Author: cuddlenubs

I am happy to have stumbled onto this site, I hope I will be able to find some information and support from other extra special pet owners out there!

Weebles is a black lab, born to a long line of guide dogs, but as he was born with a severely deformed right front leg, he was released to my care at 6 weeks of age… he turned 11 in April.  Weebs has had a really full and fun life, he had an older sister until last year, who he loved wrestling with and chasing, he knows a few tricks including “High-Five”- the tripod version of shake! He loves being outdoors in the sun, walks with me off-leash, and loves going to the river to swim and fetch sticks.

I started this blog, and joined this site, hoping to find some support and advice on our ever-increasing hurdles. Earlier this year, Weebles had some trouble getting back out of the river at high tide and needed help. I started him on a glucosamine and chondroitin supplement. He has more and more trouble getting in and out of the car lately. A month or so ago, he started hesitating to jump onto my bed at night… although sometimes I’d find him already up when I got home late, so I wondered if it was a little bit more laziness than anything.  Tonight, he fell while trying to come up the stairs!  I have always treated him as a normal dog, and tried not to feel sorry for him or limit him based on his leg, but this was a sad and scary moment for us. My stairs are open, ladder-style, and quite narrow. He seemed nervous to make another attempt up, and spent about an hour at the bottom, putting his one good front paw on the step, then the second step, panting a bit and then stepping off. He lied down and whined a bit, then repeated the process. I tried to coax him verbally, stood to the side of the steps so I could support him if he needed it, and gave him a few encouraging pats, telling him “Bedtime, bud!” in my usual, happy-it’s-time-to-snuggle voice… no luck. I don’t want to enable him, but I couldn’t stand how pathetic he was down there moping! I managed to get behind him and sort of lift-push-assist him up the stairs. This would not make a reasonable long-term solution, it was too clumsy and he is too big and heavy. Also, I’m broke and  do not own my home so even if there were room for a new, larger staircase, I could not have one built. I hate to think of my baby being unable to come up to sleep in my bedroom with me, I guess I always knew there was a pretty good chance of him one day being unable to get around, but it still comes as a blow to us tonight.