Need advice... not able to go on daily walks due to health

[ScruffersMamabear]

Hope I am posting in the right area...
Our Scruffers is 22 mths old & just been diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy. We are trying to keep him on an even keel as he is clustering every so often. We are early in our journey as this has only been going on for 8 weeks now.
The issue we have is that I suffer from drug resistant epilepsy so am not able to take him out for a walk on my own. My OH walks with 2 sticks & is being investigating for Motor Neurone Disease. So some days he's in a lot of pain.
I know that Scruffs need exercise & we play with him on the front lawn (as we live in a flat) with his ball. What other suggestions do people have please? TIA

[Mari]

Sounds like a difficult situation! For keeping a dog happy, exercising the brain is probably more important than walks. And for keeping a cocker happy specifically, company is also important and I am guessing he gets that So keeping him occupied with obedience training, nosework, or just teaching him silly little tricks should keep him pretty contented. And letting him run around on the front lawn is better than nothing when the situation is what it is

In the long run he will need exercise of course, maybe you know someone who can help out a few days a week? Family member or neighbour? When I was younger I would sometimes walk neighbours dogs. I wanted my own, but parents didn't want one so I "borrowed" dogs for walks. Some of the owners gave me a little money for it too.

Or maybe there are professional dog walker services in your area that you can use to help you exercise him. I used a dog walker for my dog if I had to do long shifts a few years back, just to break up the day for her. I was nervous about it, but asked around and found a dog walker that people recommended. It was very helpful. She came to my house and went for a long walk with my dog on the days i needed her help.

[Jaysmumagain]

There is a charity called The Cinnamon Trust who have volunteers who walk pets for people who have health problems, alternatively you maybe be able to find a local dog walker in your area.

Your vet might have some idea of folks....worth a try.

Sending positive thoughts that there is a solutions soon.

[Micahs Mum]

I really feel for your situation & can empathise to a degree.

I have a progressive illness & I'm wheelchair bound. I have good days & bad days. I have 2 Golden Retrievers and a 8 month Cocker.

My 4 year old Golden Retriever was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy a year ago. It's usually controlled well with medication but he just had a particularly bad fit last weekend. His trigger is getting excited when I come home which is incredibly difficult to manage.

Generally walking the dogs isn't a problem for me. I have an electric wheelchair that I drive from so we go to the wind farm in our village. They made some great tracks during its construction which are brilliant for us!
However at the end of November my wheelchair was condemned out of the blue and taken from me. I was given a loan chair that wasn't suitable & could only be used indoors so I wasn't able to walk any of them for almost 3 months. I finally got my new wheelchair a couple of weeks ago & it then had to be adapted to drive from. I could finally get out and about & get back to our walks......until the snow came and made us housebound yet again! All incredibly frustrating!

The boys have all been amazing throughout & did adapt. I did lots of indoor training with them, we also played with Nina Ottosson interactive games which they all love, they got a few new toys too, a stuffed Busy Buddy Twist 'n' Treat each were a firm favourite & occupies them a good while. Also tree roots were a big hit, especially with my cocker and they last for weeks, I didn't leave them out constantly but brought them out if they seemed bored or I needed them to settle. I also had a friend who walked them a couple of times.

I have felt incredibly guilty throughout all of this and I'm sure you will have too. A friend did say that the thing a dog needs most of all is us, our love and attention and they get us 24/7, a lot of dogs don't get that.
You could look in to Borrow My Dog, it worries me a bit but I'm super paranoid when it comes to my dogs! I do know of people who use it successfully.

I really hope your situation starts to improve, let us know how you are getting on.
 

Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk

[ScruffersMamabear]

Thank you all! I am glad to say that today was a good day & we took him a long walk in the park & valley nearby

[Ambler54]

When I had shingles( over my face and in one eye) i really couldnt walk for a couple of weeks.I contacted a local dog walker, She lives around the corner, and on bad days  when I really couldnt do anything She would pop around and take Rosie out with Her.I paid Her but she only asked a nominal fee and I knew Rosie was getting a lovely walk.

[Leo0106]

Hi,
Brain games and activities might be great for you.
I need a double hip replacement and my partner is in the military so sometimes he isn't here to help me out with walking our excitable 16 month working cocker!
Ours still gets 2 walks a day (sometimes slow as I use crutches) but if it's a shorter walk then I fill the rest of his waking time with lots of various activities. Not all have to be food related.

I could give you loads of ideas however if you are on Facebook then join a group called 'canine enrichment' the idea of this group is not to give your dog activities to occur themselves but to tire their brains out using enrichment


Hope you find it useful and if you are not on Facebook let me know, happy to offer you some activities that I find work!