January/February 2005
Page 11
Pets & Ostomies - Your Ostomy - Not Theirs!!
It may seem like an unusual concern, but enough pre-op patients have expressed worry over how their animals are going to react to their ostomy to warrant addressing the question. Will a new ostomate's pet(s) behave inappropriately or shun someone wearing an appliance? Dogs have an acute sense of smell and yes, they can detect an ostomy appliance. They may check it out as something new but after that it is business as usual for a dog. They really don't care. Same for a cat. Animals don't categorize scent the way we do - what we think is objectionable is natural to a dog or cat (or a horse, or a rabbit, or any other member of the animal kingdom). If pets could speak, they'd probably tell us to lay off the perfume and soap! As far as a pet seeing their owner wearing an appliance, it's just another article of clothing as far as the animal is concerned. Have you ever worn a new hat, or an unusual belt, carried a new item of sporting equipment? Did you pet get upset or even notice? They really don't care.
Pets jumping on you or in your lap is another matter but not really a big issue. You'll have to "guard" the stoma area to keep an enthusiastic Rover or Fluffy from landing directly on the stoma but aside from that they can't hurt you. If you have a cat that like to do that 'kneading' thing with its claws you will have to move it to the other side.
A recent poll on this question on an internet ostomy forum regarding this question received 31 replies from all kinds of pet owners. Owners of big dogs, small dogs, cats galore and none of them reported negative or unwanted reactions from their owners. Many owners reported their animals could sense if they were upset, or sad or ill and would become more attentive during those times.
SOURCE: Vancouver Ostomy HighLife, VIA The Ditty Bag, Chilliwack, B.C. November/December 2004, via Inside Out On-line Jan/Feb 2005
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