The Winston Wagon » handicapped dog

I shouldn’t have eaten that…

admin — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:42:25 +0000

Be careful what you feed your dog or what your dog has the ability to eat when you are not looking. I ate a piece of pizza when my family wasn’t on their guard and woah! Am I paying for that little slice of heaven or what!?! My stomach has been grumbling and grumbling all day. I do not feel well at all.
So please be mindful of what you leave out. Dogs just can’t help themselves to the good stuff.

Take care of yourselves.

Love, Winston

Ugh…puppies.

admin — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:59:16 +0000

I never thought that I would say this but these young puppies today get on my nerves. My buddy Ben and I have this discussion whenver we see one walking with a human. They are very annoying. It seems to me that most do not know when to leave well enough alone. Ya know what I mean? When I was able to get away from them, I didn’t mind so much. But now…no way baby. They bark. They paw at you. They try to chew on your ears. They want to chase you. I have neither the time nor the patience for any of that nonsense. It’s stressful. Just because a puppy is cute and lively doesn’t mean we all have to like it.

Older dogs like Ben and dogs like myself need space. We also need LOTS of attention. A puppy doesn’t do us any favors. Believe me. I’ve heard the stories from my other pals. It can be a little overwhelming for everyone. This happened to my pal Frank the lab. The puppy jumped on his back and Frank put him in his place. Well, Frank suffers from stiff joints and bad hips. It hurt when that little one did that. I couldn’t even believe it when Frank said that HE was the one that got into trouble. The nerve! I felt bad for the guy.

We do know why you want the puppy though. We know you love us. We know you care. We also know it will hurt like hell when the day comes and we are no longer around to greet you at the door. A puppy will help you through the pain of losing us. We get it. But please. Try to understand that we need you most when we are old. Think of the puppy too. The little squirt will need you to potty train it, entertain it, and teach it manners. Don’t take away from that. Getting a good start with the right education will turn that annoying little thing into an amazing dog like my mom did for me.

Think about it. That’s all for today. As all ways, take care of yourselves.

Love, Winston.

Trips to the groomer

admin — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:34:12 +0000

For a special needs dog or even an older dog, a good groomer is worth its weight in dog biscuits. We need extra attention and time to get things right! Check with your groomer from time to time with older dogs to see if they notice any new behavior quirks. For example, we might not want to get our nails done anymore or we throw a tantrum when the groomer tries to pick us up. There might be a reason for it. Arthritis is a big issue for us. We get to be delicate little flowers in our old age. Please don’t fault us for that. Also, we might have vision or hearing loss when we get older too. That might also be a problem. If we can’t see or hear, it tends to make us a little jumpy with new smells and touches. Here are some words of wisdom for all of you humans out there that love a special needs dog:

Listen to your groomer. If they feel if your dog can no longer can safely get their nails done or tolerate any or all of the grooming process, then they are probably right. A good groomer will want to do what is best for your dog. This is why they got into that job! They love us too! Sometimes a vet will have a groomer on site for such a special dog. Do your research. Some groomers have more experience with this type of dog while others won’t allow a dog to get groomed at all if there is even a hint of a medical issue.
DON’T GET UPSET. Where there is a will, there is a way. Nails can get trimmed. Baths can be done. Haircuts if necessary can get done also. You may need to seek intervention and it may cost you. Ask your vet for help. If you don’t get an answer that meets your needs, then get a second opinion!
Try to do as much as you can at home. A groomer can only do so much. They are not miracle workers. They might see Fluffy every eight weeks if they are lucky. YOU are responsible for grooming for the time in between. If you need advice on this, please ask a groomer. I am sure that they are more than willing to throw good advice your way if it makes their job easier.

That is all for now. I think I have had this on my mind because I am starting to smell a little ripe. My mom is giving me a bath this week as well as getting my nails trimmed and my ears cleaned. I don’t mind getting cleaned, but it’s the getting dry part that is awful. The groomer turns on this big, scary loud thing. (Shiver)

Ok. I’m done for the day. Take care of yourselves.

Love, Winston

The dreaded gate

admin — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:10:41 +0000

Mom and I get into arguments every once in a while and they are almost always over the dreaded baby gate that she puts up in the kitchen. It really bothers me because I do not like to feel like I am boxed in. It causes me great stress and anxiety. I am LOADS better now because I have grown to tolerate the gate, but I still hate it. Mom says that she needs to put it up when my ‘man-wraps’ are being washed or when she goes to the grocery store. The need to protect her carpet and me from getting hurt outweigh my loathing for being put in a prison. I do admit that I am being a little dramatic. Mom fixes up the kitchen for me like I am some sort of Roman god. I have food, cool water, and more comfy things to lay on than what a dog should be allowed, but it doesn’t mean I have to think everything is sunshine and rainbows when I am stuck in there. It’s not like it’s all day or anything. Just a few hours tops. Now, that I am thinking about it….maybe she has a point. She just wants me safe and still have nice things in her house. If the shoe was on the other paw, I would probably do the same thing. Hmm…maybe I am being too unreasonable. The jury is still out on that one. I do think a truce is in order though. I do act like I am in Alcatraz with no hope of escaping. There is no need for it, but don’t tell her that.

Well, that felt good to get off my chest. Take care of yourselves today.

Love, Winston

The first walk with Winston

admin — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 07:08:40 +0000

Well, we finally have video of me in my chair. What do you think about that? I think the next set of videos that we do is going to be more streamlined. My mom is getting a little bit better at video every time she has to pick up the camera. (thank goodness).

Leave comments if you’d like and tell your friends about me. I love nothing more than meeting new people.

Until then, take care of yourselves.

Love, Winston

My name is Winston, and I have a bladder control problem.

admin — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:23:40 +0000

There. I said it. It’s out there. It feels really good to admit that. This sometimes happens when you have back issues. You just can’t make it to the lawn in time. I know it can be very frustrating for both owner and dog. Believe me when I tell you this, but we dogs love to go outside. Well, I take that back The exceptions would be when it’s raining, snowing, or generally nasty out. This is when I use to try to hold it for as long as I could. Try as I might now, there is no holding it. I remind myself of a really irritating cocker spaniel puppy when it happens. Grrr. My mom and I came up with a tolerable solution though. I am now the proud owner of a ‘man-wrap’. This is my mom’s word for a doggie diaper. ‘Man-wrap’ sounds so much cooler. It goes around my waist and mom lines it with 3 sanitary napkins to soak up whatever decides to spill out. This way, we both win. I stay cleaner and so does my mom and dad’s house. Phew! There is one thing though that one has to remember about those. The ‘man-wraps’ need to be changed or at least checked fairly regularly. Mom is militant about doing it every 4-5 hours or so. If she doesn’t, I can get chafed. Yow! That’s not fun folks. Not at all.

Well, take care of yourselves today. I am off to get walked. My mom wants to tape it and show you guys. Don’t tell her I said this, but she isn’t the brightest crayon in the box when it comes to techie stuff.

Bye for now,

Winston

Winston’s first video

admin — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:23:23 +0000

A walk with my pals

admin — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 02:49:18 +0000

I am completely exhausted from my walk with my mom and my buddy Ben tonight. We just got back about an hour ago. Walking in nice weather really and truly makes me happy. I am relaxed and I don’t have a care in the world when I get the right amount of exercise. During the summer though, it is important for me to exercise at the right time. My fellow dogs and I don’t operate at 100% when it is too hot out. As much as I love walking, I prefer to stay inside with the cool A/C. Going out early in the morning or late in the evening is the best time. My mom and I both get to enjoy it that way. My mom is fair-skinned and doesn’t like to be in the sun too long. She burns like crazy and I feel like I am overheated. No one wins.

Nighty night

So remember this advice from your old pal Winston. We may act like you are taking us to Disneyland when you grab that leash, but you are doing no one a favor when it is hotter than blue blazes outside. We’ll start out on the walk with both guns blazin’, but you might have to peel us off the sidewalk about halfway. Oh, did I mention sidewalks? They don’t exactly tickle our toes when it is hot out. It gets a little uncomfy after a while.

Ok, I must take leave now. My bed is calling my name. I can almost hear myself snoring already. Take care of yourselves.

Your old pal,

Winston

I howl, therefore, I am

admin — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 04:36:49 +0000

There are many reasons why I wanted to make my howl heard on the world wide web. It’s never been a question of fame or fortune but to put a smile on people’s faces. I get lots of looks whenever I go outside with my family. It’s understandable. I am different. I also know that my unique looks allow me to strike up a chat with people that wouldn’t ordinarily come up to me. It’s ususally me that breaks the ice though. People can’t resist my doggie charm. I even had one lady say hello to me yesterday even though she said she was very afraid of dogs. Imagine that! Isn’t that great! That felt awesome to know that I helped her with her fear. Being afraid can hold you back from having a good time. That’s a shame. Truth be told, I was terrified of my wheels at first. I don’t trust anything that can move on its own ( like the vacuum….yuck). Once I overcame that fear however, my world got 100 times better. I was able to do lots more stuff like walks with my mom, sniffing grass, and peeing on things that needed it.

I guess I am excited to know that this blog might end up helping a person or a fellow canine in some way. I have lots more to say and I will continue this blog until the day that the Big Guy in the sky says I have to come home.

Take care of yourselves,

Winston

p.s. Mom and I are trying to get a video on here soon of yours truly. I would do it myself, but I don’t have opposable thumbs.

Dogs in Wheelchairs

admin — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:51:15 +0000

First of all, I need to thank you for reading my blog. I hope what I have to say on this topic helps you in your life. We are all on this journey of life so why not hold hands along the way. Well, maybe a paw or two. This is my first blog on my site so I thought it might be a good time to tell the story of how I am now walking with the help of some very nice wheels.

It has been about nine months since this whole thing started. Back in September of 2008, my mom came home from work and noticed that I wasn’t feeling well. She was right. My back end was feeling kinda funny and it made me nervous. When I get like that I tend to drool a lot. This is what tipped her off. She thought maybe that I needed a jaunt outside so off we went. Going out and smelling stuff usually calmed me down but not that day. Things went from bad to worse. I went from being able to walk, to walking completely uncoordinated, to tipping over to my right side, to being lame over the course of a day. I was very scared then and so was my family. My mom just cried and cried and my dad just didn’t know what to do. I was rushed to my vet and he knew what the problem was. It had something to do with my back and I needed help right away. An appointment was made for me the next with a surgeon. What a nice man and what a kind heart. He said that I had to have an MRI done to figure out what the exact problem was. He said if we didn’t act soon, that I was probably going to be completely paralyzed from the hips down. My mom and dad couldn’t bear that thought and were desperate. I was scheduled for the MRI that next day. The doc said that while I was knocked out getting my scan done he was going to call my dad to let him know about what the options were. He could even operate if need be by keeping me knocked out. EEk! I was scared.

Well, the morning came and my dad dropped me off at the vet’s where they whisked me away. The quicker the better. I didn’t like seeing my dad so upset. During the scan, they found the problem. It was my disc. It was ruptured and it was pressing on my spine. This was the problem. The doc called my dad and told him the bad news. It was the worst he had seen. Even worse news. He’d have to perform a hemilaminectomy to correct the problem. This means they clear out the area that was pressing on my spine. My dad couldn’t stand to lose his best friend so he opted for the surgery. All went well and I made it through just fine.

Recovery was hard. I absolutely hate hate hated being away from home. It is just the worst thing ever. I cry a lot and my appetite just goes away. I do much better when I have my family around. I had to spend a couple of days at the hospital before they let me leave. I was very uncomfortable. Because of the surgey and the swelling, I was still just a lame as ever. I couldn’t deal with it. My vet said that this was going to happen and things would improve over time. He was right. As the days wore on, I found that I could sleep better, eat and drink better, and get up a little bit better. It was really tough on my dad because I needed lots of help getting around at first. As I started to feel more like myself, I was a little bit happier.

It took a couple of months to recover from surgery. Each week was a little bit better than the last. I started to get feeling back. It was a slow process. VERY slow. I went from being completely lame to being able to walk a couple of steps on my own. I am still very weak on my back end. It is hard to support myself when I walk unassisted. I usually just end up sitting until someone helps. This isn’t to much a lifestyle change for me. I was always a big fan a resting. I only when out to do my business and to go on my daily walk. After that, I’m all about my bed.

Since I reached a plateau in my recovery, my mom and dad thought that I needed a wheelchair to help me walk again. It is really the best thing ever. They got it from eddieswheels.com. I was scared to get in it at first. I don’t like weird things in my house, but I started to get used to it. I couldn’t go around the block when I first started in it, now I am running with it on. I even outwalk my buddy Benny and my mom. It’s great exercise and I love going everywhere now. It lets me live my doggie rockstar lifestyle again.

This is a really long post so I will end it for the day. Until then, have a great day. Love your furry friends. I look forward to our time together soon.

Love, Winston

p.s. walk your dog. they will thank you for it.