Paralyzed dog won't lie down to sleep and has sores on the o

[Mybaby2028]

My dog was suddenly paralyzed about two months ago. It was misdiagnosed at first, bc he could walk but with much pain, as arthritis in the knees. When it progressed to a weak, wobbly, clumsy walk more meds were prescribed for pain. This didn't help and I knew it was something more so insisted he be seen. On the morning if his appointment i woke to find him d aging himself like a seal...he never walked again and won't ever. The vet recognized it as a back problem at this point. It was too late for surgery so crating and steroids were prescribed. But the lump on his back still troubled me so I had him seen again. No improvement, no answers so eventually they stayed the lump. It is a mass but they didn't know what. I eventually pushed to have it needle aspirated so cells could be tested...inconclusive. The test was repeated and again was inconclusive. But the practice doesn't want to biopsy bc now he's lost do much from muscle atrophy and us weak. The think it is most likely cancer. I'm unemployed through all this, having lost my job suddenly, so all the care has been put on credit cards I can't pay. He needs a wheelchair which the vet thinks he deserves as he us still healthy and largely happy. I'm trying to find help to get him that. But recently my dog seems not happy...I find this is likely bc he has sores on the pads of his front paws, the on,y legs he can use to get around! I Don't know what they're from or how to tjx them. Further, my dog won't lie down! He's taken to leaning on the side of his crate to sleep upright but is t sleeping much bc of this. I'm not sure if the lack of rest is the cause of his sores or what. And I don't know what to do to help him. I've an appointment coming to have him fitted for a chair, presuming I can get help (hopefully) or a used one. But I worry about these sores! And what will the lack of sleep and the strain from constantly being upright in the front do to him. Any advice to help would be appreciated?

[critters]

See if the Handicapped Pet Foundation will send him Walkin' Wheels.

It's really weird that he'd have skin breakdown on limbs he's not dragging.

As for sleeping upright, maybe he's more comfy that way. Can you rig a pile of pillows so he can lie down vertically? My Baby likes to do that sometimes.

[Mybaby2028]

Thanks so much for the reply and welcome. Yes, I did apply for the handicapped pet foundation. Waiting and hoping.

I thought the sores on his feet were from the extra work they were doing and how he jumps up when he was lying down then now from not lying down. But I don't know! Perhaps it's urine scalp since he's definitely hit his feet when I take him outside to express his bladder so I might not have cleaned them good enough (baths are one of his fears and very difficult for me in his condition since he was fifty pounds and I'm bout 120). So I was relying on baby wipes though even that was difficult since he's reluctant to let those two feet leave the ground and he fights me with everything he's got...this is all still knew to him. But, He's had two baths since they were noticed so if that was the cause they are thoroughly cleaned now and will stay that way since I now take precautions. But, I'm not sure how to get them healed up since he's constantly on them. I tried Desitin since that works so well but I worry about him licking it. So I tried bag balm...both were short lived use and didn't seem to help,though I didn't stick with it. And then again it could just be that he's kver grooming them in the first place. Oh, the tangled web. I'm at a loss,

On the sleeping thing, he seems to have it figured out by leaning on the mess portions of his crate and what have u. He has started to lie occasionally again which is a relief to me. So I guess whatever works for him! I was just concerned it would make his sores worse and not allow them to heal. I'm not sure what is best for his feet where he could put them in his mouth (covering them in socks didn't work btw).

[critters]

I think it's fairly important to find out what's causing the sores so you can fix it; you might even have to experiment with different stuff to see what helps. You're right to be careful about what stuff is mouth-safe! Yes, the stubborn ones are LOTS more difficult to deal with!

[Mybaby2028]

Yes important but I can't figure it out. If it isn't the added pressure from relying on two feet instead of 4, then it can only be one of two things I can think of...the friction from him jumping up (if he lies down he jumps up onto his two feet anytime you look at or approach him or he sees you move or anything) on the pee pads I line his bed and crate with (clean, fres, and dry and changed MANY times a day...he wears a belly band for leakage so there is no moisture on them but I do it bc we've not mastered a schedule for poo and I do t want it everywhere or ruining another bed. Or him over grooming. But I've never seen him licking his feet but once awhile before I even noticed the sores. I do t get it! And I don't know what to put on them to heal,them or how to keep it on his feet since he walks on them. I'm lost

[CarolC]

Here is a nice thread about a similar topic.

http://handicappedpet.net/helppets/view ... =9&t=16784

In my experience (using vaseline on my own hands) you would need to butter his pads real good with the vaseline or whatever you are using and put socks on. But you don't have to leave them on all the time, just leave them on till it absorbs which might be, I don't know, an hour or two. You will definitely get stains on your carpet if he walks on the rug with vaseline on his paws.

You are doing extremely well expressing him and doing all this care which came suddenly. Have you considered expressing him lying down since you only weigh 120 lbs? Doing that, you also have more control over where the stream goes...you can cover his male area with a towel or something absorbent while expressing so the urine does not go anyplace you don't want it.

There are videos at the the end of this link showing expressing medium and large dogs lying down.

http://handicappedpet.net/helppets/view ... =5&t=16027 (scroll to end for videos)

Also, it sounds like you are doing excellent nursing care keeping his bed dry. If you are currently unemployed (why do things have to happen at the same time?) the cost of underpads may start to add up. I don't know if you are in an apartment or if you live where you have your own washer and dryer, but here I don't use disposable pads, I use the reusable kind and run a load of doggy laundry every other day.



Have you ever seen those synthetic fleece baby crib pads with the waterproof liner? They are the same size as a disposable underpad.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Garanimals-Qu ... k/23516817

I get the kind with no elastic at Wal-Mart, just flat. They keep the dog dryer than the disposables, and you can wash them. You don't even have to dry them, you can throw them over the shower curtain rod if you want, they dry so fast. It's possible you may have a friend with some they don't need, or another option if you sew is to cut up an old mattress pad and make multiple underpads for him that way. Here I can find them at the local secondhand store for maybe $2.99-$3.99?



Ideas for managing the bowel incontinence are here!

http://handicappedpet.net/helppets/view ... =5&t=18586