Daily Care

Have you shopped for a dog bed lately? The experience is overwhelming. I’ve raised 9 dogs and consider myself to be an experienced pet mom, but I was confused about buying a new mattress. There are so many brands and styles. If you’re in the same boat, there’s one thing I know for sure, the …

Clipping your dog’s nails isn’t just about giving your fur kid a pedicure. Regular dog nail trims and overall paw care are key to their health.    I learned this lesson the hard way. About a year after Sophie became paralyzed, I noticed the pads on her paws looked unusual. Instead of being smooth and …

Are you familiar with acupuncture for dogs? It’s a painless, alternative therapy used by holistic and conventional veterinarians to treat a variety of health problems. Acupuncture was a therapy I explored during the first six months of my dog, Sophie’s, spine disease. In our case, it was beneficial in slowing down the progression of her …

Everyone knows how to give a bath to an able-bodied dog, but do you know the techniques about bathing a paralyzed dog? Placing an animal in a tub of water when they can’t sit or stand on their own, makes the job tricky unless you know the safety techniques. Even if your fur kid goes …

Cleaning up “potty” accidents is an occasional part of life when you have a healthy pet. The task to remove dog urine stains and odors can be an ongoing problem if your fur kid is incontinent. Dogs lose the ability to control their bladder due to paralysis, age, injuries and illness, but it shouldn’t mean …

When the first canine water therapy clinic opened in my city, I knew I had to schedule a tour. Hydrotherapy for dogs is quickly becoming one of the most popular and important physical therapy treatments for pets. I contacted Kathy Carr, who owns Canine Bodywork & Aquatics in NV, and she invited me to follow …

One of the first veterinary specialists I took Sophie to see when her back legs started to give out, was a dog chiropractor. Dr. Nancy Brandt is a holistic veterinarian in my city, who specializes in animal chiropractic care. She had treated two of my other dogs when they became old and arthritic, so I …

Hearing the words that your dog will never walk again is a surreal experience that most of us don’t want to relive. That’s why I was impressed when a pet owner wanted to share the story about the day her dog became paralyzed. Her goal is to tell people about the amazing life her disabled …

Dog massage is a growing field, but you don’t have to be a professional to give a therapeutic massage to your dog at home. The techniques and the theory behind dog massage are easy to learn. It’s a therapy that improves musculoskeletal problems, lessens anxiety and has a real impact on your pet’s quality of …

Did you know that most of the products and medical care your handicapped dog benefits from today, didn’t exist a few years ago? It’s true. Back at the turn of the century (I love saying that), in the year 2000, canines with paralysis were routinely euthanized and veterinarians were taught that a wheelchair would make …

How do I take care of my paralyzed dog while I’m at work? It’s one of the biggest fears pet owners have. We worry about how we’ll manage our dog’s care and how we’ll keep a pet, who can’t walk on their own, safe when we have to be away from home. I have to …

The picture above is my beautiful dog Cody who suffered from pressure sores when he got to be an old boy. If you live with a senior dog or a canine with mobility problems you should know about pressure sores and hygromas in dogs. These common skin injuries can turn into a big problem, if …

There was only one veterinary hospital in my city that offered laser therapy for dogs when Sophie became paralyzed. We were referred by a dear friend whose vet had just added the device to his practice as a means of treating dogs with severe arthritis. In 2010, cold laser therapy was only being used to …

Would you be surprised if I said the majority of pet owners don’t know the best way to carry a small dog? It’s true. The most common way people lift and hold a little dog could cause the pup to have back problems later in life. Our instinct is to scoop them up with one …

When pet owner Risa L. told me about the benefits of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for dogs, I was amazed. Her dog, Mia, suffered a life-threatening FCE (Fibrocartilagenous Embolism) stroke, but learned to walk again after receiving treatments in a hyperbaric oxygen (HBOT) chamber. To be truthful, the idea of putting a paralyzed pet inside a …

Dogs are good travel companions. According to a national survey 37 percent of us take our canines on road trips. But if you’re putting plans on hold because of your pet’s mobility problems, I promise you can still travel like a pro with a disabled dog. Traveling by car with any dog requires preparation. There’s …

Veterinarians keep dogs fit through regular exams and vaccinations. As their guardian, there are 10 habits you can do every month that will keep your dog healthy and add years to their life. Each of them begins with a simple touch. Your dog will think you’re giving them a rubdown, but once you start implementing …

Veterinary medicine offers a range of diagnostic imaging tests for dogs with mobility problems. But when your dog needs an MRI, CAT Scan, X-ray or Ultrasound, do you know what each test reveals about their spine? I was clueless. I knew the names of the tests when my dog was referred by our vet, but …

Are you searching for a pet sitter for a special needs dog? Just thinking about where to find a qualified caretaker, sends shivers down the spine of most pet owners. We worry that it’s impossible to find a person who can handle all the details that go into caring for our disabled pet. Many pet …

As humans, we live in a world where constant movement and forward progression is desired, and that feeling is no different for our sweet pets. Watch any dog and you’ll see a flurry of continuous motion. It’s one of the reasons dog wheelchairs are so popular. It’s also the reason why we need to keep …

Where can I find a wheelchair for my dog? It’s the first question pet owners ask me when they find out their dog is losing their mobility. Dog wheelchairs are a wonderful invention and I understand their popularity, but in my opinion, a support harness for your paralyzed dog will become your favorite mobility device. …

When my veterinarian recommended, I buy a wheelchair for my dog Sophie, I spent hours researching which one would be the right fit. But when it arrived, it took me by surprise that I couldn’t figure out how to put a dog into a wheelchair. It’s trickier than you think, especially if you have a …

The worst case of urine scald in a paralyzed dog I’ve seen came from a photo sent to me by a pet owner. The skin on the poor dog’s lower belly was red, blistered and looked like it had a bad sunburn. It happened because urine was allowed to stay on the dog’s skin too …

Can my paralyzed dog regain deep pain sensation? It’s an important question to ask after your pet’s had a spine injury or surgery. The ability to feel a painful stimulus is an indicator the nerves in the spinal cord are, at some level, communicating with the brain. Everyone knows paralysis means the inability to move, …