Pet Stretchers

When Ruger had his stroke he was 10 years old. He suddenly couldn’t use his back legs and it was scary and heartbreaking. Strokes are something that can happen randomly at anytime and there is no rhyme or reason to them. It’s a part of aging. The neurologist told me that it’s important NOT to give a dog steroids after this type of event because they will completely masks the issue on an MRI. Unfortunately the first vet I took him to after he stopped wanting to walk for me thought he had somehow injured himself and needed inflammation help and prescribed prednisone for him. After I took him to the neurologist I found out I had to wait weeks longer than usual for the MRI. We had to get the meds out of his system so the neurologist could see where the problem originated. Turns out he had a stroke in his neck. His doctor said that there isn’t anything that can be done for a stroke, his body would eventually heal and he would walk again, which he did in time.

Ruger was a 60 pound bulldog. I was in my late 50s and single at the time with no one to help me lift him. So picking him up to take him outdoors wasn’t an option since I physically couldn’t do it. I bought a pet stretcher with wheels for him and he loved it. He felt like King Ruger being wheeled around on the stretcher and we also signed him up for physical therapy to help in healing. We had exercises we would do together every day and he would go to therapy once a week as well. If you’re like me I know you’re adding all the costs up in your head and it was considerable to have all this done. I had saved in a savings account for him for his whole life. I put in what I would have paid for an insurance premium, $100 a month, and he had enough in his account to cover these costs. I didn’t have to beg an insurance company to help or fight with them over what was covered and what wasn’t. That worked for me. It doesn’t work for things like cancer that cost more than anything but it worked for something like this. If your pup has cancer please see the blog I wrote about my bulldog Harley and how we were able to treat her cancer diagnosis holistically.

I loved how Ruger felt pampered and spoiled by his stretcher. He would hobble onto it and sometimes he would get on there even after he was all better and whine to be wheeled around! He thought that ride was so fun! It saved my arms and back from having to lift him all the time. I got it online at Amazon. Here’s the link…

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07H84V28W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I was grateful for this stretcher and eventually we needed it again when he had his TPLO correction on his back legs. It was such a life saver. Not every bulldog will need these types of things but it’s nice to know as your dog gets older that they are available to help when you need some. Caring for an aging dog is an act of love and gratitude for a lifetime of having them love you and give you the joy they freely give. It was my privilege to do this for him. I don’t regret it at all. I wouldn’t trade one day with him for all the hurt I felt when he crossed the rainbow bridge two years ago.