Resources

The final chapter in Sophie and my story is about the importance of good communication. I’m not talking about communication between you and your spouse or between you and your vet. I think it’s important to listen to your dog. It’s my opinion that dogs are great communicators. The following lessons will help you understand …

It took a while to find our rhythm, but eventually Sophie and I worked out a daily schedule that met her needs. We found that taking care of a paralyzed dog requires a good routine and work ethic. A solid routine makes life smooth on the good days and a strong work ethic will get …

Being the caretaker of a paralyzed pet isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. And even though the people around you are supportive, because they know it’s what you want to do, there will come a time when your friends think you need an intervention. I was completely surprised when it happened to me. It’s my goal …

The first six months of being Sophie’s caretaker flew by. Ken and I were constantly learning and fine-tuning our skills. But after 18 months we were burnt out. We hadn’t been out of the house together for more than a couple of hours at a time. And when we did leave home, there was always …

The next lessons Sophie taught my family all had to do with the importance of incorporating our old habits into our new routine. So many daily activities changed after Sophie became paralyzed. It was way too easy to lose sight of the rituals your disabled dog loves. For instance, we spent time making sure to …

If you’re wondering what YouTube, a cozy bed and transportation have to do with the daily care of a paralyzed dog, they’re the third, fourth and fifth Lessons I learned from Sophie. Here’s how they played out in our lives.

My next step to find treatment options for Sophie took me in a familiar direction. I turned to my computer for answers. It’s something I do every time life throws me a curve. Pouring over pages of research gives me a sense of control and makes it feel like I’m taking action. In this case, …

Cody was a stunningly handsome shepherd/collie mix who I was sure would make our life with three dogs absolutely wonderful. That happened eventually, but it took nearly a year to get there. At first life seemed a lot like the movie 50 First Dates.

By Fall Sophie’s life and my life revolved around lots of medical tests. Each was designed to diagnose the cause of her progressive hind end weakness, but in our case, they only ruled out the conditions she didn’t have. They call that, diagnosis by elimination. It was a frustrating time. No matter what we did, …

Once Sophie recovered from Distemper, our family went into an adjustment period with the new puppy. That meant lots of changes in our life. I don’t know how you feel about change, but I’m not a big fan. I prefer the status quo where I can be in control. But we can’t hold back life …

All of my dogs have come from rescue groups and city shelters. I never had one come down with Distemper until I adopted Sophie. In the U.S. canine distemper is usually seen in puppies that come from overcrowded rescues and not-so-reputable pet shops. That’s due to the fact that one of the first vaccinations young …

I don’t know how your family makes the decision to add a new pet, but the story of how Sophie joined our family started with a bet at a baseball game. We were vacationing in Chicago and decided to take in a game at Wrigley Field.  My husband made the wager in an attempt to …