Help needed for deaf teen's hearing dog
Help needed for deaf teen's hearing dog
Her big boy and "ears" of 8 years has a compressed disc and is losing the use of his hind legs. We need help with surgery costs or at the very least the best kind of assistive device we can find for him. Any ideas? Biscuit is otherwise healthy and happy and wants very much to keep hearing for his girl.[/img]
Have you asked the group that originally trained the dog? They might be able to help. As far as walking aids and the like go, you would be best served posting on the neuro bb.There is a lady named Dee who posted about having a wheelchair for a golden retriever. If you are interested in a wheelchair you may want to check this out on the www.petswithdisabilities.org bulletin board. Diana
Biscuit has a wheelchair!
We are so thrilled and thankful to report that Biscuit, our deaf teen's dog, will be getting wheelchair! Thanks to all of you who emailed ideas, links, and prayers for the best. Bless you! 
Yay Biscuit! Congrats!Hi shujeans,
I'm glad the wheelchair came through. Three cheers for that!
Did your vet mention to you the possiblity of trying crate rest and steroids with this dog? In some cases 6-8 weeks of complete rest in a crate 24/7 (only out to potty) will work to allow the disk to recover. A compressed disk will sometimes plump itself back up if it is left totally alone and not irritated further. The reason for strict crate rest is that the disk plumps back up very slowly, and you cannot risk the dog doing any activity that might compress it back down again before it has regained its proper shape. If it was my dog and I did not have surgery available, I would absolutely try that. This is actually a standard treatment for a compressed disk when you aren't having surgery. It is also common to put the dog on a course of steroids during rest, to treat swelling around the disk. In some cases crate rest plus steroids restores the dog to health, which is better for the dog and also means you do not need to buy a wheelchair. Glad you will have the wheelchair available if you need it. However, if your dog is able to recover with crate rest and steroids, you could pass the chair on to another family who needs it. Congratulations on finding a wheelchair.
EDIT: P.S. You can still pursue financial aid for surgery. This link has 2 organizations that provide funds for labs, as well as other organizations that give financial assistance for pets.
http://www.handicappedpet.net/helppets/ ... php?t=8162
I'm glad the wheelchair came through. Three cheers for that!
Did your vet mention to you the possiblity of trying crate rest and steroids with this dog? In some cases 6-8 weeks of complete rest in a crate 24/7 (only out to potty) will work to allow the disk to recover. A compressed disk will sometimes plump itself back up if it is left totally alone and not irritated further. The reason for strict crate rest is that the disk plumps back up very slowly, and you cannot risk the dog doing any activity that might compress it back down again before it has regained its proper shape. If it was my dog and I did not have surgery available, I would absolutely try that. This is actually a standard treatment for a compressed disk when you aren't having surgery. It is also common to put the dog on a course of steroids during rest, to treat swelling around the disk. In some cases crate rest plus steroids restores the dog to health, which is better for the dog and also means you do not need to buy a wheelchair. Glad you will have the wheelchair available if you need it. However, if your dog is able to recover with crate rest and steroids, you could pass the chair on to another family who needs it. Congratulations on finding a wheelchair.
EDIT: P.S. You can still pursue financial aid for surgery. This link has 2 organizations that provide funds for labs, as well as other organizations that give financial assistance for pets.
http://www.handicappedpet.net/helppets/ ... php?t=8162