Not only are you now faced with the dilemma of how to care for your newly handicapped dog, including how to clean your dog, how to deal with bed sores, bladder care, dog carts, and physical therapy…but now you have to figure out what to do with your dog during the day while you are away. Elderly dogs tend not to be as big of a problem because they often prefer to lay around all day in their bed. With that being said, I recommend locating a great orthopedic bed for your dog.

But what do you do with a young, very active dog? Well, hopefully you have crate trained your dog since puppyhood. If not, call Caesar, because I don’t know what to tell ya 🙂 What I recommend for my patients in wheels, is to be crated while you are away. A smaller, compact crate to keep your dog from being able to drag inside the crate is preferred. This is priority #1 in wound care. Prevention, prevention, prevention. If you can prevent a drag wound, then you will not have to deal with another traumatizing mess.

A great product out there is called a drag bag. I also recommend trying one of these. The drag bag protects the dog’s skin from breakdown associated with dragging. It helps your dog drag more effortlessly and smoothly, making dragging easier. Because let’s face it – dogs will drag. It can also protect your floors from the incontinence associated with having a paralyzed dog. It’s main function in this case, is by keeping the diaper on! I would recommend doing some research on the product and ask around. Vet wrap has worked for others, and diapers, as well. Some of you have already had experience with incontinence in your pet, so your pet might already be wearing a diaper. This again, will help give some padding to those areas in the rear hindquarters during dragging.

If your dog is paralyzed in the rear, he or she will not be able to feel sores developing. Please check areas that are prone to drag wounds on a daily basis. These areas are feet, elbows, knees, and rump. And please, I repeat, take your dog to the vet if your dog has areas that are raw or open. These can become infected and fatal if left untreated.

If your dog is already experiencing a drag wound, some products that have been recommended are Medihoney, Vetericyn, or Granulex. Granulex has to be prescribed by a doctor, but Medihoney and Vetericyn can be found in local pet retail stores.

Finally, please do not take this advice over the advice of your dog’s veterinarian. We are not qualified to give medical advice. We can only give you advice based on the experience that we have gained in helping our clients cope during this difficult time.