Picking up Fran.

[janedoe]

When Fran had a GI issue last week, we had her x-rayed and the radiologist found a spot on her spine. Fran has had a few episodes of collapsing on the stairs over the course of the last year. Now that she's almost 14, our champion jumper needs occasional help.

Unfortunately, when someone my husband loves gets sick, he acts like it's not happening. Obviously, this is not ideal for our Fran. So far, I've dealt with it but he decided to take her with him for an errand last night and when she tried to get out of the car when they got back, she wiped out. My husband was really upset.

So after we all calmed down today, I decided it would be best to have a practice session on what to do when Fran is having issues. Namely, the best way to pick her up.

We were all in the living room and I had Fran stand. Then I put one arm around her chest and another in front of her back legs and picked her up. Then put her down. Then picked her up. And down. Then I had my husband do it so that he would feel comfortable.

The expression on Fran's face was priceless. It was pure "WTH?" Frankly, I don't know why she puts up with us at all.

[Mr Kleb]

It's good to Not Make A Big Deal out of adapting. 'Let's figure out what we need to do, how we do it, practice it so it's not a big deal, away we go.'

Well done.

[POPTOP]

Finding a way to make it work and practicing it, like you did, is the best way to go. You become proficient at it and Fran becomes comfortable with the procedure.

I have not been able to pick up any of our dogs by myself for a while now, DH can. That does not solve the problem if I'm alone. Instead I depend on the walking harness I got, I think, for Melody. Even so, it's not the best solution.

DH also does not like to face the tough realities sometimes.

[Snowshoe]

You should ask your Vet about how to pick her up. Same as those lifting aids, depending where in her back hurts, certain aids and certain ways you place your arms might do more damage. Jet's problems were right about in the middle. Vet told me it was best to keep her spine straight but bending UP in the middle, was better than sway back or sagging down in the middle. He showed me a lift with my right arm between her front legs and my hand ends up on her left side just at the start of her ribs. My left arm was to wrap around her bum, with her tail down and inside my arm, landing below her bum and well above her hocks. Absolutely no way was I to put my left arm in front of her back legs. I think you are doing that and it might be ok for Fran but best to ask your Vet. Also, that's when I started putting Jet in the back of my jeep so I could lift her up and down to a flat surface, no more bending in and out to get on the back seat - again as per VEt.