Little Dog in a Big World

Archive for the ‘Dog Wheelchairs’ Category

Sorry I haven’t been keeping folks up to date on Misha’s maturation.  Life has been hectic the last few weeks.

She is now 10 months old.  I’ve seen so many changes in her in the last couple of weeks.  The commands are coming easier.  She’s becoming more compliant.  When I say “Let’s put your leash on”, she leans her neck towards me and waits.  She now sits before eating out of her bowl.  She is also learning her toys by name.

She has been going through a destructive chewing phase.  Thank goodness I had alot of old dog toys because I doubt any of them are going to survive until her first birthday.  She seems to enjoy removing their noses and legs.

She is still a biter though it’s decreasing.  It’s almost always during play.  She tends to get a little rambunctious, then I stop whatever we are playing.  I keep reinforcing “no bite” and hope that eventually it will all sink in.

Her fears are lessening but are still a challenge.  I could not believe the hissy fit she put on the other day when I tried to rub her stomach with a wash cloth.  She was find with her feet and her back, but went into panic mode with the tummy.

She’s also fearful of dogs barking and sudden loud noises.  When we take our walks I have to be on guard for her to panic.  I’ve been working all along to desensitize her as this was an issue right from the start.  There are certain areas we walk in where they are dogs barking and traffic.  I take by their twice a day and even if she tries to run away, I hang around.  Eventually, she forgets whatever scared her and goes back to sniffing the bushes.  Every now and then, she won’t relax and then does the whole block on two legs.

So, at 10 months, she is still very much a puppy but picking up quite well on her dog training.  The wild biting is gone, but more work needs to be done on eliminating it completely.  We can now take walks by cars, but motorcycles are scary.  Bicycles are also make her a little leery.

In time, she will be the good adult dog I’m working towards.  She is a fast learning and seems eager to please. I’ve seen her change so much these last few months, so I know we’re getting there.

Just a week ago, Misha turned 8 months old.  You can see she has all the attitude of a teenager.  LOL

It’s hard to believe she has lived with us 6 months already.  We’ve gotten through the anxious nights, the housebreaking (though an accident every now and then still happens), losing her teeth, the incessant chewing, and all the stages in between.

I’ve been working with her regularly on her dog training.  Short sessions multiple times a day.  She loves to do tricks and is eager to please.

Her enthusiasm sometimes gets the better of her.  I will grab some small treats, give the “come” command, and walk into another room.  She is supposed to follow me and sit when we stop.  She does all this, but as we walk to the other room I see this 8 pound object bouncing two feet off the ground to the left of me.  As I turn around to stop, she immediately gets into sitting position as if she knows she must do so before the teacher looks at her.  It’s really funny to see!

She still has some things to work out.  She’s getting much better about noises.  She no longer panics when we take our walks, though she still gets startled.  I’ve started walking her to a busy corner where she sniffs the bushes.  Slowly but surely she has begun to ignore the sounds of the cars and the people.  Now we need to work on walking in the wind or rain, both of which she has decided must be accomplished at a sprint.

I know with previous puppies that patience is the key.  Sometime after the first year you see the signs of your hard work sinking in.

So, happy 8th month puppy!  It won’t be long before you have your first birthday

As Misha approached 7 months old, I had to seriously think about getting her spayed.  As much as I enjoy having a puppy, a litter of them is just way too much to even think about.  I’m such a sucker.  I wouldn’t be able to give any away.

So Thursday was Misha’s day.  We were up at the crack of dawn to get her to the veterinarian office by 7:30 am.  Boy, was she mad that her food bowl was empty!

I got a phone call at noon.  Everything went fine.

At 5pm, we went to pick her up.  My poor little puppy looked like she’d been through the wringer.  She stood in her travel bag with her hood of shame as if paralyzed.

At home, she sunk into her blankets in the playpen and whined…and whined…and whined…Nothing seemed to console her.  She finally nodded off an hour later.

She ate some food and took her first pain pill.  Then went back to sleep.  Around 10pm, she began to whine again.  I sat with her and pet her, keeping her calm.  She didn’t calm down until after midnight when she dozed off.

She got through the night okay with a couple of whimpers.  At least, that day is over.

I’d heard that Jack Russell’s were fearless. Not Misha.  Every door, horn, scream, hiccup caused her to jump or flee.

Since I wasn’t able to take her for walks until she got her shots, I decided to ease her into the world each day.  Several times a day, I carried her around the neighborhood.  We walked up and down the street, stood on the porch, and checked out the neighbors.

At first, she would shudder in my arms and try to jump to safety.  Slowly but surely, she became comfortable.  I was a little concerned that once I started walking her on leash that she would refuse so she could get carried.  But, it was better for her to be familiar with the sights and sounds outside then to be comfortable on leash.

After a couple weeks, car door no longer scared her.  She is still curious about people walking by but it no longer causes her to get nervous.  Her biggest problem now is the garbage trucks.  I’ve gotten her to where she will stand at my side and watch, though I can feel the tension on the leash.

Each day she gets better, which is what I am striving for.

The Thanksgiving holiday has given me a moment to reflect on how thankful I am to have had Sierra in my life.  I am thankful that this once overly aggressive and dominate pup turned into the sweet natured, children loving, food stealing dog that I loved.  I am also thankful that after her amputation due to cancer I was given 3 1/2 years more of her life to enjoy.  I am deeply grateful to Kathy Barton’s class and the at Handicapped Pets who provided Sierra with a wheel chair.

With that in mind, I have wondered what I should do with the Simple Pleasures blog. After Sierra passed away, I didn’t know what to do with this blog.  I didn’t really have anything else to say, but I didn’t want my posts about Sierra and her month with her wheel chair to disappear.

I’ve decided to continue the blog so that Sierra’s legacy may be passed on.  I think knowing how well she enjoyed life despite her disabilities might help another dog owner going through the same thing.

So, this blog is going to go in a little bit different direction.  You will still find all of Sierra’s posts.  In addition to that will be information on handicapped pets.  You will also be introduced to my new four legged friend, Misha.

I hope you will continue to enjoy this blog as my life without Sierra evolves into life with Misha.

I would like to thank everyone who has sent me a note.  You don’t know how much it means to me.  Sierra would be very happy knowing so many people had been watching over her and rooting for her.

I want to say thanks to the special people at VCA Lewelling Animal Hospital who were always there.  Dr. Beck has been the best Veterinarian an animal owner could wish for.  Cathy and Shirley who worked in the office were always kind and supportive.  Lisa, Sierra’s groomer, was the only one who could get her to behave for a bath.

I also want to thank Kathy Barton, her 4th grade class, and the wonderful folks at the Handicapped Pets Foundation.  Kathy inspired those kids to collect enough money so Sierra and others could have wheelchairs.  The Handicapped Pets Foundation made it happen.  Sierra loved her wheelchair.  Though she was only in it 15-20 minutes a day, she looked forward to going out front to smell the grass and check if any cats had invaded her territory.

Here is a link to Kathy Barton’s class and their project.  Perhaps this will inspire another group to take on a similar project.

Sierra was an ambassador for all the not so perfect pets in this world.  She showed that a 3 legged dog with cancer and arthritis could have a meaningful life.  If you would like to honor her perseverance and the joy she brought to each day, please consider making a donation to the Handicapped Pets Foundation.    You could honor Sierra’s memory in no better way than to make it possible for another disabled dog or cat to get a wheelchair.  Here is their website:  Handicapped Pets Foundation

Thanks again for everyone’s kindness.

It is with a heavy heart that I must tell our readers that Sierra passed away this afternoon.  She had been doing really well, so it’s been a shock.  She went about her morning as normal.  She scarfed down her breakfast, took her walk in her wheelchair, had a snack, and visit with one of her best buds, Jeremy.  In the afternoon, she had a little yogurt and visited with the neighbor.  She seemed to be having trouble with her back leg and gave up visiting to lay on her bed.

About a half hour later, she didn’t look well.  She began to throw up several times.  She rested for a few minutes, looking like she had gotten it all out, then threw up again.

A couple of minutes later, she gave a few coughs–and then she was gone.

She lived a good long life.  She survived cancer after having her back leg amputated.  She adapted to her new life as if three legs was the way she was meant to be.

She was diagnosed with arthritis in her back hip a few months after her amputation.  The Vet said that this was it.  She’d be limited to the backyard and the house.  But, Sierra wouldn’t have none of that!  Once we got her medications regulated, she was back to taking two 10 minute walks a day.

She really had no more problems until this February when she began to get constipated.  This were looking up in May when the constipation was under control and she was given a donated wheelchair by Kathi Barton’s class and the wonderful people at The Handicapped Pets Foundation.  In June, she was up walking with her wheelchair, chasing cats, and enjoying the feel of grass on her paws.

It’s so hard to say goodbye especially to a pet who has been such a great companion, who was such a fighter, and such a clown.  She was a thief who would steal food off your plate and the best companion a child could ever ask for.  She merely asked for a little peanut butter, a sun spot to sleep in, and tummy rubs.

I have so many good memories of Sierra.  The time she tried to steal the birthday cake off the table, sharing my bed with her while I read, how she adapted to the arthritis in my feet and would gingerly move around me, how she enjoyed laying down on top of the tent while my nephew and I tried to put it up, how tolerant she was of the younger family dogs who loved her too much, how she allowed my niece to clean her teeth with a wet washrag, how she stole a full loaf of bread the my niece and nephew had just pulled out of the bread machine, how she pulled a twenty dollar bill out of my sister’s purse, the time she came under the table, jumped up and took a bite out of the pumpkin pie while we were singing “Happy Birthday to You”…There are so many memories.  Mostly, I’ll miss her eagerness to start the day with all her aches and pains and how she would lay on my lap and practically knock me off the bed.

Here are a few photos of my little sweetness…I’ll miss you, babe!

May you enjoy all the best sun spots now…

Today “we” jumped a minor hurdle.  I put the harnesses on Sierra.  As I wheeled her chair over, she sat up–without a treat!  I had to hurry up and hook the front then lift her back end before she layed down again.  I’m often amazed at how she figures out new routines and adapts to them.

We went out the front door today, just so I could get a little practice.  Once again, things were easier.  She is adjusting to the size of her new butt.  I’m figuring out when I need to assist her.

Here is Sierra just getting out the front door and checking out the scene:

Before every ride, I take Sierra out for a potty stop.  Today, she went out, pooped but didn’t pee.  You probably know where this is leading…

She did her routine in the front yard.  When she was done she rolled into the backyard and proceeded to pee with her harness and chair still attached.

I got her into the house, disconnected everything, then washed her off.  Then I washed the harness and the side of the chair that got hit.  Good thing the harness is very easy to wipe off.

Technically, it’s not an accident.  After all, she was on the back grass where she normally does her business.  Sigh…

I am going to have to be more persistent in that she does everything before coming back in to get harnessed.  I’ve heard that some people cut patches in the back harness to allow for potty time.  I’m not sure how you do this for a female dog.  Another less on learned.  Just because your dog hasn’t done something before doesn’t mean they won’t.

I knew that this would happen eventually.  Sierra was in her chair too long today.

She wheeled herself out front and then what happened?  She sniffed a cat.  Boy, did she ever go.  She followed that scent until she found the neighbor’s cat under the bush in the shade.  And, then she would not leave.

It was already over 80F at 10 am.  So, it was hot and she was being obstinate.  She just would not move.  I was caught by surprise at how strong her front legs were because I could not budge her.

After a few minutes, I got her attention.  I got her over to the sidewalk.  She kept her eyes on the cat the whole time!

Once I got her in the house, I realized she had been in the chair at least 20 minutes which was 5 minutes longer than normal.  When I unhooked her, her back leg was very tired.  This lingered throughout the day.

I decided that on Monday I would talk to the Vet about pain relief.  She is on Deramaxx.  But, this extra activity was causing her pain because she wasn’t used to it.  I know are medications that would make things easier for her.  We’d just have to work on finding the right one.