DO you have a dog that has lost the use of their hind legs and are looking for what you can do to help them?

I recently went Live in Living with Dogs with Disabilities with my Top 5 Tips for Living with a Down Dog.  There is so much you can do to help restore mobility…. It’s not over, it is just different.  

These 5 TIPS are simple but can greatly improve your dog’s quality of life and possibly prevent some other serious health conditions.   Doing nothing is never an option which is why I share blogs like this, do free livestreams and host FREE events like the upcoming Navigating DM and Canine Disk Disease, Jan 11-13th (registration required)  So that you can learn everything you CAN DO to help your dog.

 

If you want to know more about this FREE ONLINE EVENT with some of the best in canine rehab and integrative medicine, then keep reading. ⬇️

 

TIP 1: HYGIENE & TOILETING 🚿

Not the most sexy tip but imperative.  One of the things I see the most in these pups is UTIs and once they start they are hard to stop.  Prevention is key!

  • Have a toileting routine 
  • Keep them clean and dry
  • Learn bladder expression
  • Use pee pads and belly bands (Amazon affiliate link)
  • Keep their feet clean and dry too
  • And check paws and boney areas daily for sores – sores may require a vet visit

 

TIP 2 BEDDING 🛏

Paralyzed dogs spend a lot of time lying so bedding is important

  • Orthopaedic beds or memory foam that helps disperse body weight so it isn’t on the bony prominences constantly
  • “Flip” them if they don’t have the mobility to shift themselves.  This should be done every couple waking hours.
  • Keep bedding clean and dry

 

TIP 3: DIET & NUTRITION 🥦

We will get more into this during Navigating DM and Disk Disease but I do want to touch on a few things now.

  • Access to fresh water
  • Incorporate as much fresh food into their diet as possible.  We have a balanced recipe in the pre-event training material you can follow 
  • Ideal body weight to take stress off their front end and reduce the risk of other health conditions and physiologic stress and disease progression.
  • Some of my favorite basic supplements for neurologic conditions include Lion’s Mane, Omega 3 and Curcumin (Amazon affiliate links)

 

Tip 4 THERAPEUTIC EXERCISE 💪

This is another area we will take a deep dive into during the event, but here are a few basics for a dog with rear paralysis

  • You need to move their limbs for them to help keep the joints amd soft tissue healthy
  • Stretch big muscle groups, shoulder and hip flexors; and shoulder extenders (stretch video)
  • Massage head to toes (Relaxing Massage Video)
  • Get them supported in an upright position

 

Tip 5 HARNESS & PAWEAR 🐾

The properly fit harness can support your dog, reduce fall risk, and is good for yoru own body mechanics!

Help em Up harness is a full body harness , helping connect the front and back.  It is also much safer when getting your dog up and dog stairs, or into the car

For a pup that is completely down behind, you want boots that will protect their feet from the environment and the elements.  I really like GUMY boots and Muttluks (amazon affiliate links)

 

BONUS: ENRICHMENT 🧠

  • Brain games help stimulate your dog’s mind and give them something to do that is intrinsic to them
  • Games that involve scent and reward also help stimulate dopamine and serotonin which make your dog FEEL GOOD.  (Brain Games Video)
  • Get them outdoors for some peemail walks – lots of great sniffing opportunities!

If this was helpful, it just scratches the surface of what will be covered from the 11th-13th in NAVIGATING DM & DISK DISEASE. 

In this free event, our guest speakers are bringing new protocols to share, approaches to treatment to restore function/mobility. 

🚨🚨🚨The broadcast is free and live streamed into our Facebook community (available this weekend!)  The VIP Zoom Room is the ONLY place I will be taking event questions.  Our VIP (AKA Very Important Dog) members will be able to join daily, private, post event Q&As as well as have lifetime access to event content.   

Are you ready to start learning NOW?  Register right away and get pre-event training!  And if you are looking for that extra support, want to ask questions and be able to reflect back on the content shared do the Upgrade for VIP members.