My dog is paralyzed. How can I provide the best daily care at home?

My practice does rehab for animals like yours that are recovering from paralysis. I find doing laser like you are doing in the photo helps, also acupuncture. For my acupuncture treatments I start with three treatments several days to a week apart then every 2-4 weeks. This can help the nerves start functioning again. The incontinence may improve with time also, I generally continue to see improvement over the first 4-6 months after the paralysis. Make sure you are fully expressing his bladder and repeating a course of antibiotics to cure a low grade urinary infection may help also. To manage the fecal incontinence you can learn to stimulate him to poop twice daily which helps control accidents in the house. Check Dodger's List for other ideas on how to manage him. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you get answers to your veterinary questions.

Thank you for using PetCoach. I am so sorry for you and your pup and the decisions you are having to make. One of the best people to help you with this decision is his veterinarian as they have seen and evaluated him. Some dogs with back/disc problems are extremely painful. In this case, euthanasia is absolutely the best decision if surgery isn't an option. In some cases, dogs can live several years while paralyzed, but it does require extreme dedication on the part of their owners. These dogs need to have their bladders expressed regularly and may also have some bladder or fecal incontinence, meaning stool or urine may be released anywhere, and the dog is incapable of controlling it. Some dogs may need enemas periodically. Often these dogs will develop sores on their legs, and need socks or leggings to help protect their legs. They do make "wheelchairs" but these cannot be left on them more than an hour or two at a time. They can develop urinary track infections that will need medications fairly often due to urine not being completely emptied from the bladder. I'm not trying to scare you, but I want you to understand the care he may need. If you are unable to provide that level of care, euthanasia is a very kind choice in that situation. But if he isn't painful and you are up to the challenge, then speak with his veterinarian about his best care and what you need to do to help him. He may still be able to live a happy life for months to years. Here is more info on care http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1522 And a website that make wheel chairs http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1522 that has more links to support groups etc. I think as long as you can ensure he can have a good quality of life, then it is fair to keep going. If work, family, finances or other concerns will not allow him to receive the care he may require, then euthanasia is a very fair and kind option. I hope this may help and I am very sorry for this decision you are making.

Having a paralyzed pet can be very rewarding but will require more care. Here is a helpful link: https://www.marvistavet.com/care-of-the-paralyzed-animal.pml Diapers, pee pads, a dry shampoo and baby wipes will helps to keep Whitey cleaner without frequent bathing. Physical therapy can also be immensely beneficial. Setting up a gated area may also help to keep Whitey indoors and safe. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It sounds like your dog may have meningitis or encephalitis or had a brain bleed. You will have to express his bladder twice a day to get the urine out and hopefully his anal ring muscles are relaxed so the intestines are pushing out feces. He will need to drink water to keep from dehydrating and hopefully he eats his food. The fact that his right side is paralyzed is a sign that the left side of the brain is where this initially started. It will take a few days for improvement to be obvious. You should consult with your veterinarian again tomorrow, because of the inability to urinate and defecate. This will complicate matters. Here is a video on how to express a urinary bladder: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAaLdeJCIkw

Poor Bruno!! Distemper is terrible disease and he is lucky to have survived. The best way to prevent pressure sores and scratches is to keep him on soft surfaces and make sure he is rotating every two hours. One effective way to do this is to have a sand pit on the property. You can enclose the sandy area, which will give him enough room move around. Another option is to bandage over the hips and other areas that tend to get scratched. You can bandage with extra padding (like roll cotton) to help keep him from getting pressure sores. You can also put a t-shirt over the hind end to help protect it. However, you would need to change the bandages everyday and they can be difficult to keep from slipping. I hope that helps and all is well with Bruno.

Hello again. As I mentioned before Hannu needs rest. This means in a cage where he cannot move around much. You will need to express his bladder about 4-6 times per day. I hope the vet gave you medicine, so continue to give that as prescribed. If he improves it will take weeks to months to get better. His best chance for quicker recovery is surgery. If you have more questions a consult with us would be best. Good luck and kisses to Hannu!

Unfortunately the only thing that will prevent this is to take him outside often and/or change his pee pad/diapers regularly and often. Shave the hair around the penis and on his belly in front of the penis and wash the area when he peed on it , at least twice daily, You need to dry the area well and then you can apply plenty of vaseline to keep the urine from coming into contact with the skin. If the inflammation is severe, if there are raw skin lesions or if you cannot completely remove the crusts and masses you will need to take him to a vet to examine him.