Paralyzed Dog Reminds Us Why Everyone Deserves A Second Chance

Zeus the puppy was almost completely paralyzed when Lynda Kuether took him in as a foster, shortly after he was rescued from a high-kill shelter in Oklahoma.  "He was terribly emaciated and only able to lift his head and wag his tail," Kuether says. "He had to be fed and given water by syringe."  Kuether said a veterinarian determined the paralysis was likely caused by a virus, but recommended against dispositive diagnostic tests since the treatment would be the same: antibiotics, steroids and lots of physical therapy, which might or might not improve his mobility.

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Adventurous Feline Isn't Afraid to Get His Paws Wet

A British veterinary nurse believes she can teach cats to swim, in a hydrotherapy routine used to treat animals struggling with muscle therapy and blood flow.  Nurse Polly Noviss, 30, showed off her orange cat Roy and his swimming skills, as a prototype for a swimming instruction she’d like to bring to felines in need of physical therapy.  A soggy Roy was pictured in a swimming pool, outfitted with a custom cat-sized life vest that includes a handle so he can be quickly placed into or removed from the pool.

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The New Face Of Pet Therapy

The practice, once limited to nursing homes, is aiding people, young and old, with a range of ills. No doubt about it. People have a deep and complex relationship with animals, which elicit a wide range of emotional responses by their very presence and interactions with human beings.  But these days, animals are being involved in human therapy in innovative ways that depart drastically from traditional notions of animal-assisted therapy.  "Most people think of nursing homes, and people going in to cheer up the elderly," said Bill Kueser, vice president of marketing for the Delta Society, a nonprofit group that promotes animal-assisted therapy. "It's really become much more than that."  Animals have become part of many types of psychotherapy, physical therapy and crisis response, Kueser said. And it's not simply using a therapy dog to calm or soothe a person, either, he said.

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