How to Cope when Caring for a Paralyzed Pet
Posted: Tuesday, June 03, 2008
by Barbara Techel
Joyful Paws
I was uneducated when it came to intervertebral disc disease, which is common in the dachshund breed. My lack of knowledge sent me into a complete frenzy when I received the call that my dachshund Frankie ruptured a disk in her back. I was 1,400 miles from home and thought I would never see her again. I thought she would have to be put to sleep and I was devastated. I could not control the flood of emotions and it seemed like hours before I settled down to realize I had some very viable options for Frankie.
Caring for an animal that is paralyzed can seem overwhelming at first. Here are some things I learned.
Patience: The number one thing I learned from the day of the accident to where we are today, (two years later) is patience, especially when it came to bathroom habits. Some paralyzed animals will not have control of their bladder and this can seem daunting at first. The vet technician will teach you how to express your animal's bladder. Expressing the animal's bladder 5-6 times a day is essential. Controlling water and food portions will help in the timing of bathroom breaks. Bowel movements are a whole different animal (so to speak) because it is a muscle contraction. This is where learning patience was key for me. At the beginning of Frankie's paralysis it seemed as if I was always cleaning up after her. I finally gave into it and said, "There are worse things in life than poop!" As silly as that sounds, it actually helped me to cope and not get stressed out about it anymore. Some animals will wear a diaper and that helps greatly. In Frankie's case, she did not like having a diaper on and would eat it off. Paying attention to when they eat and how long in between before they must go to the bathroom will pay off big time in avoiding cleaning up accidents. Some dog cart companies make little "dog bags" to fit on the back of the dog cart, which helps catch accidents. If they don't make one, buy one from other company and adjust accordingly. That is what I did and it works out wonderfully.
Connect with Others: Reaching out to others who have been through the same thing was instrumental in helping me get through the first three months. Dodgers List, Handicapped Pets, and Able Dogs provided me with tons of information. They helped me to not feel alone. They also gave me hope that life would eventually return to normal. Well, I guess I need to say, a new normal.
Be Positive: When I realized two months into physical therapy that the odds were against Frankie that she would walk again, I must admit, I began to feel sorry for myself. But, Frankie never felt sorry for herself. She was still the same, happy dog, as before. She didn't let anything stop her from living her life. She taught me to remain positive and look for the blessing in her situation.
Help Others: If you are going through the same situation and have learned from your experience with a handicapped animal, share your knowledge and be there for others. It will in turn make your heart feel good that you can help someone else going through what you did.
Be Grateful: Be grateful your pet is still with you. Be grateful their mind is vital and alive. Be grateful God chose you to care for your pet. Be grateful for what all animals teach us about life.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)My little man Dudlee injured his back from going down stairs and jumping up and down into our favorite chair. He is a little overweight and that did not help the situation. He could not poop (squatting position) one day so I took him to the vet and they informed me he had a ruptured disc. L13 - famous spot that goes. I took him home and was instructed not to let him be too active and not to jump. Well, he did just that and back legs became paralyzed. I ran him back up to the vet and they immediately began Acupuncture. I was so distraught and overwhelmed that he was going through this and I felt helpless for him. I was wanting to do the best thing I could for him so I decided to go through with the back surgery as soon as possible. I took him to a Neurosurgeon and he stated he had done about 24 Dachshund back surgeries within 1 month. (Something in the air.) I was hopeful that after the surgery he would be up and walking. That is totally unrealistic! The spinal cord was injured from the disc be ruptured and it takes time to heal and nerves to regenerate. I could not get the task down on how to express the bladder and he began leaking urine everywhere. I went through 20 potty pads in 24 hours. I returned to the vet the next day and they showed me how to catherize him to empty the bladder and how to get poop to come out. I was freaking out that I would have this poor guy depending solely on me to help him. Thank goodness I was at home full-time. I know others that have to work can make a schedule to care for a paralyzed animal, but I am a little OCD on making sure his bladder is kept empty to prevent infection. I have become an expert on doing all of the chores in helping my little guy and I am so glad I did not take the route of putting him to sleep. It has only been 1 week since surgery so I am hopeful he will be walking again in 2-3 weeks. I can feel his back legs kick when he is sitting in my lap and his tail is wagging. I definitely have learned patience with this ordeal. So, do not give up on your babies for an unfortunate illness they are dealt with. I have talked to other Dachshund owners and all healing times to start walking vary. Good Luck!Thank you, Lori for sharing your wonderful thoughts- I know it can be tough at the beginning at it is a big adjustment, but once you settle in, things smooth out and how great we can help our little ones, right? Thank you for giving Dudlee a chance at life! Keep up the great work!
Several months after I posted this his back had another incident. Yet another ruptured disc. I chose not to do surgery this time. He still had feeling in legs and able to go potty on his own. Just in pain! We chose crate rest along with Steroids and pain meds. After one month of this he is doing much better! Seeing him lay still in crate for a few days with a gazed look in his eyes, I almost gave up and had him put to sleep! I am so glad I waited it out! His wonderful personality is what I did not want missing from my life! Some people told me I was being selfish putting him through all this recovery, but I did not care! If he could talk he would let me know how much he appreciates my love and devotion on giving him two chances on his life! Never give up is the motto for this sweet Dachshund breed! I will always own a Dachshund ~ Even with what comes with owning one!
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