Interested In..dogs With Disabilities..

[redangel]

I remember when I was working in a vet hospital, there was differring opinion on the welfare of animals that were either born disabled, or became disabled by way of accident or illness. I would like to start a positive thread on how ones 'dog with disability" coped and thrived. Maybe advice on things you have learned to help the people considering adopting or maintaining a dog with disabilty.

[W Sibs]

They just need a lot more care then a normal dog, that's for sure, but eventually it just becomes part of home life.

They accept their condition pretty quickly, so we have to do the same. As long as we treat them like dogs, give them their required exercise (physically and mentally), give them a good diet and a loving home... what more can we do? What more do they need?

Charlie is a really happy, secure and confident dog. Despite having a rare illness that effects his back and sometimes his right back leg.

[Crazy Daisy]

My shepherd x broke two vertebrae in his back when he was about 12 months old and by the time he was two over half of his lower spine was fused. We decided to manage his pain with medication and slowed down his exercise but other than that he was treated like a normal dog.

I think I freaked out when it first happened and took him to a couple of different specialists to see what could be done to "fix" him. He proved to me that by watching him and not overreacting to the situation I was able to have a perfectly happy dog who still enjoyed life. He had to be put down when he was about six due to arthritis and being in too much pain and maybe if I had given him the many operations that were suggested by one vet when it first happened he may have lived longer, but I think he lived a great life while we had him.

[puggy_puggy]

I have a totally blind pug and he lives a happy life doing most things he the same way as before he went blind.

We have a pug in care that is nearly totally blind that is happy as larry. We are hoping that we can give him some of his sight back with surgery and medication.

We have a pug boy being adopted tomorrow that has a wonky leg (early growth plate closure of the radius). His wrist sticks out at funny angles. We were thinking of operating but as it does not cause him any problems, he can still leap up onto tables, vets have advised against it. He was on a PTS list before he came to us but is so full of life.

I rehabbed another pug girl with the same condition (early growth plate closure of the radius) last year, after she had her orthopedic surgery. Her leg is so much better then it was before the surgery but it is still a little wonky. But she does not care and was described as 'A little firecracker' by her surgeon.

I have known quite a few pugs over the years that have hemivertibrae which has left them with varying degrees of paralysis of the back legs. They are all happy as larry, even the boy that has no use of his back legs at all.

Dogs can live a very happy life with a disability. It a matter of finding the right owner who is able and willing to put in the extra time, effort and sometimes finances to help them do so.

[redangel]

thanks for the imput- I just want to highlight that all is not lost when you get bad news from the vet. Personally, I have but a 15yrold who is losing her sight steadily- she copes better than well, always first to the food and lets nothing get by her.

[Danelady]

I see so many in here. I make and supply Aussie Pet Wheelchairs and other Mobility Aids like leg braces and things. All dogs are very happy. They just adapt to life better than we do with missing limbs, paralysis, blindness and deafness. Its quite amazing. Their owners are brilliant and so dedicated. I have made some life long friends from all over the world now with disabled pets. Some need more nursing care than others but if the owner is willing to do that, they are very happy. I have seen blind paralysed dogs, even amputees who are now having problems with their only hind or only front leg. They all manage and their owners give them the help they need. Its brilliant. I have one dog who boards with me on a regular basis when her owners are away. She has hind limb paralysis and has been in a wheelchair for 4 years. She rounds up my chickens! It is fantastic to watch and she runs like the wind in her chair as well. She is so focused on the chooks and getting them to where she wants them to go, its truly amazing to watch her. She has a ball!

[smooch]

Smooch suffered a spinal stroke,( can't remember the proper name for it.) about 3 years ago now. He spend nearly two months at the Specialist vet in Sydney. I was taught to do physio on him which I did every hour for nearly six months. I went to our local dump and bought a clean but slightly damaged lounge/bed put a heavy plastic sheet on the mattress and spent the next six months sleeping there with Smooch. As I have a bad back myself I was able to get hold of a second hand wheelchair which I used for the standing up exercises for Smooch, I had the wheelchair adjusted so as all four legs were touching the ground. This also helped when toileting as I didn't have to try and carry him out.

These days smooch is able to run and play although he is no longer allowed to be my cattle dog. He does tend to fall over if he tries to turn quickly and he ended up with a cow over the top of him when he tried to block one for me. Now when I go near the cattle I put a lead on Smooch. To compensate for the cattle work that Smooch misses out on he is now our chief Duck rounder upper and every day at just before dark Smooch is ready to go out and bring the ducks in.

Smooch still has slight problems, his bowls don't work properly, he has to run around before he can poo and even than he has to be walking to be able to pass all of it. He only wees when his bladder is extremely full.

All in all Smooch is happy just being with me 24/7. He is loved and spoilt and that is all that matters.

In the end it has all been worth the effort that has been put into Smooch and I would do it again if I had to.

[~*Shell*~]

Zero is 5 and because he wasn't treated for multiple ear infections, he has quite bad hearing loss and because he was physically abused, he has cloudiness in his eyes that gives him problems seeing, especially at night. He gets treated like a normal dog and will continue to, even though the vet thinks he will eventually end up deaf. For the moment at least, his eyes are stable and aren't getting any worse but we have a checkup every year with a specialist who check then

He just accepts it and gets on with life - I don't really do anything differently because of it either. He goes completely deaf when he gets ear infections now so I just compensate for that and make sure he knows what I want with the use of hand signals. I think I could probably take him into the obedience ring without talking to him at all - he knows the hand signals better than the voice commands. He even has a hand signal for "good"

[redangel]

Dogs are just so resilient. Great stories.

[Kirislin]

My whippet boy Puck has a deformed front leg. I am not sure if he was born with it or it was acquired through injury shortly after birth, I am leaning towards the latter. He still lives a good life and runs just as fast as his able bodied brother Tag and most people dont notice his smaller shorter front leg.

[kelpiekaye]

I had a 4kg ETT that had a front leg amputated due to a broken shoulder when he was young. He had a great life and did everything the other dogs did.

[~Anne~]

Most dogs handle disabilities incredibly well. Sadly, there will always be those who don't though. I know of one little Pug that became very withdrawn with sudden onset blindness. His life became one filled with terror. He was sent to rainbow bridge as his life was not a happy one. :D

In having said that, I have had many Pugs come through that were blind or had lost the greater majority of their vision. They were all happy little Pugs. I have even had one that was almost 100% deaf and was blind, Navey. He lived most of his life in a backyard on his own until he came into rescue at 8 years of age. Navey is now one very spoilt little Pug that is living the life of luxury in the tropics of Port Douglas.

We have also had two Pugs in that were deaf. Marley and Gizmo were both deaf, but both very settled and confident dogs.

Cookie was another disabled dog we had come through. Cookie had deformed front legs and this caused her to walk with them splayed completely out to the sides. She still managed to jump up on things, go up and down steps and do every thing a dog would do. She did all of these things even after she was hot by a car and had her hip and hind leg smashed as well! Here is Cookie.

Edited April 25, 2010 by ~Anne~

[Little Gifts]

What about dogs with intellectual disabilities? Has anyone had a dog like that?

As a result of old age one of my dogs is off with the fairies half the time. We manage it with more routine and guidance as needed (almost back like when you are raising a puppy).

Surely from abuse or injury though there have been some younger intellectually disabled dogs that people have successfully cared for?

[GRLC]

Our oldest Stafford (9) developed SARDS (sudden acquired retinal de-generation syndrome ) which is 100% blindness which as the name suggests happens suddenly with no prior warning . For Bebe it was literally overnight the first few days were her worst cause she had to suddenly deal with being blind but SARDS also brings on all other kind of issues like peeing more and excessive drinking and the attempting to eat more even if it's not edible !! :D . she has adapted really well now, she knows where things are and where to avoid certain things . She was a real character before she went blind and the condition hasn't changed her one little bit , she still plays with the other 2 dogs tug and all , hunts down toys when the others run off with them , runs around excitedly on the lawn waiting for the other dogs to chase her and still loves you to throw the toys so she can go fetch them (which is her fav at the moment ). When we go for walks she still heels at my side and walks like a perfect little lady . To look at her you wouldn't even know her condition . Shes still the same dog we had before SARDS hit , just a little bit funnier now ;) . we love her to bits !!!!

[Lowchenlove]

I recently rescued an old poodle who is completely blind and deaf and only has one tooth - he is thriving, I make sure he has a routine so he knows when bed time is etc. I spray essential oil on a few posts that he keeps forgetting about so he knows they are there and I soak his kibble so he can eat it but he is wonderful and manages incredibly well. He doesn`t have a lot of muscle tone - but that is more due to the conditions he was being kept in and I am working with a therapist to build his muscle stength up.

[Ms Genki]

I'd highly encourage people to read Norman Doige's The brain that changes itself as there are chapters that discuss this subject. He touches on people with the rehabilitative capacity and strengths of people who had disabilities including strokes and general loss of mobility- whether it be from birth or a later development. It's amazing to learn how their other senses can take over and become super senses.

I really enjoyed learning that there are ways to recover a degree of what has been lost and to know how humans affected by the ageing process. Really recommended for everyone, but especially for those who are carers for humans and animals.

Edited July 11, 2010 by Ms Genki