Daniela Casallas

How to take care a pet with special needs? When you hear "special needs pets", what do you think about it? Broadly, they are animals with a range of physical disabilities, medical conditions, or behavioral issues that require special care. Unfortunately, pets with special needs are the most difficult to adopt for shelters and rescues because many people fear not providing the special care that the animal requires or because they, sadly, believe they are "broken". All animals deserve love, care, companionship, and an enriching life regardless of their disabilities or limitations. Therefore, adopting a pet with special needs implies a great responsibility since you must create an environment and space that is conducive to their needs, have quality professional help, sometimes costly treatments, and especially, patience and love. Following there are some tips to take care of your pet with special needs. Relieving pain This is the number one priority for any pet with a disability. There are many great pain management strategies available, depending on the cause of the discomfort: medication, nutrition, massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, physical rehabilitation, etc.  Mobility Dogs and cats tend to adapt easily to the absence of one of their limbs; problems become more serious when more than one of the limbs is affected, without being considered an absolute limiting condition.  You must have certain considerations: 1. Physical exercise should be of less impact and not excessively since they tend to fatigue easily and can wear out the joints of the other members. 2. Ideally the home should not have stairs, as going up and down frequently can affect the spine and limbs. 3. Surfaces on which the animal moves must not be slippery, since the reduced stability produces poor support resulting in falls and serious injuries. 4. Wheelchairs and prostheses should be used for short periods: friction produces skin lesions and frequent use can cause postural, muscular, and joint problems. Visual disability When there is this type of disability, the other senses, by compensation, will become more sensitive and this will help the animals to orient themselves easily.  1. Stimulate the ear with pleasant sounds that allow you to know our location. Talking to them always increases trust and confidence. 2. Creating routines is important, that there are no drastic changes in the day to day so that they can get used to it easily and know where the food is, the door, the park, etc. 3. Routes and safe places: adapt our home to avoid sharp corners, stairs, balconies, and high places with which they can hurt themselves. Ideally, do not modify the location of the furniture and accessories in our home. 4. During walks, which should not be reduced, pets must always be on a leash. Prefer open places and free of obstacles, let them sniff so that the olfactory memory allows them to remember the routes.  Hearing impairment The other senses will be the best allies in the management of this disability. 1. Always be within their visual field and avoid sudden movements. 2. Physical contact and olfactory stimulation are important: always touch him gently and allow him to sniff to avoid frightening. 3. Never leave it loose during walks, as accidents can occur with cars or other animals. A CAT WITH THREE LENGS AND PURE LOVE She is Miau, a wonderful cat that was born without a piece of its posterior left leg. When my husband adopts her, he knew she would be a blessing in our lives. Miau can walk without any problem, he wobbles a little and stretches his leg. We have made several consultations with the vet to determine the best treatment for her. Some vets have suggested amputating her leg, which we found to be very extreme. Our current veterinarian recommends that we carry out continuous controls to check the state of her hip. We are looking to create a small prosthesis for her. Our biggest aim is to provide her with love and enjoy life. In conclusion, get information from professionals to find the most beneficial treatment for your pet, give him the best conditions and especially give him a lot of love. By Daniela Casallas