The Spirit of Special Needs Pets

All animals need plenty of care and love, but pets with special needs often require a little extra TLC, especially as they get older and the disabilities become worse.  Special needs can encompass various disabilities, chronic medical conditions, and behavioral issues.  Some common problems among cats and dogs include missing one or more limbs, hind limb paralysis, deafness and or blindness, diabetes, allergies, and lack of socialization.  Some pets might require diapers, ramps, regular medication, or dog training and/or pet socialization classes.

 

All to often dogs and cats in shelters are overlooked because of “the defects” people see on the outside.  People usually don't take the time to see the wagging tail of the deaf dog chasing the ball across the yard, or the blind dog going up a flight of stairs to get the treat or hug they know is waiting for them, or the 3 legged dog running like the wind and enjoying life. 

 

Animals with disabilities are incredibly adaptable and, despite their impairments, can still be functional and even find a way to play.  In fact, sometimes they pull off tremendous heroic and athletic feats!  Blind, one-eyed, deaf and three-legged pets can live full and happy lives – just spend some time with one and you’ll see how much they can enjoy a wide range of activities and can certainly give just as much love as any pet.

 

Caring for special needs pets does not have to be a burden - it can be a richly rewarding experience.  Here are some general tips to help you if you find yourself caring for a disabled animal.  Of course there are also plenty of web sites dedicated to providing resources and support to assist you in caring for a pet with special needs including "petswithdisabilities.com" and "specialneedspets.org" just to name a few. 

 

People do not have to do much to accommodate a blind pet’s needs.  Dogs and cats use their senses of smell, hearing and touch to get around.  However, owners of blind pets should be careful to keep all furniture in the same place at all times and even pad sharp edges of furniture.  Food and water bowls, litter box, pet bed, and toys should all be in the same place for the pets to easily find what they need.  For cats and small dogs, people should also be careful about carrying their pet from one room to the next.  Animals memorize their paths through the house, so the ride in the owner’s arms can leave them disoriented when set back down – unless it’s in a very familiar place.

 

Since dogs and cats normally have such a tremendous sense of hearing, it would seem that a loss of this sense would be devastating.  However, dogs and cats adapt quite well, and become more sensitive to vibrations they feel.  Just like all dogs and cats, they are excellent readers of body language, so communicating with them is not as difficult as you might imagine.  Deaf pets may not respond to their owner’s spoken words, but they read the signals like any other pet.  The owner may call their pet by clapping their hands or stomping their feet. Some people may also use a flashlight for visual commands.

 

Seeing a three-legged dog or cat may make you feel very sad, but most of them are perfectly adept at doing everything four-legged dogs and cats do.  Most three-legged dogs and cats don’t need any special accommodations to live normal lives – other than making sure they maintain a healthy weight.  Their body weight has one less leg to bear it, which puts more stress on the other leg joints.  Also, dogs need to have their nails trimmed regularly (as all dogs should anyway) to give them the best footing on hard surfaces.  Three-legged cats like to jump up on high surfaces like any other cat, but it’s the jumping off that can be a problem if there is only one front leg to take the impact.  For this reason, the owner should make sure all cat-accessible surfaces are a safe distance from the floor.

 

Every dog or cat deserves to have a good life in a loving home, and should not be ignored because of a disability.  A disability doesn’t necessarily mean the pet will be harder to care for, and it certainly won’t make him or her any less lovable.  So when you come to Pet Pal Animal Shelter to find your next furry friend to love, please be open to the idea that your perfect pet may have some imperfections!  Be a voice for the unbroken spirit of disabled pets.  They truly give us a chance to witness miracles of spirit!

 

Happy tails to you until we meet again!