Pet Disabilities: Angel doesn’t know she only has 3 legs

What makes a perfect pet? Would you take on the care and raising of a disabled dog? Sometimes, only "humans" are even aware that the dog has a disability. This is Angel's story...

Angel was born on September 13, 2009. The rest of her litter mates were perfectly formed. Angel, though extremely healthy in every other way, only had 3 legs. There was no deformed or injured leg, it just wasn’t there. According to her owners, the Stallards, there was just a skin flap where her left front leg should have been.

“The breeder even researched it, and couldn’t find any instances where the dogs didn’t have to have any surgery to repair anything.” Jack Stallard said as he sat in the yard rubbing Angel’s head. Angel never had to have any kind of surgery. Her front chest looks perfectly fine, except the leg is just not there.

Luckily for Angel, the breeder had planned to keep her, assuming no one would want the 3- legged boxer puppy. This is not the case with some breeders that end up with a pet that is less than perfect. The Stallards saw her and thought she was perfect, and so Angel came to live with them and their Jack Russell Terrier when she was 8 weeks old.

Teaching Angel to Cope with 3 Legs

“We never treated her like she had a problem.” Linda Stallard said. “We didn’t carry her around. We helped her figure out how to do it herself.” They taught Angel to go up and down stairs by supporting her from the rear and encouraging her to try it. Angel soon learned to go up and down the front porch steps all by herself.

They did have to make a few adjustments to help Angel be as independent as Jack, the terrier. They put doggie steps beside the couch so Angel didn’t have to try to jump up on it to lay down with her buddy. If she wanted up, she had to climb.

The Stallards say they think Angel realized she was different than her playmate Jack. “She would look at him real quizzically, like she was trying to figure out why he had that extra leg.” Jack said.

By watching the Jack Russell terrier run and play, Angel learned how to hop and jump to keep up with him. 

Watching the 2 dogs run and play in the yard, you would never know that Angel has a disability. You can’t really even call it a disability, because it doesn’t seem to affect Angel at all. She runs and plays as fast and hard as her 4- legged friend.

Disabled Pets Can Adapt

The point is that disabled pets are not throw-aways. Angel is happy and healthy. She doesn’t realize she is “deformed.” If you ever saw this beautiful dog, and watched her running and playing, you would forget that she only has 3 legs. Because of the kindness of a breeder, and the love of the Stallards, Angel has a great life.

With a little help and a lot of love and kindness, a disabled pet can give you as much joy and pleasure as a “normal” pet. Many pets are destroyed because they are not perfect. One look at Angel, and anyone would know how wrong that way of thinking is. Someone will want to love and help that pet, if given the chance. Angel doesn’t know she only has 3 legs and her owners don’t care that she has a leg missing. She is perfect to them.

This article and photo was originally published by this author on Yahoo Voices in 2011 and on Examiner in 2014. Both sites are now shut down but the story of this beautiful dog needs to continue. This author holds the rights to this article and the photo.

Healthy “People” Snacks for Your Dog

“Our Mommy had this here article published on Examiner.com but she said that place went belly up! Now me and Stormy, we thinks “belly up” is a good thing cause we get tummy rubs, but Mom says it means that nobody can read about the good stuff she tells folks anymore cause it’s gone from this here internet. We told her put it here on our site cause we ain’t goin’ nowhere and we like this stuff!” 

Happy readin’….Stormy and Gizmo

Remember when vets warned against feeding “people food” to our pets? After many scares of dog food contamination and gluten deaths, dog owners scrambled to feed their dogs much safer and healthier foods. A lot of dog owners, including myself, have turned to a more natural way of feeding their dogs.

 Before feeding your dog any new type of treats, whether it is dog treats, or “people food” treats, it is advisable to know of any allergies the dog may have. Introduce new treats and foods slowly, and one at a time so you can be aware of any allergies or upsets each new snack might cause. Feed snacks in moderation, no matter how healthy they are!

 Sweet Potatoes:

Your dog will love tiny bites of sweet potatoes. Boil, bake or microwave a plain sweet potato. Remove the skin and chop the sweet potato into appropriate bite size morsels for the size of your dog. Seal the potato into a plastic container and keep it refrigerated. Depending on the size of dog, and the amount of treats given, the sweet potato treats will last quite a while.

Sweet potatoes are rich with Vitamin A and C, which are good antioxidants. The sweet potatoes will also sooth any colon irritation your dog may have. Just be sure to feed plain sweet potato. Glazed or marshmallow ones are great for our dinner, not the dogs!

Bananas:

This is an easy treat to peel and slice for your dog. Dogs can smell a banana a mile away, and will come running for a bite. Just don’t tell them how good it is for them. A banana is a great source of fiber, and it is easily digestible. It is also good for his bones and kidney health.

Green Beans:

 Vegetables as a snack, you ask? Dogs are not trained in the proper etiquette of what you eat when, as we humans are. He doesn’t know that vegetables are not a snack. Toss him a green bean and watch him munch away.

Besides, if Fido is a little pudgy, feeding him or her healthy snacks will trim the waist line. This will help the dog in other areas of health issues as well. An overweight dog causes stress on their joints, heart and lungs, to name a few.

 Peanut Butter:

Okay, it’s a little messy if you just give the dog a glob out of the jar. But think of the nutritional value - it’s loaded with protein, calcium and iron. Try dabbing a small amount onto a piece of celery or carrot. (This is an at home treat to be sure.)

Pet stores also carry chew toys that have a place in them to stuff the peanut butter. If you enjoy baking, you can whip up some peanut butter snacks by simply mixing a few ingredients and baking them in your oven for short time.

Yogurt:

Dogs actually like yogurt and it is very good for them. You don’t want to give your dog the fancy flavored yogurt, because it has too much sugar in it. Buy plain, unflavored yogurt and chop a piece of fresh banana into it. Your dog will think he is in treat heaven!

Yogurt has just as many health benefits for dogs as it does for people. So forget the old stand-by that people food is not good for your dog. Some of it is really good and you should be sharing. Just remember to talk with your vet before changing your dog’s diet to drastically…and read those ingredients labels. You may be surprised what you are feeding him or her.

“See, I told you Mommy was smart about this stuff! You should click that email thingy and follow us, cause Mommy has lots more of these cool articles coming out of being belly up!”

Keep the Paws Up and Waving til next Time

Stormy and the fish…or… a dog who panics!

Have you ever seen a dog that has a sheer look of panic on their face? I see this quite often in my little Shih Tzu, whenever his prize fish comes up missing. His fish is actually a raggedy, little blue stuffed toy that he laid claims to shortly after he came to live with us. He carries this little fish everywhere.

He brings it to his dinner bowl and gently lays it beside the food, stepping back as if he thinks the fish is going to grab a bite to eat. He sometimes takes the fish outside for his “potty break” and lays it down. So far, I have never witnessed the fish eating or pottying, but Stormy still keeps trying.

And yes, he has to sleep with this fish and that’s where the sheer panic on his face comes in. Sometimes we don’t manage to keep a close eye on Mr. Fish as he journeys around the house and he gets left here or there. Gizmo, Stormy, the fish and I all share a big old king sized bed.  I have to lift both of them up on the bed at night, sometimes Stormy has the fish tucked securely in his mouth....sometimes not. 

As soon as Stormy’s feet hits the bed, he does a search and rescue lap all over the bed top in hunt of Mr. Fish. A missing Mr. Fish sends him into fits of barking and even faster running as he looks at me in sheer panic, barking nonstop as his little legs run as fast as he can.

He will jump down and run around the bed, then he wants back up to take another look, just in case he missed Mr. Fish the first few laps. Oh, and did I mention that he barks and looks at me in a panic the entire time as if to say, “OMG, where is Mr. Fish!”

"Oh no, the hunt is on!"

No one in my household gets to go to bed until Mr. Fish is located. It’s like a scavenger hunt as we all run around the house trying to locate the little blue fish, all the while being chased by a dog in panic mode who is still barking his head off. My granddaughter has even gotten out of bed to help with the fish hunt as she can hear his panicked bark from her room and immediately knows what the problem is.

Me, I walk around looking and even get down on hands and knees peering under furniture, under the bed, and anywhere else I can imagine Mr. Fish taking off to. I even ask this dog, “Well where did you leave him?” Or I admonish him, “If you’d leave him on the bed, you’d know where he is!” So far, he hasn’t told me where he left him, nor has he left him on the bed!

 So, I guess so long as Stormy insists on taking Mr. Fish for a daily stroll and then forgetting where he left him, our random nightly hunts will still go on…if not, no one in this house is getting much sleep!

We have a lot of crazy antics around our house. Follow our blog and come back often to see what we are up to!