Ita

Ita is a very special girl who will require a special adopter. She came to us partially paralyzed, underweight, and with hardly any muscle mass on her back end. We are told her issues are due to being hit by a vehicle and left with no medical intervention until she was rescued. We have fought hard with Ita this past year to get her as mobile as possible, and she is thriving. Anyone will tell you she is the happiest looking dog on our walks, and she can motor in her wheelchair! Don’t be fooled, she has a lot of energy and requires daily walks. Some days she can do 4km no problem. We have been attending rehabilitation sessions to build muscle and gain more mobility, along with daily exercises at home. This is extremely important to continue in some capacity so Ita can maintain the mobility she currently has.

While Ita will always need her wheelchair for mobility, her back legs do move and we don’t put them in the wheelchair slings on our walks. Leaving her legs free to move helps preserve the muscles in her back end. We wrap her back feet with self-adhesive medical tape before each walk in order to prevent her nails from catching in case her toes are dragging. Paved walkways are harder on her feet than a gravel trail. She likes to keep warm, and we have several sweaters and jackets that we’ve found to work with her wheelchair for when it’s cold out. For traveling in the car, we have Ita in a soft-sided crate and she has no issues being transported.

Ita loves meeting other dogs and will sometimes bark at them from afar on our walks out of excitement. We’re working on the barking, and she’s slowly getting better with being redirected. Once she meets the dog and sniffs them, she either goes on her way or tries to get them to play. She listens well for treats. So long as the trails are fairly flat with no massive inclines or big rocks to navigate, Ita has had no issues on our trail walks, even in the snow. Her wheelchair harness will require some adjustments here and there, as it tends to loosen up over time. The WalkinPets website is very helpful for this.

Ideal Home

Ita will be happiest with another dog friend or, at the least, someone home often. She enjoys companionship and really relies on our dogs as support. Cats, kittens, and kids have posed no issues with Ita.

Ongoing Health

Ita has very limited feeling in her back legs, but she is still continent. She will give subtle signs if she has to pee or poop, normally looking restless and won’t lay down. Because she isn’t able to stand on her own, we pick her up and hold her under her armpits to do her business either outside or over a pee pad. To keep her consistent and ensure she empties her bladder completely, she will on occasion require some manual stimulation. This ensures she doesn’t end up with a UTI and keeps her on a schedule with her toileting. We also make sure she’s clean with scent-free baby wipes.

Ita is currently eating Go! weight management kibble and Prime Healthy Weight canned food that is carefully measured. She doesn’t expend the normal amount of energy, and it’s important to keep excess weight off her joints. She receives a Recovery Joint supplement and a Urinary supplement once a day mixed into her food. We find that a wider, shallow dish works better for her, and we hold it up for her so she can eat more easily. Her water dish is on a raised stand, which she can reach with no issue.

Training & Support

At home during the day, Ita isn’t in her wheelchair. We have mats out so she can scoot around more easily. She loves having a bed with low enough sides that she can pull herself into it, but she also loves to be put on the couch on a blanket to cuddle with you or chew a bone. In the evening, she’ll get as close to you as possible and lay her head in your lap.

Because she has limited mobility, Ita will need enrichment activities daily. She loves bully sticks and cow ears to chew, and we’ve been using a treat puzzle as well as a snuffle mat to keep her stimulated. Ita has been fine being left at home with our cats and small dogs. The longest we’ve left her is around 6 hours. When we leave her, she is in a low-sided X-pen with a washable pee pad underneath as a precaution and a dog bed. She will take herself down the stairs to wait at the door for you if she isn’t contained.

Application Details:

• Applications start by contacting us through Wags.

Transporation

Ita is located at our facility. We can discuss transportation options available through Wags to approved adopters.