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Meet Daisy: The 21st Dog Helped with a Wheelchair through The Frankie Wheelchair Fund

Posted by Barbara Techel

daisy 2Another happy dance day today at Joyful Paws Headquarters sharing the announcement that the Frankie Wheelchair Fund has helped another dog gain back their mobility.

Meet 10-year old Daisy who is now enjoying the great outdoors, sniffing and exploring once again. You can visit her Facebook page to see a video of her enjoying time in her yard again.  Daisy had a wheelchair, but unfortunately she didn’t like it for some reason. But a custom-made wheelchair from Eddie’s Wheels seems to have done the trick.

Daisy has intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) and sadly was attacked and stabbed by a mentally disturbed young man a little over a month ago. She is recovering nicely and will be having some upcoming dental work that still needs to be done. If you’d like to help with Daisy’s medical funds you can do so here.

Daisy is now in a home that loves her very much and providing wonderful care for her. I’m so glad I could help her in a positive way with a new set of wheels and say a huge thank you once again to the supporters of the Frankie Wheelchair Fund who make this possible for me to do.

To learn more about the Frankie Wheelchair Fund please visit National Walk ‘N Roll Dog Day website. You can apply there for the fund or contribute. To learn more about IVDD visit Dodgerslist.

We also have an on-going partnership with Bean Goods Company and this durable, fun, inspiring tote bag you can purchase with 100% of the profits that go to the Frankie Wheelchair Fund.

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You Asked. You Got It. Video of Kylie & Gidget Together.

Posted by Barbara Techel

sleeping collage 1200Two happy, tired dogs after our walk today.

Today was a preview of spring to come. It is in the low 40s and the sun is melting some of the snow. I can hear the drip, drip, drip, right outside my writing cottage window which is cracked open a smidge to let in the fresh air.

Tomorrow sleet, rain, freezing rain, and snow on the way. But today is spring!  So we took full advantage and headed out for a walk. Many of you requested a video of Gidget and Kylie together ever since I posted a video of Gidget on Facebook which you can see here if you’ve not seen it yet.

As we got into our walk, I shot a short 20 second video so you can see best buds enjoying the sunshine together, as well as see how good Gidget moves along even though she has IVDD. The clicking noise you hear is actually her back feet which she does not fully pick up. Though, luckily they don’t seem to get scraped up on the cement. I think you will agree, she is a very good IVDD walker!

I might add, Gidget’s waterproof, fleece-lined jacket is from Dachshund Delights.  I know inquiring Dachshund mom’s will want to know.

Extra Bonus When Doing Water Therapy with Gidget for Her Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD)

Posted by Barbara Techel

2013-12-29 09.05.13Gidget loves her “pool” time. Shhhh, don’t tell her she’s in a bathtub and not a big, luxurious pool. She dosen’t seem to notice the difference.

There isn’t a rehab water therapy facility near where I live to be able to take her for therapy, so this is the next best thing. When the tub is full, I call her and she comes running. She has no qualms about me putting her in the water.

She caught onto the drill quite fast. I have small, low calorie treats I use to get her to walk from one end of the tub to the other. I also have a rubber mat along the bottom to help her with better traction.  This girl will do just about anything for treats so she is happy to do her exercise’s.

It’s so fun to see her wade back and forth in the water. Doing water therapy for her helps keep the muscles in her legs strong, so she can continue to walk and get stronger even though she has IVDD.

The extra bonus of this is I feel like it is a special bonding time between us. I love to cheer her on as she makes strides back and forth in the water.

After she has done a couple of rounds of “laps” I do some range of motion exercises with her hing legs. It’s also a great time to soap her up so she is squeaky clean though I don’t do that every session.

When she is done with her water therapy, I wrap her in a towel and gently pat her down. She then waddles over in front of the woodstove, crawls into her weenie pocket blanket and falls asleep.

A happy, content doxie makes for a happy, content doxie mom.

To learn more about water therapy visit this link on Dodgerslist website.  They have tons of great articles and information on helping dogs with IVDD.

There are many things we can do at home for our pets with IVDD as long as we do them correctly. It saves on time and money, as well as it really is a wonderful way to bond with your pet.

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