Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Deaf Dogs from Down Under!

Here's Three Happy Heelers, a kewl blog from my friend Dooby over on the TreasureTime metal detecting forums.


He and his wife have three Australian shepherds, heelers. Two of them -- Louie and Callie -- can't hear, but Dooby says that's ALL they can't do! Gus seems to be the leader of all things rompy and fun. Give 'em a visit, okay?

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Hind Over Matter: Tashi the paraplegic kitten learns to walk!


Go Tashi! Here's a hopeful tale from our own neck of the woods:

RINGOES, N.J. -- A medical marvel in more ways than one, Tashi the kitten was born with a congenital spinal cord condition that paralyzed his hind legs. But Tashi, unaware of his handicap, is still making every effort to walk.

Rescued from a feral cat colony in Ohio, nearly 6-month-old Tashi recently arrived at Tabby's Place, a cage-free cat sanctuary in Ringoes.

"Everyone was very excited about Tashi coming," said Tabby's Place founder, Jonathan Rosenberg.

Tabby's Place specializes in finding homes for cats in desperate circumstances. If not placed, cats like Tashi can remain at the New Jersey facility for life.

"Just having these cats here and being able to help them is really why we do this," Rosenberg said.

Read more...




Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Well, I'll be dogged!


Not necessarily about disabled pets, but about all kinds of dog subjects that could include such a topic is reiki practitioner Beth Lowell's blog, "My Life With Dogs." She writes about the life she shares with her dogs, Dasher and Bella, and a host of friends and neighbrs of varying species.

Conversational, varied, interesting and written with a genuine voice, this dog blog is a real treat for dog lovers or animal enthusiasts in general. Each post feels like sitting across the kitchen table from a good friend, sharing news of the neighborhood, watching various comings and goings, and sharing a laugh or two. Punctuated by Beth's Twitter updates, a critter photo gallery, suggested reading list and more, Dog Blog is a real joy.

Give it a shot -- I bet in no time, you'll have subscribed to the RSS feed to get a daily shot of a guilty pleasure. enjoy!

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Special Pet Space

Where your special pet is precious...


Most pet owners would do just about anything for their four-legged friends. A woman in Rosharon, Texas, has helped hundreds of pet owners by developing a device that helps dogs get around. A devastating medical diagnosis for Laurie Miller's beloved dachshund, Penny, who had surgery for a ruptured disk and could no longer walk, led to she and her husband coming up with a doggie cart to help it get around.

"We looked for carts and my husband was like, 'I could build her something,'" Laurie says. After trial and error, they found a cart design that worked by lifting the dog's hips so she could roll along. Through word of mouth, a business was born. A website helps the Millers sell the Dogs To Go carts for between $50 and $110.

"One reason the carts are so inexpensive is that their parts are pretty affordable," Miller said. "They're made from PVC pipe and stroller wheels." And the Dogs To Go carts have changed the lives of many pets and their owners.

Now Laurie wants owners of disabled pets to know about a site just for your special needs pet, http://specialpetspace.net76.net/. The editors of SpecialPetSpace say "SpecialPetSpace is your place to share stories about your precious disabled or special pet!"

Understanding the needs of handicapped pets and helping one care for them is very important, and one way people can do this is to share their stories. Thousands of people are caring for pets with special needs; senior, geriatric, injured, recovering from surgery, cancer, terminal illness, arthritis, paralysis, physical handicaps and more. Communicating with others who share this special experience with pets can make the journey a little easier for all involved, and SpecialPetSpace provides a place to share videos, audio, photos and stories about your precious disabled or special pet.

In The Interest of Preventing More Pet Disabilities...


Okay, here's one in the vein of trying to keep more animals (and others!) from becoming disabled due to unnecessary injuries:

The UK website, Fit For Life, carries this tidbit from the November 3, 2007 edition of Veterinary Record, the British medical journal. It was contributed by vet Graham Campbell, who asked for it to be as widely publicized as possible. (If you're squeamish, read with care but please don't ignore.)

Graham describes a woman coming to the surgery covered in blood and holding a small Jack Russell terrier. The dog had approached and licked the top of a shredder that had been left on standby. The shredder ripped out and shredded the dog's tongue.

With more of us having these devices in the home to guard against identity theft, the risk of accidents increases. It isn't just small dogs; it's cats, children, your hair, even that long drifty scarf wrapped around your neck. It's whatever touches the shredder when you lean over it to reach something else or to put something through it.

Best solution? Put all shredders out of reach and keep them unplugged unless you're standing there, feeding paper in.


Thursday, February 5, 2009

Help for People With Special Needs Pets

Caring for pets with special needs does not have to be a burden. It can be a richly rewarding experience, as shown in our book Almost Perfect: Disabled Pets and the People Who Love Them. But being the "parent" of pets with physical handicaps or other challenges does require a big heart, patience, and -- sometimes -- specialized knowledge.

The love, compassion and patience are up to you, but we'd like to share a great information and support resource for those considering adding a special needs pet to their families: SpecialNeedsPets.org.


This website s dedicated to providing helpful resources to help assist you with finding information that will help you care for your disabled pet. This includes pets with physical disabilities, chronic or terminal illnesses, who are recovering from a serious injury, has emotional or behavioral problems or is elderly and requiring at-home hospice care.

There are areas on the site that deal with veterinary care and how to find the right vet, species-specific concerns, pet advocacy, holistic health care and nutrition, hospice and euthanasia. There are support sections for caregivers and pet loss, a listing of recommended books, and even support groups and forums.

The knowledge contained on this site could mean the difference in a potential adoptive family believing they couldn't cope with a disabled pet, and deciding the extra effort would be worthwhile. Give it a look!

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Bridging species - and a spinal cord injury

Bella and Tara, a love story. You really can't call it anything else. And we've all heard of animal love stories, but one between a dog and an elephant? Check it out for yourself: