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How do you care for pets with SMA?
Pets can be such a source of comfort, routine, and joy, but with SMA, they can also come with real physical demands.
Still, for a lot of us, the love and companionship can make it all feel worth it 🤍
Do you have any pets right now? Does the emotional support outweigh the physical energy it takes to care for them? What helps you manage things like feeding, cleaning, grooming, or getting them outside?
Here’s a picture of my two dopey golden retrievers. I will leave my response in the comments.
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11 Replies
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I live with my parents, who take care of the physical aspects of my dogs’ needs; however, I manage their care in other ways by reminding them to give them their vitamins, schedule appointments, etc. I also think the youngest and I have this ESP thing going on. Whenever she wants something, she comes to me and looks me directly in the eye. Somehow, I know what she’s thinking, and I will tell one of my parents to help her. It’s so weird, but true.
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*squees* They’re adorable! Goldens are so sweet.
Not weird at all, makes perfect sense to me. There are lots of animals who are clear about what they’re thinking and express themselves very well.
We’ve always had a house full of cats and dogs, can’t imagine our life without them. Our back door is sliding glass with a lip on the border so I can actually let them out anytime they want. But there is a physical reality to taking care of pets. We’ve come to the conclusion that we can’t have big dogs anymore. As they get older hip issues become more difficult and they need more physical support.
While nothing replaces physical contact, as it’s their love language, I talk to them all the time, and there are always treats.
That being said, having pets is a responsibility, and you have to take into account whether you can meet their needs or if the people in your life are willing to help you meet their needs. That’s a whole other conversation.
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Big dogs are definitely more work. As my parents are starting to age, I see that it is becoming more difficult. Our white Golden has a neurological issue where he basically doesn’t realize his back legs exist. Some days are harder than others, when he needs more physical help. I imagine it’s not easy to help an 80-lb dog get up. 😅
What types of dogs do you have? I love Goldens more than anything, but a little dog would make much more sense for my small body. They are the best cuddlers, but they also crush me haha!
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I have a mini goldendoodle, two cats, and a russian tortoise. I would not give up my animals for anything. It gives me something important to do each day because animals still need looked after even on days when you may not feel like doing much. I love animals because they don’t see people as disabled, so no weird looks or people talking about you. They are adaptable and provide a lot of company espicially in the winter months when I cannot go outside. The hardest part about animals is training them, but once they are trained, then it is mostly about routine after that. A lot of pet stuff is pretty accessible these days with things like online ordering, automatic feeders, and even mobile groomers and vets. My partner does help me with some things like vet visits and small things that are difficult for me to do like changing their water without spilling it all over. I would say I do about 90% of the pet care and have just used trial and error to find what works for me and my pets. Sometimes you have to get creative to find solutions, but pets don’t care if something is done one way or another.
My current dog is 10 years old and I definetly would like a new dog at some point, but I have decided big dogs aren’t in the books for safety reasons. I would not want a dog that I cannot handle on a leash. My current dog is 25 lbs and I feel safe with that size or smaller. I’ve been lucky with her because she does not pull on a leash and is a couch potato most of the time. She’s been trained to either jump on furniture or gently jump up on my leg when signaled to clip her leash on because her size makes that hard for me. Grabber tools are great for picking up toys without using much energy. Cats are pretty easy to take care of because when they want attention they come to you and I use natural litters that are much lighter to pick up. Playing with them does not take much energy because they love wand toys or throwing little pom poms. Two cats are actually easier than one most of the time because they also play with each other.
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Your pets are so cute! What is the temperament like on your mini goldendoodle? I’ve always wanted a mini bernedoodle.
I definitely agree that smaller dogs are better for safety reasons. I feel safe with mine just because my parents do most of their physical care, but you brought up some great points. Gosh, I don’t know what we would do without these furry animals in our lives. 🙂
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She has big dog chill energy in a small dog body. She’s honestly happy as long as she is around people. In the summer, she loves people watching on the porch hoping to lure someone in to get a pet. Doodles are pretty popular as family dogs for their personality. She absolutly loves kids. My partner’s niece and nephew have done just about everything to her and she loves it the whole time, then sleeps for two days after to recover. Some doodles can be high energy needs, but mine is personally pretty low energy. She’s happy with a couple throws of a plushy and she’s done. Everyone is always saying they would steal her. She’s smart and can be sassy too. When she is not pleased with the amount of attention she will huff, sigh, or nudge someone’s hand with her nose to make her feelings known. Poodles are often noted as one of the smartest breeds, so doodles are pretty easy to train. A couple people I know with doodles have noted they like to use their nose and paws to nudge and do things, so I can see why they are popular for service dogs.
Some down sides of doodles are they are high maintenance grooming, prone to ear infections due to floppy ears, and prone to allergies. I personally do a full body shave on my dog because she has a single layer poodle coat that mats easily. Best thing I did was take her to the groomers as a puppy as soon as she had her vaccines and listen to their advice because they need to be comfortable with being groomed. I personally shave my dog now and she often falls asleep as I do it. If you don’t shave them, then you have to brush throughly everyday with a brush meant for doodles. Unless you get a straight coat doodle, but they tend to shed more. Avoiding ear infections is pretty easy by doing a weekly ear wash. A lot of goldendoodles have chicken allergies, but changing to a food without chicken helps. Mine has pollen allergies and she takes an allergy pill daily that helps.
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Aww 🥰 yeah, doodles are so intelligent! My friend has a Bernedoodle, and we taught him how to hug me while I’m lying down. Basically, he comes over to me and puts his head in the nape of my neck and gives me a quick snug. It’s the sweetest thing in the world. I cried happy tears when he did it for the first time hahaha. Dogs are truly the best.
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Thank you for sharing this. Pets are a lifeline, but the physical side is real.
I have two cats. The emotional support absolutely outweighs the energy cost, but I had to adjust everything. Automatic feeders save me. A robot litter box was expensive but worth it. Grooming happens in small sessions, not all at once. And I learned to ask for help with vet visits instead of struggling alone.
Your goldens are beautiful. The key is lowering the physical barrier so you keep the joy without burning out. Small tools and accepting help make it possible.
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All great advice. 🙂 Cats are great companions to have. I’m sure yours feel just as lucky to have you in their lives.
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Last month I had to put down my 15-year-old havapoo Strider. 😥 My parents did all the physical care, but he really was my dog. He sat in my bed every night while I watched TV.
We have two younger dogs (Samwise and Sancho). I love them a lot, but they still need some training before they’ll cuddle with me like Strider used to.
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Oh, I’m so sorry to hear this! Losing a pet is never easy. Your boy sounds like he was your soul dog. 💛 I lost my soul dog back in 2014, and it was the first real heartbreak I had ever experienced. I miss him to this day, but the love he gave me and the life he taught me make me feel like he’s still with me and always will be.
Hang in there, my friend. I know it’s not easy, but those two other cuties of yours will hopefully make the hurt a little less. If you ever want to vent about it, I’m here for you.
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