Wholistic Paws Veterinary Services

I went for a hike a few weeks ago with a new friend, Kate, at Cobble Hill Mountain here on Vancouver Island. Now, I should probably start by saying that I am not—and have never been—built for speed, agility, or hiking. But I was really looking forward to moving my body and having the chance to experience a little more of the beauty of this island, especially with such good company.

We started with a very reasonable goal: make it to the water tower. I wish I had taken pictures because the rainforest was absolutely magical. It felt every bit like walking through the Forest Moon of Endor… although sadly, there were no Ewoks to be found. I’d be lying if I said that the hike to the water tower was not a challenge for me. But once we got there, I was surprised to find that we were both feeling pretty good. So we decided to go just a little farther—to explore some trails Kate hadn’t been on before.

And so we wandered- A little farther….And then a little farther...And then… a little farther. And somehow, we wound up at the summit! I was tired. Definitely. There were more than a few moments going up and down when I felt uneasy and thought, I really don't like heights! And the truth is, we could have stopped at any point. We could have turned around at the water tower and still would have spent a lovely couple of hours together in some of the most breathtaking nature I’ve ever experienced.

But then I would have missed this view, looking out over the Salish Sea. And what a view it was.

It was also, for me, a pretty significant accomplishment to realize that I had actually made it to the top of a mountain. (Okay, perhaps more accurately, a very enthusiastic hill). As I share this with you, I’m not sure there’s a grand philosophical lesson here, except maybe this:

Keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Again and again and again. On the hard days, the easy days, the days that make you wonder if you’ve lost your mind or if you are on the right track in your life. Look up every once in a while—not only so you can appreciate the beauty around you, but also so you can catch your breath. (I needed to do that part A LOT.) And when you finally get where you were trying to go, stop for a moment and savor it. Because I think we so often forget to do that.

We reach the thing we were working toward and immediately start looking for the next thing.

We make it through something hard and then forget how hard we worked to get there.

We focus so much on where we’re going that we forget to look back and notice how far we’ve come.

So, to all of you out there that I love so much in our Wholistic Paws family:

Take a moment to look back.

Notice what you’ve survived.
Notice what you’ve created.
Notice what you’ve learned.
Notice what you’ve changed.
Notice the steps—especially the difficult ones—that brought you here.

And then, for goodness' sake, stop and enjoy the view! Celebrate the fact that you made it. Celebrate who you are right now, in this moment, before you start worrying about where you need to go next. Because you are not a project that needs to be finished.

You are already a gift.

You are a gift in this world, exactly as you are, right now. ❤️

And sometimes, the best thing we can do is take one more step… and then remember to look up and take it all in.

💜

We have assembled the essentials for the week ahead.

Some are practical.
Some are questionable.
One may be a raccoon.

Carry what you can.

🤎

🤔

Macy says its exhausting being so cute all the time. Sometimes you gotta take a nap to recharge 💜

A little unexpected wisdom from my car here in Canada. 🇨🇦

The other day, I was driving and reached over toward the passenger seat for something. Apparently, I wasn’t being particularly attentive, because my car flashed a message I’d never seen before:

“Driver Alert — Rest Suggested.”

I had to laugh. And then I thought… maybe I needed to hear that message in more ways than one.

How often do we move through our days a little distracted, a little worn thin, trying to keep up with everything? Burning the candle at both ends? Pushing through because there’s still something else to do?

Sometimes we really do need to stop.

A cup of tea. A few deep breaths. A little fresh air. Sitting quietly outside. A walk. Maybe even a nap.

There’s always another thing that could be done. But maybe we don’t always have to keep striving. This is a hard lesson for me to learn but perhaps we could all work on it together!!

So, from my car to you: Driver Alert. Rest Suggested.

Maybe today, it’s worth listening. ❤️

🤣

Odie says hi! He gets laser, acupuncture, and tuning forks to help support his back. This allows him to be more efficient in his Peanut butter eating too. Yum! 😋

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🐶 Teaching your dog to bark on cue isn't about making them bark. It's about creating the emotional state that naturally leads to barking, reinforcing those first vocalizations, and only adding the cue once the behavior is reliable.

One of the biggest mistakes people make is naming the behavior too soon. Build the behavior first. Name it later. When we understand why our dogs do what they do, we can teach with more clarity and confidence. 💙

👇 Read the full blog through the link in the comments.