I howl therefore, I am

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.

Basset hound in a wheelchair

Since yesterday was all about me talking about my story of how I became such a special dog with special needs, I thought today would be a good time to show you what my wheels look like.  They are pretty terrific.  I try to take them for a spin as often as I can.  Lately, it's been raining cats and dogs out so I've had to stay inside.  Hopefully, this weekend will be a lot nicer.  Wishful thinking but I am all about being positive.

I am howling at my mom in this photo.  She wanted me to go in the backyard after my walk with my buddy Ben, but I didn't want to.  I protest a lot when I don't get my way. I don't mean to put up a fuss, but I am very stubborn.  I think that it comes from my dad's side of the family.  Well, enough about that.  What do you think of my wheels?  I like them.  I finally got the hang of it.  I can even back up and change direction now when I have them on. It's pretty awesome.

Well, I have to go.  My mom is about ready to go to work.  Take care everyone.

Love, Winston.

Dogs in wheelchairs

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 hate 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.    

Love, Winston

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