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The Disabled Pets Project

The Disabled Pets Project

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    © [y] Piglet International Inc., Melissa Shapiro, DVM<br>The Disabled Pets Project and website, disabledpets.org, is supported by Piglet International Inc, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
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    disabledpetsproject

    Thank you to everyone who joined our Disabled Pets Thank you to everyone who joined our Disabled Pets Project Zoom tonight. It was awesome to get together with like minded people who care for and about our disabled pets. 

I'm thankful that over the years I've been able to love and support deafblind dogs, deaf dogs, a blind house sparrow, a parakeet with splayed legs, among many others. And I'm also thankful to have been able to get to know SO many other disabled pets and their people through our social media platforms. 

The disabledpets.org website is a work in progress. It is a growing hub of info for everyone who cares about disabled pets. I hope you'll check it out, send reliable resources to be added to the site, and submit your pet for feature on our page. 

Here- @oxfad, @loveyloaves @noahtheblindantibullyingdog, @sunglasscat, @littlemisslexie810
    Please come learn about The Disabled Pets Project Please come learn about The Disabled Pets Project and our new website disabledpets.org on Thursday night. The webinar is FREE and open to anyone interested in learning about the new resources for betas pet parents, and rescuers who care for disabled pets (senior pets too). 

The link is on the website disabled pets.org events page and in our stories!!
    Meet Today's Disabled Pets Project's Featured Pet! Meet Today's Disabled Pets Project's Featured Pet!

Hana, is a 5 year old deaf terrier mix rescued by Loved at Last Dog Rescue from the streets of Iran. 
Facebook: Rie Onodera
Instagram: @t.rie.o 

From Hana's mom:
Hana lived the first ~3yrs of her life on the streets of Iran. She arrived to Canada after being rescued with a broken jaw, lump on the back of her neck, and hearing impaired. We are uncertain whether she was born deaf or became deaf due to an accident. She is a sassy and spunky girl who is reserved at first but fiercely loyal and full of love! We had to extract many teeth and although we tried to fix her jaw with a plate, it just wouldn’t take. Also the lump on her neck is a fatty lump not a tumour.

How do you take care of her?
I communicate with her visually and with soft strokes on her back when I need to wake her. And I constantly smother her with love!

What's a funny or cute thing she does?
She does a tippy tap dance when she is excited or happy with the biggest smile!

What do you want people to know about caring for a disabled pet?
Disabled pets have so much love to give! It is a bit of a challenge at first (like with the puppy-phase) but in time you will bond and that feeling when you click…is amazing! Also, they are just like any other dog and enjoy cuddles, walks, swimming, treats, etc.

The disabled Pets Project was created to Normalize disabilities in pets! Our new website disabledpets.org is a comprehensive resource for vets, pet parents, and rescuers who care for disabled pets. Check it out and share with others! 

And- please submit your awesome disabled pet for feature on disabledpets.org!

Join our Facebook group- The Disabled Pets Community for sharing experiences and support. 
#disabledpets #disabledpetsproject
    Deafblind dogs rock! And we have a shirt to let ev Deafblind dogs rock! And we have a shirt to let everyone know! 

Now through Tuesday take 15% off your purchase on our Bonfire merch store. Use code DBDSRock15 at checkout! 

Lots of styles and colors available. 

Link is in our bio and our stories!
    Meet today's Disabled Pets Project Featured pet! B Meet today's Disabled Pets Project Featured pet!
Blue is a 5 year old rescued blind Poodle/chihuahua/pit mix adopted from the Saving Huey Foundation
@ Vixens.ventures

From Blue's mom:
Blue is a smart and incredibly sweet mix of poodle, chihuahua and pit bull (and a few more things) who was rescued from the streets in Tijuana. When he was rescued he was eating whatever he could find, but he was struggling as he is completely blind. The rescue believes he may have had distemper as a puppy which led to the loss of his vision, as well as a slight twitch down one side of his body. I saw his photo on the Saving Huey Foundation page and I fell in love. I’d adopted another disabled dog from them the year prior, and Blue made the perfect addition to our family. He doesn’t let anything stop him, and he gets around without a problem. He is able to map out a location when he’s been there for a short amount of time, and he can sniff out a treat across the room.
Blue is a constant reminder to me that even when we feel like we’re falling behind, we can always persevere. I truly think that he has no idea he has a disability. He plays and loves and protects just as much as my other pets, but his love is unparalleled.

How do you take care of him?
Blue is so smart! He has my house mapped out, and can make his way around a without a problem. I make sure that things don’t get moved into the paths where he walks, but even if something is in his way, he tests the world with his nose, and will boop things, and walk around them. I take him to a nearby fairground with a huge, wide open parking lot. He loves it, and he will run and run.
Basically I take care of him by allowing him the freedom to live his life to the fullest, and live he does.

Cont in comments:
    Today's Disabled Pets Project featured pet is Fluf Today's Disabled Pets Project featured pet is Fluffy, a blind 5-1/2 yr old Domestic long hair cat. 
Disability: she had one eye removed and the other is covered with a white film over about 85% of the remaining eye
A Good Samaritan found her in the street@and brought her to safety. 

From Fluffy's mom:
A good Samaritan lady brought her to me in February in 10* F temperature. She was on the road and wouldn't stay off, and my house was close. This was right after Covid was announced in 2020. I took her in and vetted her a few days later. I used the medication and topical for her eyes. When I took her to get spayed right away, fortunately she wasn't pregnant, I was informed her eye was infected still and it needed to be removed, so I gave permission. She wore a cone for 2 weeks, and after the stitches were removed, she was good. I had a room for her to recover in upstairs. I let her out, but blocked the stairs a few days, then watched her carefully a few times. She was great. I think she was dumped. She was not matted or dirty, so I don't think she was out long. Very dangerous in my area for seeing felines,.let alone a mostly blind one. My vet didn't know why she was blind.

How do you take care of her?
I do nothing different in her care from my other 10 indoor rescue cats. Her other eye doesn't cause pain, and I think she can see a little at the very top of her eye. I try to keep things in the same place. Occasionally she might run into a wall, but very seldom.

What's a funny or cute thing she does?
She's a very quiet cat, doesn't care for being held, but will come up and touch my arm with her paw, as I'm working at the kitchen table. I pet her, and when she's done, she moves on. Her tail is sooo fluffy, hence her name.

What do you want people to know about caring for a disabled pet?
It isn't really any harder to care for a blind cat than seeing ones. Keep things in the same place if possible.

disabledpets.org is a comprehensive resource for vets, pet parents, and rescuers who care for disabled pets. Check it out and share with others! 

Submit your awesome disabled pet for feature on disabledpets.org!

#disabledpets #disabledpetsproject
    Please come and share with all your pet loving fri Please come and share with all your pet loving friends. If you have a senior or disabled pet, this free webinar is for you. If your pet isn't disabled or senior, you'll still find this webinar interesting. 

You can register for this webinar on the events page of disabledpets.org! Sign up for our email list while you're there.
    Meet today's Disabled Pets Project's Featured Pet. Meet today's Disabled Pets Project's Featured Pet. Shaggy, was a very special blind, deaf and diabetic cairn terrier mix. He had a very long life of 17 years with his devoted loving family. 

From Shaggy's mom:
We got Shaggy when he was just two years old from a house of college students who rescued him from a kill shelter. He was a good boy! Always snuggly and right where his humans were! He was always a little frightened and never played, which is sad. We always wondered what could have happened to make a puppy not know how to play:(

How do you take care of him?
At around 10 years he suffered incontinence and began styling diapers every day! 4 yrs later he was diagnosed with diabetes and needed shots of insulin 2x a day! The last 2 years he was blind and deaf but always remained loving and cuddly! Letting him go was the hardest day of our lives, but we know he can hear and see and found his puppy spirit waiting for him just over the rainbow bridge! We miss him daily and he will always be our sweet shaggy boy!

What's a funny or cute thing he does?
He always laid sprawled out! I called it his splat!

What do you want people to know about caring for a disabled pet?
It wasnt easy and it was expensive but we are everything to our pets and it is our duty and responsibility to give them the best life! For several years our lives were planned around his insulin schedule! We planned dinner dates, movie dates, even day trips all around his shots at 6am and 6pm everyday! It wasnt always easy and we missed out on things! We didn't travel much for those 3 years, but it was the least we could do to give him quality of life and all the love he always gave us! Our final act of love was making rhe decision his body couldnt make for him! He started having seizures mutiple times daily and it was the saddest and scariest thing ever! Some nights I would sleep in the recliner with him so he felt safe! It was heartbreaking and we knew it was time to say goodbye! Our little buddy flies high now and no more pain or suffering!🩷

Visit disabledpets.org to submit your pet. Follow @disabledpetsproject on IG and join our Disabled Pets Community on Facebook! 

#disabledpets
    Meet Robbie, a 14 year old Papillon with IVDD, mob Meet Robbie, a 14 year old Papillon with IVDD, mobility problems, deafness. He was adopted from Dogs Trust (UK)
Facebook Handle: https://www.facebook.com/dawn.francis.589?locale=en_GB

From Robbie's mom:
Robbie and I met in the first UK lockdown of 2020. I had recently had my previous dog, Titch, put to sleep under very traumatic circumstances. Robbie was in a rescue centre, having been bereaved of his owner. So we rescued each other.

He didn't really bond with me at first, preferring to keep his distance, though he was always very well behaved. Then 11 months after we met disaster struck. Robbie suddenly suffered a prolapsed disc, and was rushed into emergency surgery. Unfortunately a rare complication occured. Robbie made an involuntary reflex movement even though he was anesthetized, causing the vet's drill to slip right into his spinal cord.

On regaining consciousness Robbie was paralyzed in his hind legs, and the prognosis was extremely guarded. The vets were unsure if he would ever walk again. Months and months of rehab and physio ensued. Through it all, Robbie was totally uncomplaining and accepting, and grew attached to me in a way he never had been before.

almost 4 years down the line, Robbie can walk again, though he will always be disabled. He has a limp, can't go far and relies on a buggy for longer journeys. But he adores his life, he finds joy in such simple things like seeing a neighbour he knows, eating his favourite biscuits, and he doesn't know his own limitations. I don't think he would care even if he did. He is my reason for getting up in the mornings and carrying on the fight with my own longstanding mental health struggles, which at times feel insurmountable. I am truly blessed to have him in my life.

How do you take care of him?
Rob needs daily physio at home, which involves massaging his spine and hind legs before he goes out for a walk. He has age-related deafness, so I am teaching him sign language (which he largely ignores!!!) Every 3 to 4 weeks he goes to a specialist veterinary centre for hydrotherapy, which he absolutely loves because of all the attention he gets, even though it costs me a fortune!

Continued in comments!
    Meet today's Disabled Pets Project's feature, Chic Meet today's Disabled Pets Project's feature, ChichillinaWobbles🩷
Age: 3.5
Breed: Guinea Pig, Abyssinian
Disability: Vestibular disease
Rescue? Yes
Rescue Organization: Dutchess County animal shelter

From ChinchillinaWobbles' mom:
When I adopted ChichillinaWobbles and her mom, Frankie, from a foster, I met them for the first time as a box was being inserted into my car. When we arrived home, it was love at first oink and we carefully introduced them to our lone gp QuiQui, also rescued. Within a few days, they were a happy little gaggle but I noticed ChichillinaWobbles darted very quickly and crashed into things. Soon, I noticed a smell coming from her left ear. After 2 xrays, many rounds of antibiotics and ear drops, nothing helped. In fact, her crab walk and head tilt was worsening. I decided to stop medications and noticed she had plateaud to where she is now. She was part of the gal gang and never misses a meal. Today, the sole survivor of her crew, she is my best friend and enjoys unsolicited hugs from Otis cat.

How do you take care of her?
Since she is so wobbly and has difficulty balancing, I give her Epsom salt baths a couple times a week to help keep her feet clean and comfortable.

What's a funny or cute thing she does?
She rolls over due to her condition. It's a little unnerving because it is not normal but it is something unique to her and she is adapting to her condition.

What do you want people to know about caring for a disabled pet?
They still have, need, and give huge amounts of love.#

Visit our new website disabledpets.org to learn more about disabilities in pets. And submit your pet for feature here on @disabledpetsproject 

Join our Facebook group Disabled Pets Community! 

#adoptadisabledpet #disabledpetsproject #normalizingdisabilitiesinpets #takethedisoutofdisability
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