Cats & Dogs - How to Cope With For a Paralyzed Animal

Love her or loathe her,
Ann Coulter is one of
the most controversial
voices in America today.

Follow this LINK to be
among the first to read
her column every week by
email – absolutely FREE!

ArcaMax Publishing > Home & Garden > Cats & Dogs

Your email address is safe with us. View our Privacy policy.

Dogs Hangman:

Try our FREE ArcaMax Dogs Hangman Game

The Funnies:

Get free jokes, comics, and more! See them all on
our funnies page

Books:

Read the classics online or by email. More details on the books page

How to Cope With For a Paralyzed Animal

Barbara Techel

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.

Knowing what I now know I want to help and educate others. I truly believe these animals deserve a chance and can live quality lives if given that chance.

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 chew 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.

========

Barbara Techel is the author of "Frankie, the Walk 'N Roll Dog," which is a 2008 finalist for the Indie Excellence Awards. A true, inspirational story about a dachshund whose life started out just like any other dog walking on all four paws until a spiny injury leaves her paralyzed. Frankie is custom fit for a wheelchair and learns to keep on rolling. Her column "For the Love of Animals" appeared in the Elkhart Lake, Depot Dispatch paper from 2005-2007. Barbara won an honorable mention award for her story, "Cassie and Frankie Inspire a Writer" which was sponsored by best selling authors Linda and Allen Anderson of Angel Animals Network. Barbara is dedicated to animals and believes they teach us valuable life lessons. For more information visit http://www.joyfulpaws.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Barbara_Techel
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Cope-With-For-a-Paralyzed-Animal&id=1222001

This news arrived on: 06/09/2008

Share this Story