Disabilities-R-Us

Created by and for people with physical disabilities.

Fun Chat #4: Pets Can Be Disabled Too

Nov 26, 1997

This is an archival transcript of one of our past meetings. We don't have scheduled topical meetings anymore, but we're not opposed to the idea of bringing them back if someone is willing to commit to hosting them on a "long term" basis.

Participants already present:
  HandiBot ([email protected])
  Fenicia ([email protected])
  Mooooooo ([email protected])
  Dancer
  Antonios
  Mimi ([email protected])
  HelloKit ([email protected])
  ChanServ
  judi
  Jody
Mooooooo: Jody!!! :o)
Jody: Hello!!!
Antonios: We are lost alright! :) At least I am!
HelloKit: logging is on (maybe)
Antonios: looooooooost in spaaaaaaace!
* Jody HUGS Mooooooo
Mimi: Jody! :o)
Mooooooo: hold on
Jody: Hi Carly.... long time no see....
* Jody hugs and kisses Mimi
Jody: Hi there Mims....
Jody: what's the subject for tonight?
Mimi: :oD *hugs* Jody
Dancer: Judi and jody, hello and welcome!
Mimi: Disabled animals or some such
Fenicia: good night :)) see you a little later :)
*** Fenicia has left #disabled
HelloKit: Everyone, I'm really sorry I didn't get the meeting reminder sent out this week.
judi: I have a disabled chihuahua
Jody: oh well... I'm well versed in that... all of my dogs have something
HelloKit: Tonight's topic is all about any 'disabled' pets we have ever had or seen.
judi: He has congestive heart failure, arthritis and can't see real well any more, he's 13
Jody: most of mine fit this category
Dancer: That could be the reason for the low attendance, hello! Grin.
Mooooooo: please tell me his name isnt 'Lucky'
HelloKit: lol
judi: Skippy
Mooooooo: heh, ok
Dancer: Is obesity considered a disability? Grin.
judi: We're thinking of building him a little ramp for the door he goes in and out of
HelloKit: lol could be Dancer
Mooooooo: Im trying to download the picture of my cat Bitsy
Mooooooo: with her broken leg in a cast
HelloKit: Aww... that would be neat, judi.
Jody: judi... you should try accupunture for Skippy. it's done wonders for our dogs...
judi: We're getting tired of lifting him in and out the door
HelloKit: We've had lots, but I'll let you guys share first before I take up all your time ;o)
judi: accupuncture?
Mooooooo: i would like to see someone try accupuncture on a cat
Jody: yep... for pets. Works great.
Jody: our vet does it
Mooooooo: we'll see who gets punctured the most
Mimi: lol
Jody: lol
Mimi: jinx
Jody: I'm slow tonight!
Dancer: I have a Miniature Pinscher named Scooter. She's obsessed with food. She used to sleep with me more often. Now someone has to lift her up because she can't make it herself.
Mimi: people use accupuncture on show and race horses all the time
Dancer: We raise Jack Russell Terriers, that's what 4 of our dogs are.
Jody: we have corgis
judi: That's great, Jody. I have wondered if we should have Skip put to sleep, but he's like one of the family.
Jody: and they have notorious back problems
*** LitterBox is now known as HelloKit
Jody: check the other alternatives first....
HelloKit: Sorry 'bout that.
Jody: where do you live judi?
judi: KY
Mimi: wb Carly :o)
Jody: horse country.... you should be able to find a vet that can do accupuncture/chiropractics or knows one that does
Dancer: Can dogs manage with only three legs?
Jody: ssure
Dancer: Or two?
Mooooooo: ive seen a few dogs do fine with 3
judi: I'll ask
Mimi: so have I
Dancer: Probably not two.
Antonios: accupuncture? what does this mean guys?
Jody: yep... they have special devices now for disabled dogs...
Mimi: a wheelchair like thingy, eh?
Mooooooo: accupuncture is chinese medicine. sticking you with needles
Jody: it is an asian technique using fine needles to hit certain trigger points on the body
HelloKit: Dancer, that was the perfect introduction to one of my pet stories...
Dancer: It's relief of pain.
judi: Not just anywhere, Antonio, at certain spots to deaden nerves
Antonios: Aha! I know what you mean but I didn't know how it is called in Eng... thanx..
Jody: it can trigger thee immune system too
HelloKit: We have a Yorkie... she's 5 yrs. old and very small... when she was a puppy someone cut through a tendon in her leg with scissors while she was being groomed...
*** Jo has joined #Disabled
Jody: ouch!
Mimi: heya Jo :o)
Jody: poor thing
judi: how awful
Mooooooo: hi jo :o)
Jo: Hi Mimi Dancer, Jody judi Antonios Mooooooo HelloKit
judi: hey jo
HelloKit: It never healed and she has never been able to put weight on the leg. But she runs around on 3 legs just fine. In fact the other day this little tiny dog killed a rooster!
Jody: hiya
Jody: lol
Antonios: Hello Jo!!!
Antonios: :)
Jo: Hey ferret face i sitting here next to me.
Jo: is not I see his presence has my fingers all confused.
Mimi: Does ferret face have a name? :o)
Antonios: Hello FF from Piraeus Greece! :)))
Jo: Yeah Richard, Rick but he answeres to ferret face too.
Jo: Hello Antonios from ff
Jody: one of our girls fell off a 15' retaining wall in FL. she broke her back and was paralyzed. they did all kinds of massage and stuff and now she is always on the mmove
Mimi: hello Rick :o)
*** Antonios is now known as brbguys
Jo: Hello Mimi aren't you nice.
Jody: did anyone see the Fox newschannel special on dog chiropractors?
judi: no, tell us about it
Dancer: hello, Rick.
Jody: well, if you saw it you would have seen our vet and onee of our dogs. they used him because he is 9 but looks 2.
Jo: Hello Dancer gee you are nice too
Jody: the vet explained the procedure for animals and the benefits
Mooooooo: thats quite a compliment :o)
Jody: yeah.... they sent a limo for the dog.
Dancer: Hey, Jo is he typing for you? Thanks, whichever.
Mimi: most of us are :o)
Mooooooo: lucky dog :o)
Jo: Mimi and Dancer his tummy is full of turkey and dressing. We celebrated a Happy Thanks Birth Giving Day around here today. Only day off this week.
Jo: I take dictation well Dancer. He is too slow.
judi: That's really interesting. Don't laugh, but I give Skip massages on his legs and let him lay on a heating pad on rainy days
Mimi: cool! how fun :o)
Mimi: I was baking all day Jo
Jody: no... that's good for him
Dancer: Mine is tomorrow and Friday.
Jo: Yeah me too. Turkey, cookies, stuffing, sweet potatoes, he is well fed.
Dancer: Mom, too.
Jo: What is Friday Dancer?
Jody: do any of you get the wholesale pet catalogs?
judi: I never let my pets eat people food
Dancer: Tomorrow is Thursday for me.
Dancer: Today is Wednesday. I'm in Oregon.
judi: Yes, I have seen some, but never ordered anything
Jody: the prices are 1/2 to a 1/3 of the pet stores
Jo: It's Wed. in Texas too Dancer, we just only have this day off work this week.
Dancer: Laughing out loud.
judi: When Skip does die, I would like to get a service dog.
Jo: Heck ferret face can't stay home on Thurs. he get double time pay. I want the money.
Jody: service dog?
judi: A dog for the handicapped
Dancer: I want one too, but they're expensive.
judi: So, I've heard
Jody: they aren't supposed to cost anything.....
judi: I'm not even sure where you would get one
Jo: There are some grants you can get to get a free one.
Dancer: Jody, kinda like seeing eye dogs only you don't have to be blind.
*** KamelRed- has joined #Disabled
Jody: companion dogs....
Jo: Hi KamelRed
* KamelRed- has returned
Mimi: hey Kamel :o)
Jody: judi... check the American Kennel Club website. I think they might know..
Dancer: Yeah, only they help with other things like picking up stuff.
KamelRed-: Hiya Mimi
KamelRed-: Hiya Jo
judi: They learn to help with tasks, even dial 911 for help
Jody: we have 2 ITD dogs
Jo: Yeah they open the fridge, open doors, alert your to the phone and door bell, pick up stuff you drop.
judi: What's itd
Jody: International Therapy Dog.... they can go to hospitals and stuff like that
*** brbguys is now known as Antonios
judi: oh, thanks for the info
Jo: I got two TDD's here, totally dumb dogs.
* Antonios is back guys
HelloKit: lol
Jody: lol
Jody: I have a couple of those too
Jody: did you know that there is a doggie hemophilia?
Mimi: wb Antonios
Jo: Yeah I got two pound puppies, one is a chihuahua and the other is 30lbs of God only knows what.
Jo: wb Antonios of the long hair and brown eyes.
judi: No, I thought it was bad when Skip came close to having to have his tonsils out
Dancer: I must go eat. I may come back later, but am going to work on a web site.
Jo: bye bye Dancer
Jody: bye Dancer
judi: bye Dancer
Antonios: bye Dancer!:)
Antonios: C Ya !
*** dv has joined #Disabled
Dancer: My address is correct, they're just having troubles, keep me on the list.
Mooooooo: bye Dancer
*** dv has left irc (Leaving)
* Dancer hugs everyone. Dance always!
Jo: At least she doesn't have four stomachs to feed like mooooooo
* Antonios hugs Dancer back!
Jody: lol
Mooooooo: /:o)
*** Dancer has left irc (Leaving)
HelloKit: lol
Jody: hey Carly... I just thought of something. Wasn't the rooster larger than your Yorkie?
Mimi: hahahahah
*** Pyro has joined #disabled
Jo: Hi Pyro
Jody: hi Pyro
KamelRed-: Hiya Pyro
Antonios: Hiya Pyro!:)
Pyro: hi
HelloKit: Yep, it was, Jody.
Jody: tuff little dog....
judi: ok Carly, tell the story
HelloKit: Yeah, it was weird... we've never seen her like that before.
Mimi: hey Jeff :o)
HelloKit: I didn't see it, but my mom said she had this psychotic look on her face... and she was coughing up feathers the rest of the day.
judi: lol
judi: I can just picture a yorkie with feathers flying
Antonios: So, is it a neuropsychotic dog?
HelloKit: hehe
Jody: lol..... it's that Napoleon complex of little dogs. Mine has it
judi: Sounds like shrink time to me
Jo: Yeah before it gets in the habit of doing that you'd better cure it. Some farmers have no sense of humor about that stuff.
HelloKit: She's usually just a real sweet dog... afraid of everything. She will only go near certain people - my parents, my bf, my younger sis and me. She stays away from the rest of the kids, and she hides and barks at strangers.
judi: Skip used to bite everyone's pants legs and hang on, but his teeth aren't good enough anymore
Jody: the rooster must have made some kind of threat that you are unaware of...
Jo: Now he just gums them to death right judi.
judi: Yup
judi: My cat attacks him though
Jo: roosters are very agressive and territorial.
HelloKit: We don't worry about it... the chickens are only a source of eggs, not money. We can replace them cheap.
*** ^yOda has joined #Disabled
Antonios: HORSES, ROOSTERS, PSYCHOTIC DOGS, CATS......
Jody: my 24 lb. dog launched herself at a 120 lb. Bernese Mt. dog. It just looked at her. If it could've laughed, it would've.
Antonios: IT'S A ZOO IN HERE TODAY!
^yOda: h everybody :)
Mimi: hey yoda :o)
*** ^yOda is now known as Tarn19
Antonios: Hello yoda!!! :)
Antonios: Hello Tarn19 too!:)))
Jo: Oh poor Antonios looking for gentle breezes, calming conversation and agood time and he gets the vet clinic instead.
Tarn19: hi - that was my sister's nick
Jody: I worked at the zoo. you should see what they do for animals there.
judi: I have a friend in Georgia that works in a zoo
Tarn19: I've never known what time this channel is - is there anyone here from Sydney Australia?
Jo: Sonora, Texas here Tarn19
judi: She and her husband built a guinea pig habitat in their back yard
*** KamelRed- has left #Disabled
Tarn19: Jo: cool
HelloKit: Not sure what time it is there, Tarn... but it's 6:43 here. The meeting started 43 mins. ago.
Antonios: when my brothers and I were teenagers, my mother lived in a Zoo! :)
Jody: people should get the level of medical care that the animals in a zoo receive
Tarn19: its 1:44pm here
judi: Ky here and it is now 8:40pm
Jo: No warm it was 73 today.
Jody: NY: 9:43pm
Jo: It is 8:48PM here Tarn19
HelloKit: Well then, looks like meetings are 1 PM your time, Tarn.
Tarn19: yep I figured that
Tarn19: :)
judi: Antonios, what time is it there?
Antonios: 5:40 in the morning...
Tarn19: gee thats early
Jody: whoa... you get up that early to join us?
HelloKit: Yikes!
Jo: Antonios, keeper of the flame, guardian of Olympus.
Antonios: I used to be a Vampire when I was young...
Tarn19: where u from Antonios?
judi: People get up that early?
Antonios: Piraeus, Greece
Antonios: Ooooops, sorry, wrong clock...
Antonios: 4:50 in the morning....
Antonios: SORRY GUYS!!!!
Tarn19: thats worse!!!!!!!!!111
Jody: man....
Mimi: ack
judi: that's worse
Mimi: you're nuts :o)
Antonios: :oPPPPPP
Jo: Ferret face got up that early all the time in the military.
Jody: Jo... is Ferret face your husband?
judi: My hubby gets up at 4, by himself
Jo: Yeah my sweetie pie.
Jody: I thought you were talking about your pet :)
Mimi: that's nothing, my baby gets up at 1 ;o)
HelloKit: lol!
Tarn19: thats a good name I might call my b/f something similar
Jody: which one Mimi... JF or Alex?
Mimi: HA!
Jo: No I've had him for 17 years and that is his nickname.
Antonios: haha!
Mimi: Alex of course...JF sleeps all day if possible
* HelloKit refers to Chris as her child.
Jody: he followed you home one day, Jo and you decided to keep him. right? ;)
Jo: Hey he has Emperor Hirohito glasses and false teeth on top. He drops the false teeth over his bottom lip and makes faces at me. Ferret face.
Jo: No he heard me on a CB raido and tried to drink the town drunk under the table to find out where I lived.
Jody: even better!
Jo: Yeah he came back three times before someone took pity on his pocketbook and told him where I was.
Jody: lol
Jo: Then I couldn't get rid of him so I kept him.
Jody: you have to admire persistence....
judi: lol
Jo: Anyone willing to take on a widow in a wheelchair with a kid is a definate keeper, especially with his military pay and allowances. he he.
judi: Gotta go guys, thanks for cheering me up tonight.
Jody: definitely what my aunt calls a 'keeper'
Jo: by judi keep smiling.
Mooooooo: take care judi :o)
Tarn19: bye judi:)
Antonios: C Ya later Alligator!
judi: Everyone have a happy turkey day
Jody: bye judi.... good luck with Skippy
Antonios: TC! :)
*** judi has left irc (judi)
Jo: Speaking of turkey, ferret face is hungry again so I gotta go heat some up for him. Catch you all another time when I don't have to amuse him.
Jody: bye Jo
Mooooooo: bye Jo :o)
Jo: Mimi Alex is less trouble.
Tarn19: cya jo - nice to meet u
Mimi: no kidding :o)
Jo: bye bye
Mimi: bye Jo :o)
*** Jo has left irc (Jo)
Mimi: she's a stitch :o)
Jody: how is Alex Mimi?
Mimi: he's doing great, thanks, Jody :o)
Mimi: getting hungry at the moment
Antonios: Hey guys! I saw on TV some days ago, for a guy, who suffered from Parkinsons disease and had a dog, exactly the same like a seeing dog, who'd help him with his life...
Jody: ah.. to be a baby and only have to worry about eating, sleeping and, well you know
Tarn19: hehe thats tru
Jody: they're called companion dogs, Antonios
Mimi: I saw that guy too
Mimi: or some guy like him anyway
Tarn19: In Australia we call them 'pets as therapy'
Tarn19: Companion dogs sounds much better tho
Jody: Mimi, they have dogs especially trained for people with epilepsy
Antonios: It wasn't just a companion dog... this dog helped him walk, he even lened on the dog in the street, and
Mimi: that's so cool
Tarn19: thats great
Jody: apparently dogs have the ability to sense when a seizure is about to happen
Antonios: when he had seizure the dog stepped on the guy's toe and stopped the spastic moves...
Jody: they are trained to keep the person calm and to alert others
Antonios: It was amazing...
Tarn19: sstepping on a persons toe stops epilepsy?
Jody: Antonios... it is a big movement here in the US to train dogs to aid the disabled.
Antonios: The guy lived by his own, and he said that when he took him the dog wasn't trained... that's why they had it on the news... somewhere in Austria I think
Jody: they have them for hearing, wheelchair bound, epilepsy... all kinds of disabilities
*** ^LEO has joined #Disabled
Antonios: welcome Leo!
Tarn19: hi Leo
^LEO: hello
^LEO: all
Mimi: hey leo :o)
^LEO: how is everyone?
Jody: just fine, thank you
Tarn19: excellent thankyou :)
Mimi: great thanks
Antonios: I am ok too! Thanx!
Antonios: How R U?
Jody: brb... I want ice cream
Tarn19: It is sooooooo hot here - 42 degrees celcius!!!!!
Mooooooo: wow!
Mimi: i want pumpkin pie
Antonios: Boo Hoo Hoooooo!
* Antonios is crying out loud!
Tarn19: whats wrong?
* Antonios wants the sun to be hot again
Tarn19: how cold is it in Greece?
* Antonios is jealous of Australians!
Tarn19: hehe
Tarn19: come to Australia
* Antonios slaps BRUCE with a snowball!
Antonios: 10 degrees C!
Antonios: And that is cold for us!
END