The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too : Pets with Disabilities The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too : Pets with Disabilities
Showing posts with label Pets with Disabilities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pets with Disabilities. Show all posts

Monday, June 1, 2015

Puppy Born with a Total of Eight Limbs in Vaini of Tonga in the Pacific Ocean


Incredible photographs reveal a newborn puppy has two bodies joined at the chest with two sets of front legs, two sets of back legs, and two tails.

The black and white puppy was born with a total of eight limbs in Vaini of Tonga in the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday and was one of her five siblings to have any abnormalities.

Vukitangitau Maloni, from Tonga, who took the images soon after she was born, said the whole community was shocked and speechless at the animals extra legs.

“I've never seen anything like this before,”  Mr. Maloni told Daily Mail Australia.

“She was struggling to crawl and unfortunately, she died a few hours later. My neighbor's dog gave birth to five other healthy puppies but she was the cutest out of them.”

Veterinary nurse Erica Fairleigh, from Wollongong, NSW, said most deformed animals don't usually survive beyond a few hours after birth.

“Without very good veterinary care, the pup would have died quickly unfortunately,” Ms. Fairleigh told Daily Mail Australia.

“I've never seen or heard of any dogs born this way but it could be a result of many factors such as poor genetics and bad nutrition during gestation.

It looks like two pups that didn't quite separate and there are deformities in the face too like a cleft pallet. Her face looks quite blue, which are signs of not enough oxygen.

I can see her umbilical cord still attached and she looks no more than 12 hours old.

It's hard to tell what breed she is but she's a big puppy though. So a medium-large breed such as a Staffordshire bull terrier or similar.”

An animal scientist from Wagga Wagga, NSW, who chose to remain anonymous, confirmed the authenticity of the photographs to Daily Mail Australia.

“You can tell the photographs are real by looking at the split in her nose - indicating that something occurred bilaterally,” he told Daily Mail Australia.

“Animals born with abnormal features are quite common in sheep and cattle but it's pretty rare in dogs.” He said.



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Floating ‘Wheelchairs’ Like These Help Sick Fish with Buoyancy Problems Stay Upright


This is the most adorable animal wheelchair we’ve ever seen. An image has surfaced of a goldfish in a sling, which people are calling a ‘goldfish wheelchair,’ designed to keep her afloat and upright.

‘Fish wheelchairs’ (or slings or buoys – call them what you will) like these are used to help fish swim upright while they recover from swim bladder infections that make it difficult for them to do so on their own. 

Green peas can help solve buoyancy issues related to constipation, but infected swim bladders or other issues may require specialized medication. Always consult your vet!

Using a simple cork, this owner saved his fish’s life


Floating ‘wheelchairs’ like these help sick fish stay upright

Swim bladder infections or constipation can make it hard or impossible to swim with balance


There are professional veterinary versions, too!



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Sunday, April 19, 2015

Heartwarming Story: Rescue Dog Paralyzed in Back Legs, Gets Adopted and Begins to Walk on Them


Ernie the dog wasn't able to move his back legs when he first arrived at the Colorado Animal Rescue, but he miraculously regained mobility after he was adopted.

The medical mystery has Ernie's veterinarians scratching their heads.

When Ernie was evaluated upon his arrival to the rescue by veterinarians who were having trouble figuring out why he couldn't move his back legs.

"It was kind of a big puzzle," Tracey Yajko of the Colorado Animal Rescue,told Life With Dogs. "We had X-rays done and it didn't look like any slipped discs."

Perhaps the cure for Ernie's mysterious condition was the unconditional love from a human.

Just a few days after Susi Cooley called the rescue and said she was interested in adopting Ernie after seeing his story on the rescue's Facebook page, the pup amazingly started walking on his back legs.

"It was literally a miracle," Yajko told Life With Dogs.

Cooley went on to finish the application process and was happy to hear of Ernie's improvement, although she was ready to give him a forever home even if he had to have a wheelchair. 

"It was amazing because we were prepared to always have a dog that was in a wheelchair," Cooley told Life With Dogs. "We were OK with that."

For more on Ernie's story, watch this video:





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Sunday, March 8, 2015

Tumbelina, A Kitten Born With A Severe Disability, Doesn't Let It Get In The Way Of Her Spirit


Tumbelina was born with a severe disability, however, she does not allow it to get in the way of her beautiful spirit. You can see how much life she has in her eyes!

Tumbelina was rescued from a high kill shelter by people willing to invest in a cart for her and take care of her special needs. I get the chills knowing there are so many good people out there that can see how much love and spirit a kitten like Tumbelina has. Thank you, Valley Cats Inc. for rescuing this precious baby.


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Sunday, January 11, 2015

4 Common Myths About Deaf Dogs, Debunked


Picture of deaf dog
All sorts of myths and untruths have appeared about deaf dogs over the years, but how accurate are they? Deaf dogs are often written off as too difficult to train and are overlooked by many when searching for a new addition to their families, when in reality deaf dogs make amazing pets. In honor of National Deaf Dog Awareness Week, which takes place September 21st through the 27th, we thought it was time to debunk some harmful myths about deaf dogs. Here are 4 common myths about deaf dogs.

To read more on this story, click here: 4 Common Myths About Deaf Dogs, Debunked FOLLOW US!
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Thursday, October 2, 2014

How Tanzy The Paraplegic Kitten Surprised Everyone


When Tanzy first came to Tabby's Place, no one knew whether or not she would survive the animal attack that left the day old kitten without the use of her back legs.

But the amazing vets and folks at Tabby's Place, thanks to their care and treatments, soon found Tanzy could do all sorts of things:

To read more on Tanzy, click here: Tabby's Place Kitten Surprised Everyone







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Seeing Eye Cat Adopts Blind Dog As Best Friend, Guides Him Everywhere


This is the classic story of a dog chasing a cat, though it turns the convention on its tail, so to speak.

The remarkable tale of friendship focuses on Pudditat, a stray feline with a fierce reputation as a bully who grew close to Tervel, a blind farm dog afraid to leave the safety of his bed.

Pudditat becomes a seeing-eye-dog of sorts, leading Tervel around with her tail in a delightful show of animals helping each other out.

Watch their story, below:







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Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Adorable Rescued Pit Bull Has Short Spine Syndrome - Loves Humans, is Heavy on Affection


If Cuda the pit bull starred in a fairy tale, she’d be called The Ugly Duckling Dog. And if the afflicted rescue canine were a character in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, she’d be mistaken for a toy on the Island of Misfit Toys.

However, she’s much more than that; this pit bull terrier dog has a smile and a love for humans that dwarfs her outward features.

Cuda suffers from what is called Short Spine Syndrome, aka Baboon Dog Syndrome. Essentially, it is a genetic condition in which the sufferer — in this case, the pit bull — is born with a deformed spine or none at all, unlike the brawny pit bull terrier in this touching rescue video.

Doctors say dogs born with the condition have normal functioning organs, but they are compacted in the animal’s tiny frame. This could later present problems and amount to shorter life spans in American pit bull terriers and other breeds.

As seen in the image below, this amazing animal has a drawn-in barreled chest and sloping rear. It’s not discernible from the photo, but her paws lack symmetry. Moreover, the backyard-bred pit bull has diabetes and a bad case of gas.

In 2010, Julie LeRoy, who worked as an animal control worker in Durham, North Carolina, received a call that soon sent her on a new path in life.

Apparently, the callers said they had trouble with a stray dog. When LeRoy arrived, the residents, who said they were being stalked by gang members and had to leave in a hurry, brought out the tiny pit bull, just a puppy then.

LeRoy was astonished by the tiny pup and conflicted at the same time on how it would fit in her household among other adopted pets.

“They brought out this twisted little dog on a long piece of twine as a leash. They called her Cuda because of her underbite. They said she reminded them of a barracuda. They told me they had to get out of town fast because gangs were after them. I rolled my eyes to myself and took this picture of Cuda with my phone. I texted it to my husband [Scott] with these words: ‘What do you think?’”

After texting her husband, Scott, back and forth to seek his advice on what to do with the unwanted terrier dog, his final reply was simple: “Do what you’re going to do because you’re going to… do it anyway.”

The deal was sealed after paying the couple the requisite $50 to offload Cuda. Upon the advice of her husband, LeRoy took their new companion to the local vet for a thorough checkup. X-rays confirmed the pit bull terrier likely had the congenital condition, but there was no immediate cause for alarm.

To LeRoy, the rescued pit bull was adorable and as happy as any other puppy. That’s why she was suddenly taken off guard by the public that gawked at its gargoyle-like features, as if the tiny pup was a mutant from The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms or was some feral insectoid from a distant exoplanet. Alarmed by the public’s response, LeRoy gathered her items and raced out of the store.

Over the years, Cuda has proven to be nothing less than a breath of fresh air to their home. Despite her “deformities,” the pit bull with the shortened spine loves humans, is heavy on affection, has a huge smile, and loves to play at a moment’s notice as The Huffington Post wrote.

Since rescuing the dog, the LeRoys have joined online communities with others whose companions suffer from the same birth defect. She and Cuda have connected with support groups and those who have a vested interest in stopping inbreeding and are interested in helping abandoned animals find good homes.

“Where we once thought Cuda was invincible, we now know even more that we must re-educate breeders who think inbreeding is a safe process to create superdogs. Through this journey, we have found many people whose dogs have one or two of the physical characteristics Cuda has. Cuda may have been a first-generation whoops or the result of several generations of inbreeding. This is not an uncommon practice among all breeders- and it’s time we start educating the public to the secrets behind the show dog!”

Cuda the pit bull even has her own Facebook fan page to help share her infectious joy for others, connect with other rescue animal owners, encourage pet adoption, and dispel the myth that all pit bull terriers are dangerous.

Certainly, this gassy, grinning, and burping pit bull terrier isn’t.









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Thursday, February 27, 2014

Spencer, A 2-Year-Old Paralyzed Bulldog Takes his Very First Steps Thanks to Prosthetic Legs


Spencer is a 2-year-old Bulldog, who has been paralyzed in his back legs since he was a puppy. His veterinarian suspects he became paralyzed either from being dropped or from abuse. His guardian, Linda Heinz, found him on her doorstep and took him in. The curious dog has never gotten a chance to walk around like a regular dog.

Linda said he's always been at her feet pleading to be lifted up and carried around to explore the world. Westcoast Brace and Limb took on the challenge to help Spencer walk for the first time. They equipped him with custom braces outfitted with green Crocks for "feet". He took to the prosthetics instantly and ran up and down the hallways at the clinic until he tired himself out.

Soon after, he got to enjoy his first walk on his own with his buddy Porkchop the blind pig. Linda says Spencer is "the happiest creature you'll ever meet. He wakes up happy. He never has a bad moment."





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