Impaired Pet Care Tips
Pets aren’t immune from injury and aging. Sometimes life leaves your pet with a physical handicap. There are pet owners who can’t handle this and end up putting their pet to sleep. I wonder if most pet owners are aware of the many resources available to them.
Personally, I could never put my pet down due to their having a physical handicap. There are products available and informative websites that enable a full life for an injured or senior pet. Here are some things you can do as a pet owner to make your physically handicapped pet’s life a bit easier.
If you have a dog whose sight is impaired, what would you do? Seriously, what would you do? Think of your pet’s surroundings. You wouldn’t rearrange the furniture, right? And you’d probably be more conscious of picking things up off the floors. You would want to put gates in front of dangerous places like balconies, swimming pools or hot tubs. You can even find protective headgear for her so she doesn’t smash into something and injure herself. You might also softly speak to her before you approach or touch her so she’s not startled. Help her out by working with her other senses. Things like using a fountain water dish where the noise will guide her to her dish. There are many ways to appeal to her other senses to assist her to recognize where she is. For example, use a different shape and texture of pet bed or mat in different rooms. I think you get the idea.
What if your dog is hard of hearing? First and foremost, make sure she’s contained. If she can’t hear danger sounds then she needs to be in a fenced area or on a leash for her protection. Work out signals through training using blinking lights. You can use a flashlight or just toggle your light switch back and forth. Just because your dog can’t hear doesn’t mean she can’t learn! Of course, your facial expressions and hand gestures will also be part of the training so be aware of them.
We’ve all seen a dog whose hind end is harnessed to a rig with two wheels when their back legs are injured and they run around quite nicely. At first, you say “so sad”, but when you think about it, the alternative is so much worse. Probably the biggest thing you should be monitoring as a pet owner of a pet with mobility issues is their weight. The last thing they need is extra strain on their functioning limbs. There are all types of devices to aid your pet in mobility.
In closing, there are many simple steps we as pet owners can take to afford a loving and fulfilling life to a pet with special needs.
Debbie Foster is the owner of Pet Beds Unlimited and an avid animal lover. You’ll find a wide selection of quality pet beds, dog crates, dog carriers, dog pens, cat beds, cat carriers, large dog beds, pet strollers and more at .
