Pet Blog > How To Manage Life with A Paralyzed Dog

We are honored to have Sharon Seltzer as a guest blogger for this post sharing her expertise about living and loving a paralyzed dog. Her site Dog Wheelchair LIFE (formerly “Lessons from a Paralyzed Dog”) is a fantastic resource for pet-parents facing their dog’s loss of mobility due to injury, illness, or age.

How To Manage Life with A Paralyzed Dog

Would you know how to take care of your dog if they suddenly lost the ability to walk? Managing life with a paralyzed dog can be overwhelming, especially when pet owners first face the situation. 

Dog Wheelchair LIFE is a website that teaches pet families how to take care of a disabled pet. It provides them with information about products, rehabilitation, and answers their real-life questions.

Penny’s story

Kacey said she had “zero experience” being her dog’s caretaker when her Pug, Penny, woke up in the middle of the night with a herniated disc. All she knew was she had to get Penny to a vet, fast. 

Kacey had adopted the dog from an animal shelter, a year earlier. She was told that Penny came to them with injuries that looked like she had been hit by a car. 

The dog had deep wounds and a rib that stuck out a bit. But the wounds and scars didn’t stop Penny from enjoying life. She loved Kacey and her new home.

A year later, the duo found themselves in a veterinary emergency hospital at 4:00am. A disc in Penny’s spine had ruptured and she was hemorrhaging. The vet explained it was probably a result of her previous injury. 

Penny had emergency surgery which saved her life, but left her hind legs paralyzed. 

While her dog recovered, Kacey found the Dog Wheelchair LIFE website and started the journey of learning how to take care of her disabled dog.

Dogs are lucky today

Pets with disabilities have many options today. There are dog wheelchairs and rehab therapies to improve their life. Not long ago, these animals were routinely euthanized because these treatments and resources didn’t exist. 

Today wheelchairs are a common part of their care and being a paraplegic isn’t a death sentence. It’s just a new story in a dog’s life.  

Dog Wheelchair LIFE helps by introducing pet owners to the products they’ll need and the treatments their canines will likely require. 

The site explains the differences between wheelchair brands and how they’re designed for dogs with specific needs. Articles also introduce other mobility devices, special harnesses to assist with lifting and products that protect disabled animals. Common treatments such as rehab therapy, water therapy, acupuncture and laser therapy are explained as well.

Resources that educate

The website is designed with in-depth stories that thoroughly describe canine diseases of the spine and the most current treatment options. 

All of the information is researched for medical accuracy. Then it’s organized by your dog’s spine disorder so it’s easy to find on the site. In addition, there are free guides and printable materials for pet owners to use at home. 

Here are a few additional topics you can research:

• Intervertebral Disc Disease: Understanding the Condition

• When Crate Rest is Prescribed for Your Dog

• Dog Physical Therapy Exercises You Can Do At Home

• Dog Diapers: How to Choose the Right Product for Your Pet

• Taking Care of a Paralyzed Dog Requires a Good Routine

From answers about finding a qualified pet sitter to taking a successful road trip Dog Wheelchair LIFE breaks down all of the details so pet families will succeed. We do this because we believe pet parents will go the distance to be great caretakers, when they’re shown how to do it right.

If you have a dog in need of a wheelchair, be sure to check out Dog Wheelchair LIFE’s list of Organizations That Donate Dog Wheelchairs to Pet Families.

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