PLEASE HELP?! My dog can’t move her back legs & we have an Emergency Vet trip but we how can we get her out?
ByThis is really hard for me to type so please excuse any mistakes. Okay, I have a 13 year old Pit-Bull/Lab/Greyhound mix. We took her to an Emergency Vet trip two days ago because her back paws were knuckling. They said it was nerve damage due to old age & then they did some bloodwork. We got the results back & her Liver wasn’t working right & she might have Hypothyroidism. We had a Vet appointment at 12:00 tomorrow for both things but then tonight, she couldn’t move her back legs. She does have feeling in them because if you touch it, she looks back. But her joints seem to be locked. We’re taking her to the Emergency Vet but we have a problem, we can’t get her out of the house if she can’t walk. She bites & growls when you pick her up so we can’t pick her up without a muzzle. We don’t have a muzzle so the Vet told us to make one. We did & she’s still snappy. Help please?! Shed some light on what to do & what this could be?! Please pray that she’ll be okay, her name’s Tasha. <3
22 Comments
May 3rd, 2010 at 11:54 am
cover her head securely with a towel or thick blanket before you move her, scoot her onto another strong blanket to carry her to the car. I’m sorry your dealing with this. Just do your best to get her there and be careful with her.
May 3rd, 2010 at 12:50 pm
put a blanket under her belly so it comes out on either side of her. one person on each side to lift
May 3rd, 2010 at 1:04 pm
You are doing the right thing for Tasha. Be calm and gentle with her, use a soft bandage/lead/scarf and loop it around her muzzle and behind her head and tie it firmly. You can cover her head with a towel to help her calm down. Use a strong blanket or piece of wood to help carry her. She is more likely to settle if you talk to her gently, be quiet and sure in your actions…
Good luck with her, be strong.
May 3rd, 2010 at 1:16 pm
Can you get her into a kennel? Or put a blanket under and two people lift her up?
My dear, you must think of her quality of life. It sounds like she wants to go to heaven. She is in pain and it seems they cannot save her and make her healthy. If you cannot get her to a vet tonight, wait until tomorrow. She may have calmed down by then.
If you decide to get her out of her pain and agony, a vet will perhaps come to your home to euthanize her. Tasha can be running through the fields of the gods by tomorrow. Sometimes no matter how much money you spend, no one can help her.
I know you would miss her terribly but she deserves better than this. Bless all of you.
May 3rd, 2010 at 1:58 pm
i would cover her head with a towel also. if she cant walk you are going to have to pick her up. the towel will help if she trys to bite. i had a dog that couldn’t walk for a couple of months also. it was a hard time for everyone in my family. she is growling because she is probably hurting. good luck I’ll send my prayers your way.
May 3rd, 2010 at 2:57 pm
awwww =(
im really sorry about this =(
hold her snout while u pick her up or use a towel ,do have a kennel ? if so put her in that
I really hope Tasha is ok
May 3rd, 2010 at 3:55 pm
I do hope that Tasha pulls through. Try to get her onto a blanket and then carry her out that way. If there is a neighbor or someone who can pick her up without getting scared from her growling then that might help. It is different when it is not your own dog. Your upset and and that is affecting the way your dog is reacting. Get someone who is nutral and it may help.
Good luck with Tasha
May 3rd, 2010 at 4:37 pm
if you still need a muzzle, i found this link to show how to make one using gauze…
http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/ClientED/dog_restraint.aspx
i do think that carrying the dog out on a blanket or comforter may work. i wish i could be more help! i hope everything turns out okay, and good luck!
May 3rd, 2010 at 4:43 pm
put a towel over her head, the front person hold the towel around her head with lt arm around her head to control biting and rt arm under her rib cage. back person put a towel under her belly as close as you can get to her back legs, hold on to the towel and use it as a sling to carry her back end. good luck.
May 3rd, 2010 at 5:15 pm
Cover her head and try and placing her on a blanket to sling her. You should be able to move her in a hammock like fashion without getting bitten. Placing a blanket over her head initially will hopefully avoid getting bitten while placing her on the blanket. Once you get her to the ER she can be given some pain control and they will be able to make her more comfortable until you get her to your regular veterinarian.
Good luck
May 3rd, 2010 at 5:39 pm
So sorry for Tasha….but there is help!! Make sure you know her weight before doing this, you need to sedate her by using benadryl…….1 pill for every 25LBS……give to her in food so she is not aware of the pills……wait about 30 minutes and she will be calm enough to put a nice, thick towel over her head while she is on her bed, pick up her bed with her in it….and get her to the vehicle….this will last about 1 hour….and it will TOTALLY help get her to the Vet safely.
Best of Luck!!!
May 3rd, 2010 at 6:24 pm
I will prey, I promise. Poor you, and poor poor suffering dog. This happened to my friend’s dog, Joe. We all loved him very, very, very much. And he died of the same thing, but he couldn’t move and all. It happened while I was at the movies with my friend, her awesome grandma whom she lived with, and our other friend. He died at the vets, But no worries; He was 13.
May 3rd, 2010 at 7:12 pm
Oh dear, this is awful. She’s probably snapping at you because she hurts. Try holding her differently, if you can, and make it as quick as possible for her (while keeping her safe, of course). Good luck and you’re doing the right thing with Tasha.
May 3rd, 2010 at 8:09 pm
1)get a towel to cover her eyes but let her breath
2)get a strong blanket
3)put it under her and make sure it is on both sides
4)have some people help you carry her to the car
*Good Luck*
May 3rd, 2010 at 8:14 pm
Don’t use a towel, you can lose track or where her jaws are and she can bite you through it. Use long gauze, or if you have a thin scarf loop it around her muzzle (coming from behind her, she’s more likely to snap if she see’s you coming). Tie it off behind her ears. The best way to transport her is to get a big board (and based on her breeds, you will need a big board
), set it on the floor behind her grab the loose skin at the back of her neck and on her rump, and AT THE SAME TIME, pull her onto the board. To secure her, use duct tape (don’t put the tape side down onto her fur, but flip it over where it touches her). This keeps her back steady and is much better than the blanket especially if her paralysis is due to a degenerative back injury. I’m praying for you.
May 3rd, 2010 at 8:46 pm
If your dog will still eat you could try giving her some benadryl and even pain medicine to help sedate her and make her more comfortable. Ask the emergency vet for dosages–a 7-11 store would have benadryl. If she really is having so much trouble, especially with her liver failing, I may agree with previous posting about the kind and compassionate thing to do for her. All large animal vets make farm/home calls so please consider that option. God bless you and your furbaby.
May 3rd, 2010 at 9:17 pm
As hard as it is for you to hear this, it is even harder for me to type this, kiddo, don’t let your dog suffer anymore, please let her go…..the old age is only making her suffer…….if liver is failed and cant walk, she is in so much pain…….I had a Schnauzer I had to put down in 2004, due to cancer, he could not walk, he could not stand, was going down hill so bad, I finally had to accept it and let my baby be put out of his pain.
I know this is hard for you to hear, but please think of your baby……….
May 3rd, 2010 at 9:26 pm
ok.. i dont want to scare you or anything but the same thing happend to my dog about 3 years ago and…..he had a tumor on his back they did surgery to take it off but it was wrapped around his spine and they couldnt get it all off w/o paralising him. So they took off as much as possible and said he had 2 months to live. He ended up living comfortably for 3 months and then…..he got bad again and we figured that the best thing to do would be to put him down
so we did 
i feel much relief that he is in heaven now. But to tell you how to get him out…just listen to the other people they have some good ideas! we had to carry Bear out on a blanket.
I send my wishes and hope all is well and this is not Tashas case! please make another question to tell us an update!!!!!! i will keep you and tasha in my prayers!
May 3rd, 2010 at 9:44 pm
She’s hurt and scared so she’s lashing out – snapping. It’s not personal.
To make an emergency muzzle:
Loop 2-3 ft length of soft, strong material over the dogs muzzle. (Use gauze bandage, a tie, torn cotton sheet or other soft material as a muzzle. Only in extreme emergencies use rope, twine or other harsh materials that may injure the dogs muzzle.)
Make a loop large enough to slip over the dogs muzzle.
Quickly slip this over the dog’s muzzle and tighten. Do not tie a knot.
Cross the tie under the muzzle and wrap behind the dog’s ears. Tie a secure bow.” — From First Aid for Dogs by Bruce Fogle DVM.
If you have a nylon leash – you may be able to use that.
Be extra careful when you pick her up. Since she has feeling it’s probably painful.
Good luck.
May 3rd, 2010 at 10:22 pm
rip a t shirt i n half. rap it around the dogs muzzle
and tie behind the ears,
you dogs in a lot of a pain , not looking good
i wish you luck ….
May 3rd, 2010 at 10:29 pm
well she will most definitely be in my prayers tonight. you’re going to have to carefully and gently carry her out to the car. best wishes!
May 3rd, 2010 at 11:06 pm
Cover her head with a towel and get her to the vet.
I know you don’t want to hear this, but I think it’s time to put your girl down. She is only suffering and being scared and in pain is probably causing her to be snappy. It’s time to let her go.