Ear Cleaning Description: The first thing to do is to familiarize yourself with what the dog’s normal and healthy ears look and smell like in order to identify if they become abnormal. If the ear looks abnormal, you may need to do a gentle clean or flush depending on the severity. You will want to start handling the dog’s ears at an early age to build cooperative care. Frequency: Check ears daily for debris or redness. Clean as needed. Supplies: Ear Cleaner (Douxo Micellar, MalAcetic Otic, or Vetoquinol Vet Solutions from chewy.com or pet stores) Cotton Balls only; never use …
Archives for June 2023
David and Java Learn to Lean on Each Other
By Mike Branch – Due to a neuro-cognitive disorder and peripheral neuropathy, David lives with balance and mobility issues. His original Can Do Canine, Jewel, could steady David when he was off balance, help him navigate staircases, and retrieve items that had been dropped. Over time, by living with David, she even learned the cues David would experience before having a seizure. When necessary, Jewel, could perform a full set of rescue behaviors by nudging and nibbling him and even licking his face to bring him back from a seizure. Jewel was nonjudgmental, compassionate, and loyal. Despite her superhero-like skills, …
We’re Whelping a Whelping Center!
We’re excited to announce that the Can Do Canines Board of Directors has passed a resolution for us to move forward with an expansion project. The most likely scenario will have us building on our property. Plans will include a center for whelping purposes and will address other space needs. In order to grow (or even sustain what we currently do), we need to begin whelping on-site with the help of volunteers. Our whelping volunteers literally bring life to our mission, serving in an intense and crucial way. They turn their homes into “Puppy Central,” putting a virtual stop to …
Ivy Keeps the Can Do Canines Love Going for Beth
It wasn’t long after Can Do Canines moved into its current New Hope location in 2010 when Beth came knocking. Living nearby, she first became involved by volunteering. She and her four children helped out in a wide variety of ways and are even credited with coming up with the name of our e-newsletter, The Howler. Her relationship with our organization soon took on a different dynamic when she realized that the multiple sclerosis she had been diagnosed with a few years prior was becoming increasingly challenging. She describes her presenting symptom as fatigue, and neurologists assured her that her …
A “Ferrari” Assistance Dog Helps Bridget See the Road Ahead
“I just felt like life was kind of passing me by,” says Bridget, thinking back to how she was living following a traumatic brain injury she sustained in 2012. “I hit a point where things were untenable with some of the significant side effects I had from that TBI.” Those effects included migraines that sometimes hit her “like a tidal wave,” often causing nausea and other neurological symptoms, possibly seizures. Chronic pain, as well as hypermobility issues, are other factors Bridget deals with. Her use of three fingers on one hand and two on the other was impacted by her …