Watch out for ice!

lrohner · 01-11-2009, 09:11 PM

I live in a climate that definitely feels the winter season. I am very conscious about using pet-safe ice melt rather than salt, but the good stuff is fairly expensive and I use it sparingly. Never again.

Over the past week as I've been out walking my dogs (3 little ones -- one larger lab/shep mix named JD), I did notice that JD slipped a teeny bit a few times on the ice that was all around us. I didn't think too much of it until two nights ago when I brought my dogs out for their last walk of the evening. I noticed again that JD slipped a teeny bit once or twice, but all was good -- until we started back into the house.

There are two steps up onto the sunporch leading into the house. JD got his front two legs onto the first step and quickly fell over onto his back. He never walked again. What the vet and I can piece together is that he ruptured one or more discs in his back. From that moment on, he was paralyzed from the shoulders down and had to be put to sleep.

JD was a lab/shep mix -- not a dog that I worried excessively about back problems with (unlike my mini-doxie!). He showed no previous symptoms. All was good. I actually worried much more about hip problems than back problems.

I'll never know if he had undiagnosed back problems or not. But what I do know is that the ice either created or exascerbated serious problems.

So please, if you live in a climate that feels the winter months, please use pet-safe ice melt and/or sand generously!

Renoman · 01-11-2009, 09:22 PM

I am so sorry for your loss.

DJsMom · 01-11-2009, 09:23 PM

OMG! That's terrible & I'm SO sorry for your loss

Thank you so much for the reminder! The icy walks do scare me for my dogs, especially my elderly George who's having some joint problems anyway. I'll think of your beloved JD now each time I'm generously throwing sand down on my walks.
My deepest sympathies to you, & hugs of comfort.

MyCharlie · 01-11-2009, 09:24 PM

I'm sorry for your loss. Thank you for the warning, it is great advice.

myminpins · 01-12-2009, 07:09 AM

We have a HUGE bucket of the stuff and I use it VERY generously. I know I don't want to fall, either - I am VERY nervous around ice as I have a bad back and type for a living - if I fall and break my fall with my hands and break my wrists, I'm in big trouble.

I'm so sorry for your loss. What a tragedy

Thank you for the reminder.

Thracian · 01-12-2009, 02:08 PM

I'm so sorry about JD. This is a good reminder to all of us.

lrohner · 01-12-2009, 06:21 PM

Thank you all for your kind words and thoughts.