gear the dog would still try to jump all over me when I was on the couch.  So I ended up having to train him very quickly.  I suggest you start by purchasing a lot of your pet's favorite treats.  You simply won't win and train your dog by being mean or forceful.  At this time in your life, it's not a good idea for you either.  Your abdomen muscles are not what they used to be and you are likely more prone to hernia situations as well.  So use kindness and lots of treats to work with your pets as soon as you get home.  They know something is different so treat them for being good with it.

This is a key part of living with a pet and a stoma.  It is being able to have good mental states and a good attitude about hard situations.  Kids are the same way and some are just not where they need to be mentally so you have to adjust.  We have all been there and we all get along just fine.