Caring for a paraplegic dog  

Murphy's Necessities

In the beginning, there was a dog - a wonderful, bright eyed little Shih-Tzu named Murphy who looked like an Ewok, bounced when he walked with a plume of a tail held high over his back. When he was three or so, something awful happened and he could no longer use his rear legs. The plume now droops and barely wags, but he is still my beloved companion. Recently he has been joined by another paraplegic rescue dog named Molly and I care for them as best I can. I’ve learned the hardest part is knowing what to do to keep them clean, make them comfortable, to keep the skin from breaking down (bed sores) common with this condition, and most of all, to make their lives worthwhile.

 

Too many little dogs are put down every year because not only the owners, but the veterinarians also, have no idea how to care for them. My purpose in life is to tell you it CAN be done. I won’t promise you it's easy, but it does become easier with time and experience, like anything else.

My little Murphy had surgery on his spine and when I first brought him home, I felt overwhelmed. There was no literature that I could find anywhere to guide me and the vet’s office said to keep him confined and try baby diaper’s for the incontinence. That was it. I was on my own and my baby was in pain, wet and confused. It was up to me to do what I could and I was determined to do what ever it took for him. I live on a small retirement income so the things I've written about here are of necessity on the frugal side.

I shopped in Discount and Thrift stores, and haunted garage sales for most of what I acquired. For those who can afford them or just prefer to do it - there are many websites that list clothing, accessories and carts for these dogs. My intention is to supplement and provide alternate solutions.

I want to share this information with anyone who has ever loved a dog and wants to keep it well and happy in spite of disabilities or health problems.You probably all ready have most of this and can improvise or borrow if need be. Your circumstances may be quite different than those I faced so you may want to pick and choose what works for you. Some of these things will go away in time as the dog heals, but having it to start off with will make your life easier as well as that of your injured friend. WalMart has proven a good source for much of it. Try and have it collected before your patient comes home.

The Basics

*Bath Towels
* Waffle weave plastic place mats or shelf liner
* plastic Wash tub
* Small waterproof baby pads
* Smaller absorbent Towels or Dishtowels
* Big package of wash cloths
* Dog shampoo and Conditioner
* No-rinse Baby Bath
* Combs and brushes
* Baby scissors
* Q-tips
* cotton balls or pads
* Disposable Baby Wipes
* Small hair dryer or portable heater
* Porta-Crib
* Twin sized convoluted foam mattress pad
* rubberized flannel sheeting
* Crib sheets
* Quilts
* Quilted pillow shams
* Polysporin or Neosporin Ointment
* Baby Diaper ointment
* Hydrocortisone Cream
* Eyewash
* Drying agent for ears
* Rubber gloves
* Disposable diapers (temporary only!) or "Britches" and "Scooters".

As the dog must be kept confined and quiet after surgery, a porta crib is the ideal solution. I tried a playpen at first, but it was too much bending over for me. The porta crib allowed me to keep Murphy by me at night and to move him to a window or where ever in the house I was to keep him from getting bored or depressed. (I always leave the radio on when I go out alone.)

If necessary and your back allows, you might try a large box lined with plastic. If you do, please leave him some good sized holes for ventilation and for him to see out of. I don't recommend cutting the box too low as he may attempt to get out before he's ready and do himself more injury. Just remember not to isolated him - he needs your attention and affection more than ever.

If you do use a box, insure that he can’t tip it over when he does become more active. I used a piece of convoluted foam pad to guard against bedsores during the long days of his convalescence. (Good padding is crucial - more on this later.) The rubber sheeting kept the foam protected and the crib sheet kept it all in place. I use this same foam padding to this day inside a quilted pillow sham for little beds around the house as it's hard for them to crawl in and out of a conventional dog bed.

They need all the comfort they can get.

Clear off an area close to a sink - bathroom, kitchen or utility area. The recuperating dog requires a lot of washing up when they first come home from the hospital. I fortunately had a wheeled center island, which I cleared off. I used the shelves below to stash supplies on and covered the top with plastic. I set out his shampoo materials by the sink itself and used a plastic washtub with a waffle-weave place mat in the bottom to bathe him in. He was better able to grip the sides with his front paws and felt more secure.

You may want to keep a box of rubber gloves and a plastic bag nearby as the warm water frequently stimulated Murphy's bowels. I stocked up on big white towels I could bleach easily, but color doesn't matter. He had no control over bowels or bladder and even though the surgery on his spine was still painful, he had to be bathed a lot. As he needed all the comforting and security he could get, to keep him from slipping around on the island.

I found using those waffle weave plastic place mats gave a good grip and kept him from slipping. As an alternate, waffle weave shelf liner also works. I put a waterproof flannel baby pad on top and even a dishtowel on top of that to catch small drips as initially there were a lot of accidents. The island worked well as I could move it close to the sink.

And do stock up on detergent as you will do a lot of laundry.

Keep telling yourself, "This, too, shall pass." It can't be emphasized enough.

The dog's skin must be kept clean and equally important, dry. It's the single best thing you can do for him. Once the skin fails from tissue breakdown, or bedsores, it can be very difficult to fully heal. The medical term is "Decubitus Breakdown." The baby ointment helps protect the skin from urine scalding. As an alternate, try a bit of vaseline. I still use this set-up today however I've moved it to my bathroom except for bathing him as I no longer have to do that on a daily basis.

Murphy still has almost no control over his bowels and he must have his bladder expressed. Because of his "Britches" it all works quite well. I use the baby wipes to clean him each time. Save the boxes that baby wipes come in. Unless you are able to take the dog outside for his elimination, those little plastic containers make perfect potties for the small dog. Both of my babies perch quite comfortably on it as I express his bladder, and they are so easy to empty and keep clean.

Of course, never leave him alone on it. I always keep at least one hand on him at all times. A nearby box of tissues comes in handy when, as often happens, the dog is stimulated to doing #2.

Murphy usually has no idea when that is going to happen and at best, he comes and stands by me and I see the tail go up. And Molly, the little female, is totally incontinent.

That's when I'm so grateful for their "Britches!"

Murphy’s Britches

When Murphy first came home from the hospital, he was still pretty lethargic and in pain. They do need lots of rest and to be kept confined to allow the injury to heal. I kept pads under him and found I had to wash (and dry) him frequently. You could try looping a small towel between his legs and tying it around his middle for those first sad days.

Just remember, that stage won't last.

The Vet's office recommended using baby diapers for him, when I first brought him home. I found he needed a size large in order to come up far enough in the front. Little boy dogs are built a bit different from little boys! These worked quite well in the beginning until he began moving around more. Then he developed the dreaded "Decubitus Breakdown" in the creases of his legs. Part of that was from the hair growing out where it was shaved off for surgery.

Once the surface seems to be healed, the area beneath that skin will take up to three weeks further. I discovered the elastic in the diapers was contributing to the problem so I began looking for an alternate. Meanwhile, I used an antibiotic ointment to help heal (check with your vet on the best one to use) and added a bit of gauze for padding.

For a while, it was a mess. Now I must remember to remind his groomer not to shave that area whenever I take him in. I tried some regular, old fashioned diapers, but they were harder to keep on than the disposables. (I had been using adhesive tape to keep those on!) Even the best of these tapes were hard on his fur, not to mention the skin. By then I was haunting the baby department at WalMart and one day I spied the Gerber's Training pants. They are multi-layered, cut high in the waist, have no exposed elastic in the leg openings and at the same time, easy to wash and reuse. I was ecstatic. I could cut a tail opening easily and as for a way to keep them on -- well, I found a pair of men's suspenders in a thrift store and cut them down. Truthfully, it took a bit of creativity on my part to make them work. More on this later.

These are Murphy's basic britches. He wears these around the clock. At night in cooler weather I add a "onesie" to keep them on and also to keep him warm. His fur is by necessity kept cut short and he does chill easily. In warmer weather I've devised a set of suspenders for nights using the thinner, softer, garter-belt findings you can still purchase in a fabric store, or you can salvage them from little sets of four sold to help keep bottom sheets on the bed.

During the day, Murphy wears "Scooters." These are either shorts or creepers I've engineered for him specially for three reasons. They help guard against accidents, they protect his "knees" when he's active, even on concrete, and they also help keep his spine straight. Most animals with spinal cord injuries who can no longer use their back legs, tend to "ride" on one hip. I read in a book once where they said "Don't let them do that." I had to laugh. The question is how? Enter Murphy's Scooters.

Murphy's Scooters

The "Scooters" take more work to make than the "Britches" and you'll need either a sewing machine or a good friend who has one. Again, I've relied on premade clothing for the basic garment as it's so much easier. For supplies, make a trip to the fabric store. You'll need the following:

* Flag Nylon
* cotton batting
* pieces of soft cotton fabric for lining, or better yet, cotton quilt batting.

Start with ½ yard of each. Then, you'll need toddlers creepers in a size to fit. Murphy weighs 14# and wears either a 12 or 18 month, depending on the brand. It will require trial and error. You may want to buy two sizes and take them home to hold up to his back. They should fit without tugging from the base of his neck to just under the base of his tail. The best ones are very simple, and have a crew or turtle neck with snaps across one shoulder and of course, a snap crotch. I have haunted garage sales and thrift stores for them but you can buy them new fairly cheaply.

Unless you don't mind doing small batches of laundry quite often, I'd recommend getting a number of them for a week's worth as I now do their laundry only once a week. WalMart has some that are fairly reasonable and the colors hold well if you don't bleach them.

I've also bought shorts there that they wear in warm weather for "Dress-up." These require suspenders.. They are both worn over his britches. The nice thing is the creepers negate the need for suspenders. Because the fur has to be kept short, they welcome the added comfort once the weather begins to cool. With the creepers, which they wears a good nine or 9 months of the year here in our cooler climate on the Oregon Coast, I make a pad for the front of the garment. I cut rectangles of the nylon, the cotton padding and the liner fabric about 8 x 5 inches. In addition, cut a second piece of padding the same size and fold it over to make a thick piece about 2&1/2 x 5 inches. It doesn't have to be exact.

Lay the first piece of padding down on the piece of nylon and stitch all around the edges, about 1/4th inch in from the edge. Center the narrow pad on top of this, matching the 5 inch length to the 5 inch width of the primary pad and stitch across it on the two short ends. Trim close to the stitching to reduce bulk. Turn over so the center padding is facing down and the nylon up. Lay the piece of lining on top to match edges. Pin in place and stitch, (again using the 1/4" seam.) Just leave an opening of an inch or more on one long seam, so you can turn it inside out. Trim edges and cut across the corners close to the stitches to reduce bulk. Now, using the opening you left in the long seam, turn so padding is all on the inside. Blind stitch the opening by hand and position it so it is on the bottom when you pin it in place across the width of the lower front of garment. Set it low enough to just provide coverage for the dog's "knees". The thickly padded part will be centered between the knees. Stitch all around.

It sounds complicated but after you do one it'll make more sense. You may have to play with the measurements until you find what works for the garments you're using as a base. When you're sure enough, just set up an assembly line and get all the cutting out of the way at once.It is this extra padding in the center that forces the dog's knees apart and helps keep the spine aligned. The padding also helps absorb accidents and the slick nylon fabric allows the dog to scoot more freely as well as providing abrasion resistance. In other words, it wears well.

If your furbaby is bladder incontinent, add an incontinence pad such as Poise.These are sold in the section where you find Depends. An alternate choice and a good deal cheaper, are the Kotex-type pads, but they don't absorb as well and might be best used for a small dog. As I change my Molly frequently during the day, I can cut these pads in half and they do a great job. Another choice for the outer layer is vinyl yardage, the kind with the flannel backing. It could be the better choice if the dog is out on the lawn a lot as it's more waterproof. It's also hotter, so potentially less comfortable for the little guy to wear and harder to work with. But Murphy has two pair of shorts made with the vinyl for just such occasions. It could also be the way to go if the dog is severely incontinent.

Whatever You use, be sure to avoid anything with exposed elastic in the leg openings. This is the main reason I avoid rubber panties. At night, I put them in onesies as PJ's. Most of them have cross-over flaps on the shoulders and I usually stitch these down so they don't pull out of them. Again, they keep them warm and keep the little britches in place. I also have T shirts for my friends to wear with the shorts if a summer mornings starts out cool, and sweatshirts to wear in cold weather when we go out. (We do get snow.)

I always cut the sweatshirt sleeves short and most sweatshirt material doesn't need hemming. He even has a red and black "buffalo plaid" fleece jacket for the really stormy days. Again, the fleece doesn't need hemming either. I found all of these in thrift stores. Do you really need to go to all this work? It depends. If it works for you and your dog, you may just want to cut a hole in the tail of the little training pants and be done with it.

You might even find a pair of Kiddie suspenders that you can shorten with very little trouble. Or, make your own. It's not really hard, just trial and error until you find the length that works best for your dog.

While I have to admit dressing them is fun, I've found they really do get chilled more easily than the average bear - er - dog! and he seems to appreciate the fuss.

Murphy's Suspender's

The hardest part about making suspenders to fit a pooch is finding the "Findings." That's a term for business end of the suspenders - the clasps. I've had the best luck with my thrift shop finds. Whether I use the elastic part or not, the metal clasps are generally still in good shape. Check fabric stores.

Michael's has some in a bag of findings but they are only 1" wide. I also have bought them online from Newark Dress Maker Supply, at www.Newarkdressmaker.com. They are 1&1/8" wide; perfect and only $1.55 per pack of two. You'll need a total of four.

Buy some webbing such as you see used as straps for some handbags, 1 inch wide, and 1" wide elastic. I prefer the noroll waistband type makes a better looking finished product that doesn't fold over or roll.

Murphy measures 15" from the base of his neck on the top side, to the base of his tail and I noticed most of the suspenders I've made are around 18" long, total. I kid you not, this is trial and error as each dog is different.

Make them in an H shape, with two crossbars in order to keep them from slipping down the dog's non-existent shoulders. I put a 3" piece of elastic, doubled over to 1&1/2 " which I sew on the 4 points of the suspenders with the clips placed in the loop. That gives just enough stretch for comfort yet won't pull off as the dog runs around in them. For Murphy's broad chest, I use a four inch piece of elastic for the two cross pieces. That means the suspenders will be 4 inches across, outside dimensions.

I sew the cross pieces to the webbing securely, placing the one in the front so it just comes up to the breast bone. Be sure the one in the back is low enough so the finished suspenders fit over the dog's head readily.

For hot weather nights, I make them out of lighter weight ribbon type product that won't unravel (yes, ribbon would work) and the little flat clasps used to hold bottom sheets on the bed on the new, thicker mattresses. Don't panic if it doesn't look right at first, just learn as you go and think of the joy of creativity you'll have with the finished product. And the comfort your furbaby will have.

Murphy is twelve now, slowing down a bit. He’s gradually getting used to having Molly around but she’s full of energy and a bit of mischief and there are times he’d just as soon she’d go away. I’m still learning about caring for them and am always open to new ideas and suggestions.

Most recently I became aware of an elasticized tape available in sporting goods stores that might do a good job of holding those britches on, but haven’t tried it yet. I welcome your ideas and comments and of course, questions.

Please send me an Email if I can help. As I said earlier, caring for these little ones is my big goal in life.

Eileen, Mother of Two Tzu’s