dachshund rescue

There is HOPE for Dogs with Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD). Educate yourself TODAY.

Posted by Barbara Techel

Gidget ivddAs most of you know from following my blog, I’m passionate about spreading a positive message about dogs diagnosed with IVDD. Sadly, many are still being put to sleep. Most often because of lack of education and guardian’s not knowing their options.

Just today, I heard from someone who does rescue work trying to help find homes for these special needs dogs if guardian’s choose to surrender a downed dog if they are unable to care for them. But again, sadly, it does not always turn out that way. For whatever reasons, a guardian may choose putting their IVDD dog to sleep. I’m not here to judge that person who makes that decision.

But I did want to write a post about IVDD once again in hopes it makes it out into the world and helps educate more people that IVDD is not a death sentence. It does not have to be that way.

There is help. There is hope. There are people willing to help you if you find yourself in this situation. Most rescue’s will help guide you. Dodgerslist is an excellent resource to educate yourself about this disease. While there is not a cure, often times with the right information and treatment, these dog’s can walk again. If not, there is always a dog wheelchair that can help them lead a quality life. If cost is an issue there are resources for that as well such as The Frankie Wheelchair Fund, or Red Flyer, The Handicapped Pets Community or doing fund raisers online to help pay for medical costs.

While I truly understand taking care of a special needs pet such as an IVDD dog isn’t meant for everyone, there are others who are willing and able to take care of special needs pets. Rescue’s can often times help you if you choose this avenue.

I continue to also be available by email or phone to talk with someone whose dog has been diagnosed with IVDD. Often times talking with someone who has gone through this helps ease the anxiety and to know what to expect. I’m always happy to spend some time talking with someone going through this.

I’m so grateful for those that do have the courage to say they are unable to care for their IVDD dog and do what they feel is best for their pet by finding them a new home. If not for those people, I’d never have found the love of Joie, or have the love of Gidget. I know many others who care for downed dogs feel the same way. They truly love caring for these dogs.

Please help spread the word that there is hope. Whether you can work through it with guidance with resources I mentioned above, or if you need to find your pet a new home, there are those that really do care and will help.

Thank You to My Local Media, The Sheboygan Press for Story in Series, “A Reason to Celebrate.” Gidget Makes the Front Page!

Posted by Barbara Techel


Video and article credit, The Sheboygan Press, reporter , Kali Thiel 

Wagging tales: Local author finds meaning after pet’s passing

This is one in an occasional series of stories to be published during the holiday season about Sheboygan-area residents who have “A Reason to Celebrate.”

It’ll be the second Christmas Barbara Techel will celebrate without her beloved wheelchair-bound dachshund, Frankie, and the first without Joie, another disabled dog she adopted after Frankie died. But the Elkhart Lake author says she still has plenty to be thankful for this holiday season.

Techel and Frankie were well-known for years through her children’s books, including “Frankie the Walk ‘N Roll Dog,” as well as her web site and newsletters. She also had Frankie certified to be a therapy dog and regularly paid visits to people living in hospice care or stopped at area schools for speaking engagements.

But Frankie died in the summer of 2012. In February she memorialized Frankie in a new book, “Through Frankie’s Eyes: One Woman’s Journey To Her Authentic Self and the Dog on Wheels Who Led the Way,” which recently won the Royal Dragonfly Book Award for literary excellence.

The book tells the story of Frankie and the lessons Techel learned from her dog.

“I was so afraid that people would judge me that I put my dog in a wheelchair,” Techel said. “But it really taught me, because I would watch her and she didn’t realize she had a wheelchair. It was her tool to live her best life.

“And I can remember, I can still see it in my head, she was rolling around on the grass and I just looked at her and I thought, ‘Oh my god, the lesson for me is to be proud of who I am and live by how I want to live my life and not how society might determine that or others might think my life should be,’” she said.

When Frankie died, Techel decided to adopt another special needs dachshund, Joie, who had the same intervertebral disc disease as Frankie, which caused her to need a dog wheelchair as well.

Little did Techel know that Joie’s time with her would be so short-lived. She adopted Joie on Oct. 13, 2012 and she died a little less than a year later in August.

“It was really hard for me to lose Joie so quickly after Frankie and I really kind of went into myself and I thought, ‘What the heck? I don’t understand why that happened,’” Techel said.

What helped her come out of her grief was the realization that there were other dogs she could help. Just a few weeks ago, Techel adopted Gidget, another special needs dachshund.

bildePhoto credit Kali Thiel of The Sheboygan Press

read rest of the story on line here!

For complete gallery of photos taken during interview visit here.

Experiencing the “Other Side” of Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) in Dachshunds

Posted by Barbara Techel

IMG_1910 1200It’s been unusually cold here in Wisconsin.  The windchill is expected to dip to 20 degrees below zero tonight.  Gidget has the right idea staying in front of the gas stove in my writing cottage.

Today I want to talk about the “other side” of intervertebral disc disease (IVDD).  When I set out to adopt another dachshund with IVDD this past November, I really thought I’d adopt one that was already in a wheelchair, or in need of one. Having cared for Frankie and Joie I definitely had the experience. I also have the wheelchair that both Frankie and Joie used.

I’ve had a few people ask me how I actually found Gidget. Well, all I did was google “dachshunds with IVDD up for adoption.” That is how I came across Gidget on Petfinder.com,  listed through On My Way Home Dachshund Rescue.  IVDD was actually in the title along with her name, so it wasn’t too hard to find her in this way.

When I saw her photo, just like I did with Joie, I instantly felt this connection with her. When I watched her video which was also included on Petfinder, I realized she could wobble walk. Though my intention was to adopt one with what I felt had more “needy” needs being in a wheelchair, I just couldn’t get Gidget out of my mind.  Most importantly, I couldn’t get her out of my heart.

Being an advocate for dogs with IVDD and dogs in wheelchairs, I must be honest and say that I did have some concern that others may not understand why I chose to adopt a dachshund who didn’t need a wheelchair. But I’ve come to realize that was silly thinking. I also realized that for whatever reason I felt such a strong connection with Gidget, I was to adopt her and learn new things. This also does not change my advocacy for wheelchair dogs as I’ll continue that.

It has been a joy to watch the other side of IVDD. The side when dachshunds recover enough to walk on their own again.  Many I know of that do walk again, tend to have this wiggly wobbly walk to them like Gidget does.  I’ve actually found this to be a new avenue of inspiration for me. Whether in a wheelchair or wobbly walking, their perseverance is the same.

Gidget also does not have any concerns, as did Frankie or Joie, that she looks a little “different” than “normal” dachshunds. She does all the same things dachshunds without IVDD.

There is no guarantee Gidget won’t go down again though I try not to worry about that. As Kim, who also cares for IVDD dachshunds said to me on Facebook, “We can’t allow ourselves to be paralyzed by that fear.  But we can continue to learn from them and take joy in watching them thrive each day.” So true.

As I think back when I adopted Joie, I do recall thinking the fact that she was already down and in need of a wheelchair, I didn’t need to worry too much about another episode of a ruptured disk.  Though she also had other contributing factors with her spinal cord dying, as well as the bubble on the base of her brain, it was still something I surely didn’t expect to happen so soon after I adopted her.

Through my grieving for her I came to realize that I couldn’t let fear paralyze me in adopting another IVDD dachshund. Along with many other things I learned about myself in that process, I knew I wanted to care for another special needs doxie again.

There is risk in most anything we do. When it comes to loving these special little ones, the risk, yes, may be greater– but do we really even know that for certain?  The only risk is that our hearts will break again because our love for them is so deep. But the beautiful thing about our hearts, and what these dogs teach us, is that we can expand our hearts to love another once again.

Watching the other side of IVDD and miss wiggly wobbly butt (a.k.a. Gidget) has made me smile over and over again since she came into my life. It has also opened me up even more to what perseverance is all about, as well as making the best out of each and every day… just like Gidget does and all the IVDD dachshunds out there who are given a chance.

As always, for anyone new to my blog or finding me in their search for information on IVDD, please know there is hope.  There is a wonderful organization dedicated to helping pet owners whose dog has been diagnosed with IVDD.  They are Dodgerslist.  Check them out today!