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Post by Julie & Perry on Jul 17, 2017 21:54:31 GMT -7
I hear how much you love Jumpy and want the best for him. To me that sounds like staying with you.
Does he seem happy? Not every dog is high energy.
If he does need a little more exercise what about a neighbor or an older, responsible, teenager? I pay my neighbor a small amount each month to help out with my IVDD dog. She has a little extra and I have help.
As for expressing, I too have to do this for my dog but I only do it 3x a day. If Jumpy is a big water drinker I'd put it up a couple hours before bedtime.
It can be hard at times caring for an IVDD dog. However, if I think creatively, I can usually find a solution.
Best wishes to you.
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Marjorie
Moderator~
Member since 2011. Surgery & Conservative
Posts: 5,724
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Post by Marjorie on Jul 18, 2017 5:21:33 GMT -7
It sounds as though you could use more exercise, too, Gabriel! Seriously, the older we get, the more we have to keep moving. Move it or lose it, that's what I've learned. What's important for Jumpy is just as important for you.
Years ago I was suffering from a bad back and bad knees. Sat in an office every day for so many years. And then I adopted Jeremy. Jeremy was a rescue who had been abandoned and had sat in a shelter for six months and then a rescue had him for three months. He had a lot of issues, snapping, food aggression, terrors, distrust. I found that if I walked him, it helped release a lot of his tension and anxiety. So I walked him every chance I got. And what a benefit it was to me - no more back or knee pain and I had much more energy and a better outlook on life. I know I wouldn't have started walking if it weren't for Jeremy.
Do you get a lunch break? Take Jumpy's cart to work with you and take him for a walk during lunch. Get up a bit earlier to squeeze a short walk in before work. On weekends put him in the car and take him to a park for a change of scenery for both of you. If you have difficulty walking, start off slowly, several short walks a day and gradually walk more each day. Walking is the very best thing we can do for our health.
A young owner is not necessarily a better owner. Young people have so much going on and are so busy, they don't always take the time to walk a dog. And a young, outdoorsy type person would most likely not be interested in adopting a paralyzed, incontinent dog. They would want a young, active dog to run with them.
As for expressing, don't limit the water Jumpy drinks except for stopping it a couple of hours before bedtime as Julie recommended. Water helps flush out the kidneys and prevents urinary tract infections. If Jumpy is leaking urine unless you express every 3 hours, you may not be completely emptying his bladder when you express. I know I wasn't until I realized that when I thought I was pressing on an empty bladder, that bladder had gotten smaller and had slipped away from my hands. It had moved back towards Jeremy's pelvic area. I had to find it again and continue pressing until it was flat. Keep expressing until there's just a dribble of urine coming out and the bladder feels flat, almost like your fingers are touching. And be sure the bladder isn't slipping away - find it again. If you're completely emptying the bladder, Jumpy should stay dry longer and there should only be a need to express 3x/day.
You have a bond with Jumpy and that bond is an important one. The best place for Jumpy is with the man who loves him and who he loves.
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