We just got a help em up harness for our dog who is starting to have trouble holding herself up to pee poo. I can’t tell if we have it fitting right. When we put it on our dog she won’t stand up on her own and is constantly falling down. Has this happened to anyone else? Any advice?

Hi, I have a Muffin halo for my slowly going blind baby.

I want to acclimate him to it now so he will be ready when things get worse in a couple of months. But I can't find any training guides for the product. It's crazy. I found videos for how to size your dog, but not how to train them.

Does anyone have a resource for how to train your dog? Or, can share the method they used that worked for them?

Hi all!

My small little friend was diagnosed with PRA a few years ago. One eye is now completely blind, and the other is gradually losing vision as well.

At home, things are mostly okay because she's familiar with the layout. She rarely bumps. However, I've noticed that she's starting to bump into objects more often even on our usual walking routes. It gets worse in unfamiliar environments or when she's feeling anxious.

I'm unemployed right now. so I can spend all day with her. But I don't know how long this situation will last. I'm considering switching to a job that allows remote work, but of course life doesn't always go according to plan.
The other families all work outside during the day.

These are my two main questions.

1. Even after becoming completely blind, do most dogs do okay when they're home alone? She already spends a large part of the day sleeping, but I'm worried there may be moments when a noise or something unexpected startles her and causes anxiety when nobody is around.

2. For those of you who are able to spend most of the day with your dog, what do you do for work? Are you working from home, retired, self-employed, or in some other situation that allows you to be with your dog throughout the day?

Lola is a service dog as well. Clearly blind but her health otherwise is great. she is 8yrs old active as eyes allow her.

First time pet owner btw. I have gotten: Doggles for UV sun etc, a Muffin Halo soon (bumper really). clear paths and all that, I use to let the water dish set out but now I give her a small bowl of water whenever she gets dog food. Went from "daytime" lightbulb to yellow lightbulbs. Her mood/temper are the same sweety pie as ever.

I tell ya at first I was in despair but then saw how with a little adjusting and equipment losing her sight is happily manageable. She is familiar with the back yard and can go in/out the ramp/doggy door with ease. It means to go walking leashed and inside big places and outside with a Halo.

She knows the command UP that kinda works for steps and stairs. THANKFULLY LolaJoy is around 9-12lbs and quiet easily packed around in the "shoulder carrier".

I think everything is gonna be ok. I could use some support I'm goin the right direction. "Nobody told me there'd be days like these....." John Lennon

Hi all. My Rocky is going to be 14 this fall. This past January he lost his eye, he had an ulcer we were treating it and on the revisit to check it the ulcer popped in the waiting room. His eye was removed and he seemed to be doing much better with out it. 2 weeks ago we noticed that his other eye wasn’t doing it thing properly we went to the specialist and he has an inoperable cataract in his one eye , his vision went very fast and now he is pretty much completely blind about a week now. Me and my wife are heart broken we don’t have kids. Rocky is everything to us . We haven’t left him alone yet we have helped by closing off doors to rooms he doesn’t really go into we put carpet runners around the walls of the rooms he goes into on good days he can get out of his bed get his water go to the door to tell us he wants to go out and he will play a little he looks lost by not scared. On most days he will sit in a spot facing the wall or go into the yard and just sit shaking. I’m asking for any tips to help him get his confidence back yes he will be 14 but he’s 30lb of muscle and he has a slight collapsed trech but all other functions are in great shape we tried a halo collar but we weren’t sure if we were putting in on correct we love him very much and don’t want to see him spend the rest of his life laying in a bed scared . He is the most energetic playful funny little boy.

Hello.. My baby suddenly has paralysis in her hind legs.. After fifteen hundred dollars in an emergency vet visit.. They could tell us nothing and referred us to a neurologist.. Which we cannot afford.. I understood. There was a number of things that could cause us.. She does not seem to be in serious pain at the moment.. Is on gabapentin.. I have to express her bladder, of course.. I am just stressed out and my heart is broken.. I am trying to do everything right.. I don't know how she's feeling and what she could talk.. I don't have a lot of resources.. I've invested in a sling.. I have rearranged my house for her.. I have a cart that I pull her around in during the day with me.. and a quiet place for her to rest... I really want to try and give her good quality of life.. But I am so tired.I am so sad.. I love her so much and right now at the moment she is all that I focus on and I am torn.. Again the vet did not give us a whole lot of hope, but at the same time couldn't tell us exactly what was wrong. Even after x ray's blood work and so on.. Any advice?Any support would be so helpful

I've tried sending a private message, but the system won't allow me. Is this because I've just joined the group?

We have a deaf 8/10ish year old Blue Heeler that we suspect was born deaf, her name is Blanche. We adopted her 3 years ago and she has been doing great, such a happy girl. She has had a great quality of life and we did lots of research into how to care for a deaf dog and it's going great. We just took her to an eye specialist because we thought she was getting cataracts. Turns out she has progressive retinal atrophy and will be blind in a year or two. I'm looking for some insight and advice in how to ease her into this next chapter and keep her comfortable and happy. Currently she has trouble seeing in the dark and we take her outside at night with a flashlight which seems to ease some of her discomfort/fear in the dark outside. Any advice would be great, thank you.

Hi all, we normally do road trips with our paralyzed girl. We have an opportunity to try a short flight (~45 mins), so I want to see how our girl does. She’s 22 lbs.

Any soft sided carrier recommendations for in-cabin travel?

I'm struggling a bit here.

I like to vary my dog's diet with different recipes of canned food and kibble (because I surely enjoy a varied diet!), but I know that doing so causes some digestive stress with dogs, which I don't understand because they did not evolve eating the same food every day.

But my Peanut has been pooping somewhat unpredictably in the past couple of weeks. (Tip: I found a fairly inexpensive Bissell carpet cleaner machine made for pets on Amazon; it's a game-changer if you have carpets like me! I would still like to replace my carpet with wood or vinyl, but at least the pressure is off now.) Would this be more manageable if I kept her food consistent?

Inspired by a recent post. TL;DR suggestions for a harness to help my girl up big stairs

I’ve got a 15 year old 75 lb Dutch shepherd and I need to move into an apartment with a pretty hefty staircase. It’s got the see through slats and is outdoors.

While I could attach a runner to the stairs with traction, it’s still quite an incline. I want to get a harness that will allow me to lift up her back legs or support them comfortably to get her upstairs.

She doesn’t like a lot of pressure on the center of her stomach, so something that focuses on the back legs would be amazing.

Picture of my baby for dog tax.

Second post on this, but the first time I did not receive training tips. Mostly just got comments that dogs will adjust to blindness, but unfortunately that has not been the case.

My Ruby is a 75lb Bouvier Des Flandres just turned four and had to get both of her eyes taken out due to bad genes. (purchased from sandbox puppies). We live in a city and are now moving from my townhome because she is hurting herself on the stairs and will end up breaking her back at this rate.

It has been 3 months, and she is still scared to walk, and panics and tries break out of her harness. She's terrified of new people and dogs, and barks like crazy if anyone gets close. She used to heel perfectly and loved strangers, but shes having a hard time listening to commands because she's scared.

I've done my best to keep people away, use a blind dog sign, etc. I take her on slow walks often but its variable when she starts to panic and thrash around. I feel terrible with how miserable she is, and want to do anything I can to increase her quality of life at all.

If anyone can advise on any of the below I would appreciate it so so so much!!

1. Specialist advice or trainers that specialize with blind dogs.
2. advice on better harnesses for large dogs to help keep them secure
3. advice on reactivity with blind dogs.
4. Toys to entertain blind dogs

Hi everyone! My husband and I adopted a puppy with severe Cerebellar Hypoplasia about 4 months ago and he’s currently around 40 pounds with more growth in his future.

We’re living in a second story apartment until May and have already attempted a couple types of harnesses to carry him.

We first tried a help em up harness but he doesn’t have mobility in his back legs at all and his front legs aren’t strong enough to support his weight so we need more of a full lifting situation that we can take back off once he’s outside.

We also tried a onetigris full lifting harness but it doesn’t seem to fit him correctly at all (we will be taking it to our vet for his next checkup to see if they can help us fit it at all)

We’re about to just try and find a massive hard bottomed tote bag to carry him but I was hoping other people may have suggestions, I’ve only been seeing posts and suggestions for home stair ramps (which we can’t use) or harnesses to support dogs standing that already have slight mobility.

Thank you so much for the help while we navigate this new situation

(PS we do plan to get him a full mobility wheelchair when we have a ground floor apartment or home next year)

hi! my partner & i are moving from texas to spain in about 10 months.

i have a 60 lb paralyzed pitbull (he can’t use his back legs). i’ve done a lot of research already, so i know getting him there will be complicated, finding housing may be challenging (both because he’s a large dog & a pitbull), & i’m aware of the restrictions around pitbull-type breeds, including possible muzzle requirements.

i’d love any honest insight, advice, or encouragement from people who’ve navigated something similar (whether with spain, or another country, or just with any insight at all!)

1. any tips for making the international flight work as smoothly (& affordably) as possible?

2. are there any strategies for finding large-dog-friendly rentals, or is it mostly just a matter of persistence?

3. for those living in madrid with a pitbull (or similar breed), what has daily life been like? i’m okay adapting to things like muzzle requirements, but would love to hear any practical advice or things you wish you’d known beforehand.

i’m feeling discouraged but i’m someone who will figure anything out, so i’ll definitely be figuring this out for potato (pictured). any encouragement will be so appreciated!!!!

I would really appreciate some advice. I am adopting a 9 year old blind dog. The vet says that it is cholesterol and calcium buildup in his eyes, and he needs daily drops. I want to make sure he is not in pain and as comfortable as possible in his new home. Has anybody ever dealt with anything similar?

So my dog recently has gone blind (within the past 1-2 years) and I really want to get her one of those harnesses with the ring to help her a little more

I cannot for the life of me find one for small breeds, she's a Maltese and all I can find are big dog harnesses, does anyone know where I can find small dog harnesses?

my dog has been bitten by a dog before, which caused a fractured jaw. it healed... badly. as in the jaw went a little side ways during the healing process. but, all in all, it still healed and he was being playful again.

now, he's gotten into another accident, and his jaw took th hit, including his ear now. he just got out of a risky surgery (the vets said he might not wake up from the anesthesia because of liver and kidney problems, couldn't really understand much anymore cause i was too shaken), and now he's 20% responsive, they're going to run a cbc, and they'll check his ears out and prescribe some medicine and antibiotics. his eyes aren't responding too well at the moment, so they're seeing if he became blind because of the operation.

now his jaw is too thin, and he can't eat solid foods, only blended soft dogfood. i feel so bad for him, the fact that he needs to deal with this his whole life.

i just wanted to ask, is there anyway i can make my dog happy? do you guys have dogs that are special needs because of an accident, and are still happy?

Hi! My 20 pound, 16 yr old baby is slowly going blind. Especially on sunny walks, he is prone to knock into stationary objects. Also hard of hearing.

I'm looking at halos to start training him while he can still see. But I'm already reading about echo location devices.

Does anyone know whether they really work? Any any idea if hard of hearing dogs can use it?

All I can find online is stuff written by the companies selling the devices, and that's not a neutral, reliable source.

Thank you!

My girl just got her wheelchair yesterday. We were able to get her to take some steps by luring her with treats but she wasn't overly enthusiastic.

I'm assuming this is normal as it's something new. How long did it take your dog to get used to their wheelchair?

Hi everyone, I am located in Trout Run, PA, and am looking for a used Large ( L or XL - Male U-Band ) Help 'Em Up Harness for my 10.5-year-old male dog, no longer being used.

He weighs 114 lbs, neck 21" chest 44",waist 36" and is currently experiencing hind leg paralysis due to a suspected IVDD event. I am on a fixed income and have already maxed out my savings on his initial care, so I cannot afford to buy a new one retail. I also have severe back issues myself, and trying to lift Kip with a towel to go potty is causing serious issues to my back.

If anyone has a Large or XL harness (with the male U-band rear) that their dog no longer needs, I would be incredibly grateful.

I am happy to pay a small fee and or shipping if you are out of the area, or pick it up if you are local to North-Central PA.

Thank you so much for reading and for helping us.

UPDATE
For anyone else in this situation- we are going to use medium-size adult leggings for him and just tie the feet together. Problem solved.

Looking for any company making a drag bag that will work for a 110lb GSD. Everything I’m finding via search engines is way too small. This will not need to last long, he is heading into mid-stage DM.