PS Dogster

Special Needs Pet Feature of the Week: Mira Bella

Posted by Barbara Techel


What is your pets name? 

Mira Bella

How old is your pet?

6 years

Where did you get your pet? 

I had a friend on a dachshund site that posted that she has made contact with an old high school friend in the New Orleans area, and that person had a “piebald” dachshund that she was going to have put to sleep because she couldn’t walk.

After much thought I decided that I would take the dog and rehab her so she would not have to be destroyed.  When I finally saw pictures of her I realized immediately that she was a Double Dapple.  Then kind of as an afterthought her old owner mentioned that she was also deaf.  At that point it didn’t matter anyhow so I flew to New Orleans and brought her home to Montana with me.

I took her to my vet and after X-rays found out she was paralyzed due to blunt trauma or some kind of crushing force to her spine.    Since I am a certified canine massage therapist I began a rigorous rehab program with her as she had been down for so long that she was way beyond the point that surgery could help.

She now can walk albeit wobbly.  In the cold months she has some mobility issues and so we continue her rehab therapies as she needs them.

What is your pets physical challenge? 

Mira is incontinent, deaf, and partially blind on top of her back issues.

What is your pets favorite thing to do? 

Mira is a real cuddly snuggler, and she loves to run, romp and play with my other dogs.  My favorite thing Mira does is what we call going psycho dog, when I vacuum the house the sound doesn’t bother her at all of course but I think she can feel the vibration because she will race around as fast as she can and then grab the closest stuffy toy she can and give it the old doxie death shake.


What is your pets favorite thing to eat?

Mira is a real cheese hound.  If I go anywhere near the fridge she is right there hoping for a slice.

What do you love most about your pet?

I love Mira’s dedication, and her ability to love in spite of the abuse she suffered before she came to me.

What has your pet most taught you?

You can’t keep a good dog down.  Her tenacity and determination to walk and be able to chase around and play with my dogs is amazing.  I think much like most dogs Mira has no idea she has any handicaps and is just as active and playful as the rest of my gang.

Anything else you’d like to share? 

Mira has been an inspiration to many in this area, and the funny thing is with the work I did with her I ended up becoming something of a downed doxie referral person with my vet.  Thanks to Mira and her story no less than 6 doxies have been spared euthanasia after the dogs parents met her and heard her story.


***If you care for a special needs pet and would like your pet featured, please email me through my website contact. Send a photo and I will forward the questionnaire for your pet to be featured in an upcoming post.***

Special Needs Pet Feature: Cassidy

Posted by Barbara Techel


What is your pet’s name? 

Cassidy

How old is your pet? 

1 1/2 years old

Where did you get your pet? 

A lady contacted me and said, one of her dachshund puppies was born blind and asked if I would take it, because they wouldn’t be able to sell her like that.  They bred to dapples together and that is the result.


What is your pet’s physical challenge?  

Completely blind.

What is your pet’s favorite thing to do? 

She likes to play with her siblings, go for car rides and play at the bike trail.

What is your pet’s favorite thing to eat? 

Pumpkin or Peanut Butter Frozen Yogurt Cubes.


What do you love most about your pet?  

She is VERY loving and VERY brave.

What has your pet most taught you? 

That you don’t have to be perfect….that you don’t have to see love, to feel it.  And that a disability doesn’t have to hinder you, from living and loving life.

Anything else you’d like to share? 

Cassidy is quite an inspiration.  Everyone that meets her, cannot believe she is even blind….she is courageous, outgoing and loves everyone….yes, I think she is amazing!


Such beautiful, beautiful photos of darling, Cassidy!  I’m so glad you shared her with me and my readers.

***If you care for a special needs pet and would like your pet featured, please email me through my website contact. Send a photo and I will forward the questionnaire for your pet to be featured in an upcoming post.***

 

Special Needs Pet Feature: Fiona McSnuggles

Posted by Barbara Techel

There are so many caring pet parents out there who take care of special needs pets. To bring more attention to these joyful animals, and extraordinary people, this is a new feature to my blog. If you care for a special needs pet and would like your pet featured, please email me through my website contact. Send a photo and I will forward the questionnaire for your pet to be featured in an upcoming post.


What is your pets name?

Fiona McSnuggles

How old is your pet?

Approximately five years old

Where did you get your pet?

She was adopted from the Shelby County Animal Shelter in Shelbyville, KY

What is your pet’s physical challenge?

She has no eyes. They were removed a little over a year ago since they were painful and non operational.

What is your pet’s favorite thing to do?

Snuggle time with anyone that will pick her up.

What is your pet’s favorite thing to eat?

She isn’t very food motivated but likes soft treats best.

What do you love most about your pet?

The way she walks around wagging her tail, being a happy dog all the time.

What has your pet most taught you?

Nothing is impossible if you want it. She has no fear and will climb and jump all over the furniture.

Anything else you’d like to share?

She is a great example of making the best out of a bad situation. We were afraid that she would be nippy or fearful since she’s blind but she’s the happiest little dog and just wants to be loved. She’s a doll baby and so loving.  When she was originally examined by the vet in KY, the shelter was told that she had incurable cancer that would soon take her life. They took her home to live with them but she got better. When we adopted her, we still thought she had cancer since there was no follow up X-ray. My vet called with the great news-no cancer! As a matter of fact, she was incredibly healthy. My vet thinks is was severe pneumonia that was just mis-diagnosed. Lucky for her that the shelter had such a compassionate director who gave her a chance and a No Kill group that paid for her surgeries. She’s a shining example of how No Kill shelters save lives and how life is what you make of it.

Please note that Fionna McSnuggles is also a registered therapy dog providing love and joy to the elderly and patients at hospitals.  No doubt in my mind that Fionna snuggles right into the hearts of those she meets!