Abacus Story Record Herald

Puppy Love

By Rob Daniel
Record-Herald Staff Writer

Abacus is a happy dog.

Surrounding by bath toys, the black Labrador boxer works against the jets of the whirlpool bath, moving his hind legs as he licks a rubber ducky and anyone who ventures too close to the tub. After ten minutes of moving around in the tub as someone moves his legs, he hops out of the tub, splashing the room as he goes.

The whirlpool therapy, or hydro-therapy, is part of Abacus' recovery from a severed spinal cord he suffered as a six-month-old puppy after being hit with a car in Lincoln, Neb., Ava Bothe, director of the Animal Lifeline, said. Animal Lifeline of Carlisle is a no-kill animal shelter that has specialized in recuperating dogs and cats that have special needs. "We accept unowned dogs or cats that are sick or injured, pregnant or nursing, orphaned or handicapped," Bothe said.

Following his accident, Abacus was treated at Pitts Veterinary Hospital in Lincoln. With no owner and extensive spinal injuries that left his hind quarters paralyzed, the dog was a prime candidate to be euthanized. However, hospital officials spared him. "They didn't have the heart to put him to sleep," Bothe said. "He's such a sweet dog."

Pitts officials sought out a shelter and eventually chose Animal Lifeline after a search of the Midwest. Bothe said people at the hospital loved Abacus, judging from the pick-up truck filled with the dog's things that brought him to Carlisle. "You could really tell they were attached to him," she said.

Bothe and her assistant Maria Deyo took Abacus in and started to work on his recovery. With the assistance of veterinarian Dennis Woodruff, the duo began therapy work. Deyo, a student in the veterinary medical technician program at Des Moines Area Community College, manually moves Abacus' limbs to encourage movement. She also uses a sock filled with uncooked rice which was heated in a microwave oven to heat muscles in the dog's hind legs and back.

Deyo said she uses some of the ideas she had gathered after she was injured in a car accident of her own. "He suffered from some really bad muscle spasms," she said. "The muscles and bones are worked the same way, so I figured I'd try it."

Bothe said she and Deyo conduct extensive research on the Internet and other media searching for more therapy methods to use. "We're using a lot of human information and then bouncing it off Dr. Woodruff," she said.

In February, the shelter purchased a $5,000 hydro-therapy tub after a donor donated the money. Keeping the water temperature at 98 degrees Fahrenheit rather then the normal 104 degrees, Abacus, fitted into a life jacket, spends 10 minutes in the water, moving his hind legs against the jets, trying to rebuild the muscles that have degenerated due to the paralysis.

The water, Deyo said, forces the dog to use the injured legs to swim. "A lot of dogs will tend not to walk on that leg even if it doesn't hurt," she said.

Once in the tub, Deyo sits behind Abacus, helping the dog move his legs. "I just hold his footsies," she said. "It doesn't look like a lot of work, but five minutes of work is like miles."

Bothe said the resistance provided by the jets help the therapy session. "We point him into the jets," she said. "He can stand on the ledge and (Deyo) can work his legs."

The hydro-therapy, Bothe said, has helped Abacus outgrow his third doggie cart which had supported his hind legs. While the dog still cannot walk very well, improvement has been made. "He's supporting body weight," she said. "The hydro-therapy is building his muscles back."

Bothe and Deyo stressed, however, for other pet owners with animals who have been injured that they should consult their veterinarian before beginning any hydro-therapy treatments. "You can seriously hurt an animal if you don't do it correctly," Deyo said.

Usually, animals make a full recovery to the point where they can be adopted out. Bothe said that despite Abacus' improvement and the posting of his story on the shelter's web site, there have been no phone calls for people asking to adopt him. The biggest problem with caring for paraplegic animals, she said, is usually bladder control and bowel movements. "It probably would take someone without carpet," She said.

The therapy forces the injured dogs to kick which strengthens their muscles.

Ava Bothe, owner of the Animal Lifeline shelter, gets a reward for her effort as she dries Abacus after his therapy.