Story of Three Wheel Chair Dogs

This blog post coincides with the fundraiser for wheelchairs, other equipment and supplies for three wonderful dogs in need.  I run a small rescue DENVER DOG RESCUE that specializes in special needs dogs (aggression, socialization, behavioral, medical, elderly and handicapped).  As most of you know, rescuers are all volunteers that use a lot of their own money to take care of animals that otherwise would suffer and/or perish.  We do it for the love of the animals and appreciate any donations to help our dogs and many others. So thank you!

DOG 1:

Red is a Boston Terrier that was rescued by a member of the BTRTOC.  She and her husband have 8 dogs in total, all rescued.  One is blind. One is young but spinal issues requiring a diaper for life.  Red is older, has arthritis and his back legs do not work so good.  He has needed a wheelchair for many months and we have already raised the funds for his wheelchair and ordered it. His proud mom has "leaky eyes" from so many kind donations.  She takes in many dogs that no one else wants and loves them unconditionally.  Our rescue wanted to help her and Red as wheelchair experts -so Thank YOU!


DOG 2:

Buddy is a member of the Denver Dog Rescue pack.  He came in as a last ditch foster effort (he had four homes in less than two years).  Bostons particularly do not do well moved around from home to home so Buddy had some issues with constant marking in the house which makes him feel more settled/comfortable. He also was blind due to juvenile cataracts, along with diagnosed ADD and bad manners like jumping on people.  The intake rescue and myself afforded him the corrective lens surgery and it was a success. Buddy is a hot mess of adventure. He has survived falling into the lake (blind at time) nearly drowning, major eye surgery, copperhead bite, Myelomalacia, and wheelchair being hit by my own golf cart (both learning the "new" Buddy) while exercising.  Buddy goes on daily runs (grass/dirt/gravel trails) as well as he hikes, swims, etc. I made it my mission to keep him to his normal life as much as possible.  Because he off-roads a lot, he beats his wheelchairs to death.  Buddy is 10 and has been thru 4 wheelchairs, all different brands. They all have been soldered, taped, sealed, refurbed, new tires, etc.  It is time for a new one for all his many adventures.  Backstory, Buddy became handicapped at age six due to disc blown out (peeing of all things).  He doesn't feel anything below the waist and is the happiest dog around.  Here is more on his story:

https://www.wbtv.com/story/32280418/paralyzed-boston-terrier-overcoming-all-obstacles-even-swimming/

DOG 3:

This is Noah. He is a two year old purebred French  Bulldog and needs a forever home.  I am helping foster for his intake rescue Peanuts Place Small Breed Rescue in Matthews, NC. You can find them on Facebook and https://www.peanutsplacerescue.org/.  Please contact them directly to submit an application or inquire on Noah. I will assist in helping new owner with training, equipment, and special needs.  Noah also ruptured a disc at his breeder's outdoor kennels and has Myelomalacia. He was taken to vet and surrendered to the rescue due to his lifelong condition.  The rescue (not the breeder has spent thousands to save Noah and could use more dog loving community support). Noah is a super sweet dog. Loving. No aggression.  He is still learning his new reality and needs continuous love, support, physical therapy (will show you how), wheelchair training, diaper changes, and general dog training. He is still learning his name and how to play. I agreed to help him with all the equipment needed, training, fostering and vetting as his intake rescue is overwhelmed with dogs at this time of year and I have rehabbed "down dogs" before.  He can go anywhere in the US but new potential owners must come to rescue to be interviewed and meet him before he can go home with you.  Denver Dog Rescue has now raised enough for him to get his very own wheelchair (using a loaner from Buddy that doesn't fit great) so again THANK YOU!

Please consider donating to Peanuts Place (see link above) or Denver Dog Rescue. Both are registered 501 (c) (3) organizations and can provide you with a receipt.

Denver Dog Rescue

8180 Hope Drive

Denver, NC 28037

Or Fundraiser at https://www.facebook.com/donate/778811999254961/

The Love and Beauty of a WheelChair Dog

This is Buddy. My handicapped, handicapable, down dog, hell on wheels, turn and burn, happy damn dog.  I rescued him when he was two. Longer story (search archives) but he has been through a lot.  After loving him for four years, he blew out a disc at age six.  He cried out in pain and that was it. His lower half would be forever numb.

He was very independent, active, athletic, smart, determined, happy, driven, and a lovable dog. And he still is, even more so now. It took time to adjust. Two months for him to be OK with a wheelchair and wearing diapers. It took me a lot longer. I held out hope. Tried it all.  I was exhausted. Then one day I accepted his fate as he did.

Suddenly my most independent of four dogs was the most dependent.  He could not go outside without me (can't get through doggie door). Had to be watched.  At first hand fed, and trained all over again (how to use wheelchair, ramps, wait, move, crawl, turn over, eat, hold still for diaper duty, etc).  His eyes search for me everywhere, all the time.  It has been 4 years.  Before he never paid a lot of attention to my whereabouts. Now he keeps one eye open even when I think he is sleeping. he literally watches my every move.

The vets told me his personality would change. He became a lot more dependent and dare I say "needy".  He would cry out when his diaper was wet or smelled for a change. He barks when he wants up on bed or couch even I do not notice "the nod", where he tilts his head up as a child would do to be picked up. And he barks when he wants to get down or me to bring him water.   Buddy hated to be held or picked up.  After a few weeks, he had to let go. Trust me to hold him and place him in his wheelchair. My saving grace was that boy did he love his wheelchair. It meant he could GO. Freedom. Zoom Zoom.

At first all he could do was scoot around. Very slow. Very low. Painful to watch. But it didn't seem to hurt his pride. He thought he was still a bad ass. Chase balls. Chase dogs.  Chase visitors.  Then I put him into his new wheels after he had a chance to heal a bit, and he took off and has never looked back...except to look for me. And I was always watching over him like a worried but proud mom. I want him to have the best things and the best life possible.

We now share a bond I can't quite describe.  I was told he might not survive.  I was told I should "put him down". I was with him every step of the way. Frightened of the unknown.  Forgetting he had special needs. It was a new world for us both. He now needed basically full-time care like an infant....constantly changing diapers, wiping him, bathing him in sink, keeping him warm, giving physical therapy, building handicapped ramps and barriers as needed, and finding new ways to do things. 

We kept our normal. Car rides. Boat rides. Daily walks. Running around yard 15 times a day. He is a beautiful dog. The happiest and most well adjusted of all four.  But he needs me to do it all- help him pee, poo, clean him, put him in a chair to run, open the door, get on furniture, and watch him for flips/falls/stuck situations.  And when you hold a sick dog, watch him fight back, beat the odds, and hold his head up with pride as he struts by in diapers and a wheelchair, you just KNOW there is something special there.

We have a bond.  He needs me except when he sleeps. If he wakes up, I must cover him (used to do that himself).  And we do it each day, every day, for the rest of his life. Down dogs (vet term) get a lot of UTIs, thus I am always giving him antibiotics to make him better and somehow he knows. This also means a shortened lifespan as he can become immune to the antibiotics. It is hard to describe because you have a closer connection with a wheelchair dog. Dare I say a deeper love? It is a labor of love, that is to be sure, but it is also a thing of pure beauty. Care. Trust. Love. Concern. Protection. And kindness.  I work every day to be a worthy mom.

Another interesting artist...Lori Portka

I saw this print on a friend's facebook page that is also an artist and loved it. Love all animals. Surround oneself with love.  I am sharing with permission from the artist (can order prints if you like it or check out her other works).  I found this image peaceful and uplifting.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/99762754/print-surrounded-by-love-always-8x10

Deafness

Deafness is not always noticed by we humans.  I have fostered a deaf dog (white boxer), and I have had older dogs go deaf over time. I read, and notice sometimes, that people complain or give up their dogs because they will not listen when in actuality they are deaf.  It is easy to test them to be sure.

Case in point, my Shanti.  She is not old (just turned 10) and is now completely deaf and I did not notice. She has never really "listened" and always ignored me (lol she is a trip), but lately it just seems worse.  I tested her a couple of ways and she couldn't hear anything, yet is not startled when I touch her from behind, and things like that. We have a routine and she follows it daily so it was hard to notice until my mom pointed it out.  Shanti hid it well (watches me closely), follows me everywhere, uses her sense of smell to find me, etc.

I am working on a few hand signals that I use with all dogs (they respond better) and continue to love on her big time.  With deaf dogs, the hardest part is when they are not watching (or get too far away) so you need to make sure they stay close.

Thus remember your puppy/dog could be deaf, partially deaf, slowly going deaf, etc., and watch for the signs : startled when you come in, follows you more, bewildered, won't listen to verbal commands, doesn't hear things (drop a loud object behind them), etc.  And be on the lookout to help others who may have a deaf dog and not know it. It happens more than you think.

Love on.

Dog food recalls and top 25 brands to buy

Dear Fellow Dog Lover, Because you signed up on our website and asked to be notified, I'm sending you this special recall alert. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, please click the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of this message. Hill's Pet Nutrition is expanding its recent recall to include one lot of its Prescription Diet dog food due to elevated levels of vitamin D. Very high levels of vitamin D can lead to serious health issues in dogs, including kidney dysfunction. To learn which products are affected, please visit the following link:Hill's Prescription Diet and Science Diet Dog Food Recall Expands Important Best Dry Dog Foods Update We've recently updated our Best Dry Dog Foods page. Here are 7 of The Advisor's Top 25 Best Dry Dog Foods for May 2019: Instinct Original Dry Dog Food Wellness Complete Health Dry Dog Food Dr. Tim's Dry Dog Food Taste of the Wild Dry Dog Food Victor Classic Dry Dog Food Nulo Freestyle Grain-Free Dry Dog Food Canidae Grain-Free Pure Dry Dog Food Click here to see all 25 best dry dog foods for May 2019.   Please feel free to share this recall alert with other pet owners. Mike Sagman, Editor The Dog Food Advisor P.S. Not already on our dog food recall notification list? Sign up to get critical dog food recall alerts by email. There's no cost for this service. No spam. Cancel anytime.

New Entry - Yay

We are back. Same four as last year....Samson, Buddy, Shanti, and Glendal.  We get frequent visitors like my buddy Axel (rescued Boston mix) too.

We are all part of Denver Dog Rescue. That is Denver of the East (NC).    We are a charity organization, specializing in special needs dogs.  Special can mean a lot of things so to name a few:
elderly (Glendal),  ongoing medical conditions (Shanti and Sam), and handicapped (Buddy).  We do our best to help others with medical, behavioral, and financial concerns. 

DDR donates used equipment and new supplies; we always need dog houses, dog beds, dog blankets, wheel chairs, push strollers, diapers, wipes, diaper rash creme, butt wipes, paper towels, persil detergent, toys, treats, food, bowls, leashes and collars, and financial contributions.You name it it!

So thank you to all that have done so much for these dogs and the many we foster, rescue, transport, and support.

More soon. I promise.
K

Shanti. The lone wolf and only female. Also a laid back alpha.

Buddy's new Christmas sweater and tightie whities.

Cousin Axel and Buddy.  Rescued Bostons Rock!

Sam. Not quite patient waiting on his ride.

Samson. Big Brother. Sweet dog and can sleep in many odd positions.

Glendal. The old man. Does what he wants and gives the stink eye.

Buddy, Sam, and Glendal. All looking guilty but I am not sure of what yet.

Sam and Glendal in front of space heater.  Their first love.