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Quest – November 2015

It’s hard for me to believe, but my girls are fast approaching their eighth birthday. Aspen has made the most progress over the years, but maybe she was the least reactive to begin with. She still barks a lot, but I am able to manage that behavior. Malibu is reactive to other dogs if they are too close, but her reactivity has also improved since puppyhood.

Quest is my Min Pin who I continue to worry about. Although she has been seen by two of the top rated veterinary behaviorists in the country, her issues are still present. Diagnosed with social phobia, numerous medications have been prescribed for Quest over the past six years, but they have yielded limited success. Management has been crucial in helping Quest remain sub threshold. Her latest regimen of Gabapentin and Trazodone was given for a little over a year. Although progress was observed, I did not feel that it was enough to remain on the medication. Quest has been nibbling patches of fur off of her front legs which can be indicative of anxiety.  If the medication was truly beneficial, Quest would not be exhibiting that behavior. In addition, Quest continues to have “meltdowns” on a regular basis.

Thinking “outside of the box”, I decided to explore the idea of animal communication. Feeling like I had nothing to lose, I began researching individuals who claim to have the ability to “communicate” with your pet via a telephone consultation. After learning about this concept, I was more optimistic than skeptical, and eager to proceed with a fresh approach.

If you research the topic of animal communicators, a handful of names rise to the top. Based on client reviews, I selected Lydia Hiby to communicate with Quest. Her fee was $40 for a fifteen minute phone consultation. Once the appointment was scheduled, I prepared my questions and installed an iPad app that would record the conversation. Full of anticipation, I anxiously waited to speak with Ms. Hiby. Long-awaited answers may be just a phone call away. Finally, it was time to dial her number.

After brief introductions, Lydia started the conversation by asking about Quest’s breed and color. Lydia then began to describe Quest’s “Bohemian”(yes, she used that word)personality. When she stated that Quest is a calm dog who prefers a laid-back lifestyle, I began to think that this whole animal communication idea may not have been the best investment of money. Fortunately, as our discussion proceeded, most of my skepticism was brushed aside.

Once Lydia’s monologue about Quest was finished, I began to ask my burning questions. First and foremost, “Why is Quest so reactive towards dogs?” Of course, this question is in complete opposition to Lydia’s belief that Quest is a peace loving, tranquil canine. Lydia stated that Quest’s “defensive” behavior may have been learned from her mother. This response makes sense because when Quest and her littermates were about a week old, their mother’s leg was broken in a fall. I often wondered if this event had any significance towards my crew’s reactive behavior.

I also asked Lydia if she knew why the medications that we have tried with Quest have not been successful. She responded that if Quest was truly anxiety ridden, one of the medications should have helped her. Since the medications have had limited success, Lydia felt that the issue is not brain-related. Instead, Lydia felt that Quest’s liver is out of balance. This weakness causes Quest to go from 0-60, from a mellow dog to a reactive one, in the blink of an eye.

While a few other topics were discussed, Quest’s reactivity was the focus of our conversation. Lydia provided me with the names of two remedies that may benefit Quest. She suggested valerian for relaxation and milk thistle to balance Quest’s liver.

Now that I have had time to reflect on my conversation with Lydia, do I feel that it was beneficial? Honestly, I don’t know. Time will tell, I suppose. I will be thrilled if Lydia’s suggestions help Quest become a less anxious dog. What I do know is that I do not want to look back and have any regrets about things that I failed to try. Skeptics may say that animal communicators and psychics are cons who read you like a book and tell you what you want to hear. But what if they really do have the gift of being able to communicate with your pet. Isn’t it worth a phone call?