Need daytime care
 

I have had to make a tough decision... I am looking for a new job, have a few interviews set up, and need to start looking into options for Layla. She comes to work with me now, but I know it won't be possible anywhere else. I love having her here, but we live out of the city and she HAAAAAAAAAATES the car ride every morning and every evening so we're hoping we can find someone in our town who would be willing to come to our house every weekday afternoon for 5 minutes to express her bladder.

Now, how to find this person is our problem! I was going to ask the vet if she knows anyone who might be willing, but my fiance thinks we shouldn't ask, since she runs a boarding business and would want us to just take her there every day (we can't afford that!). He thinks it would be insulting to ask her to recommend someone who would be cheaper basically. I think it's totally different because she wouldn't need to be fed or anything and only really needs someone there for a few minutes!

I also thought we could put up a poster in the post office. It's a small town and there's all sorts of advertising there! We could do that tomorrow. I just don't know how to word it, without getting into too many details! Something maybe like "Wanted - Someone to give care to small, friendly special-needs dog weekday afternoons. Only 5-10 minutes of your time needed. Please call for details!" Does that sound okay?

We live just a block away from the high school and it may be something a student with interest in veterinary medicine might want to do, or even a stay-at home mom who is a dog lover and might want some extra cash?

I am agonizing a little because we don't know a whole lot of people and don't know who to trust for access to our home! But I know Layla will be much happier without an hour of being in the car every day, and I will be much happier in a new job. :(

Hope you can find someone loving and trustworthy to take care of Layla, wish I lived close so I could help you. I guess we don't have any YT members that live in that area. The vet would be a good place to start but I understand why you don't want to ask them. My Prayers are with you that you will find a special person.

I would still ask the vet- you could also say you don't want to leave her all day and just want someone who can come into your home for a few minutes- either they will or won't recommend someone, I doubt they will push their boarding if you say it is not an option you are interested in.

Our vet is very friendly and has been with us every step of the way with Layla's paralysis, and is so proud at how far Layla has come! I don't think she would be offended by us asking, just my fiance thinks so. We're not looking for her sort of boarding though, it's not just a weekend away or anything, this is just 10 minutes a day, every day for the long term.

Go to sittercity.com. It costs a one time $30 charge to find someone but it lets you look for people in your area or they can look for you. Most people get background checks. Thats how I found a sitter for my Sophie. I am a nurse and work 12 hour shifts so I needed someone to come play with her twice during the day and take her for walks. It is going great!

I wish I lived closer. Maybe one of the vet techs would be interested, or a nurse or nursing student.

I don't think it's a conflict for your vet at all. Boarding is not the same thing as a dog walker. Maybe you could also go to some dog parks and ask around? On our local craigslist there are a lot of people listed but I think I would want to get recommendations from others if I could. Good luck!

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. We have an appointment at the vet tomorrow morning for an ear infection, so I think I will ask her. There is one vet tech at the clinic, and maybe she would be willing to come over on her lunch break if all else fails. Our town is tiny, just 900 people, so we don't have dog parks or anything! I did check the city's classified site because there are usually listings for surrounding towns, but there was nothing like this.

I think you got some good advice already so will just send a prayer that the perfect person will be found.

That's what I would hope for. I don't know if just anyone knows how to express anal glands correctly. I know I don't know how, and I've been Kaji's caregiver for 2 years.

I hope you find a match and Layla doesn't mind the change.

Thank you!

It is just expressing her bladder, which is pretty easy to do :) Just squeeze her tummy at the right spot, and it comes out!

I'm sure she would prefer to stay home. Of course, she'd prefer more if we stayed home with her, but I'm sure she will just sleep. And she would be ecstatic if someone came to visit her during the day, even if it's just a few minutes to express her :rolleyes: It would also change our lives completely. We would be able to stop after work to do errands, which we don't do now because we always have Layla with us. We can't do the simplest things now, like to grab some milk or whatever, because even if one of us is sitting in the car with Layla, she is freaking out and yelping. Car rides are just miserable for her! It forces us to come right home after work, and then use our weekends to drive into the city and do whatever errands we couldn't do during the week.

Oh, I read that wrong. Oops! I know about car rides, I have the same issue with Kaji. He yelps and screams like someone is beating him. Sometimes he's fine, sometimes he's not. The only places he's quiet and happy to go is my big brother's house and my boyfriends house. He doesn't make a peep for those two places.

Yeah that's how Layla sounds too! She used to be great with car rides until she became paralyzed. My fiance used to take her with him all around town on his days off, and then they'd come visit me at work. He always took the best pictures of her, just chilling out in the car! Actually, this might seem silly, but one of those times they were driving around, she had dirty paws and she left a perfect paw print on the inside of the door. We haven't wiped it off in well over a year now.

Layla has become a little better and she will stay calm if we're on the highway, but as soon as we hit the city and start slowing down and stopping and turning, she just won't stop yelping and panting and drooling everywhere.

Kaji does the same thing! He's fine on the freeway, as soon as we hit the streets, you can see him drip drip drip everywhere. I think he panics because he doesn't know where we're going. If I roll down the windows from the moment we get off the freeway in my brother's neighborhood, he wags his tail happily. Any other place, it's pant, panic, yelp, scream, and drip drip drip. If it's after a trip to the park, he's too tired to panic.

That's funny he knows where you're going!!

The ONLY time Layla didn't panic was the day we had a garage sale, and she was in her wheels, running up and down the driveway and greeting the whole town when they walked by, all day long! We went into the city later that evening to visit family and Layla was fast asleep in my arms for the whole drive. She was snoring! We stopped at Dairy Queen because my mom wanted an ice cream cone, and it was only about 2 minutes from my grandma's house, and it wasn't until then that she started to stir!

I guess Layla was too tired to panic too!

I also live in a very small town. i have my brother though in case I need anything. This sounds like a tough place to be in. I think that a H.S student might be a really good idea. It is just really hard to find someone to trust with your special needs baby. I wish i lived closer too, but I do not know how to express the anal glands either.

I have a dog sitter that comes to the house daily for about 30 minutes. I got the information from my vet. I went to four vets in the area and asked who they recommended or referred. Each one had a different service they could provide me information on. I talked to a couple of people at work and they referred one service in particular that they all used with high reviews. They came over and did an in home consultation. They asked a lot of questions, met my babies, and had a large chart they filled out - it was about the size to two legal pages. They also collect the mail for me, take in/out the trash bins, turn the radio or tv on/off, etc.

It has been a lifesaver thus far. I got called out for an emergency and was gone almost 16 hours. I called the service first thing in the morning and they scheduled an extra visit first thing in the morning to check on my babies.

I think anyone would understand that is is much easier to have someone stop by your house over having to take them somewhere. The service I use is licensed and bonded. They have been in business for over 10 years. They do not advertise but instead rely on word of mouth and referrals.

One of my co-workers found a responsible college student who was looking to make some extra money. She has her come over everyday for an hour or so. Her dog is an older dog and just loves the company. Sometimes her girl stays longer and studies. It is quieter than the library and she has permission to grab a snack or soda.

Good luck

I'm sure you'll be able to find somebody for the girl.

My first preference would be a tech. Your vet will understand that you want her to stay home during the day. That's most definitely who I'd ask first.

If tech can't, then an assistant. If an assistant can't, then I really don't know. There are pre vets that like to get into this kind of thing (looks good on apps), but if they are still in high school, that is something I wouldn't be comfortable with. Too young for me. I just don't feel like enough people that age are responsible enough to handle a job like this to take the risk, but that's me.

It is an easyish procedure, but it is still medical treatment. I'd have to be very desperate before allowing somebody who didn't work in the field (or a nurse, etc.) to do it to my dog, esp. if I wasn't right there.

Well, we went to the vet on Saturday morning and I asked the vet for advice. She said putting up a poster in the post office was a great idea. She also said maybe we could check with the senior's home right across the street from us. Most of them are in good health and it would give them something to do! I hadn't thought of that. She said if it's a last resort, we could always take her to the vet's office for the days, but that would be really a last resort for us. I know it would stress Layla out.

Anyways, so I made a poster. It says:

WANTED
Someone to care for a very friendly special-needs dog on weekday afternoons.
Only 5-10 minutes per day.
Please call for details.

And then I added a cute little picture of Layla smiling.

We took it to the post office and told the lady we'd like to put up a poster. She read it, and told us it MIGHT be okay. She'd let us put it up that day, but if the main person didn't like it, she'd just tear it down on Monday when she was back at work.

I was shocked :( I didn't realize they were that strict on what went up. I've seen posters for people wanting child care and stuff, lost pets, found pets, job offers, places for rent, everything. I guess after work today we'll stop and see if it's still up.

It's the only really public board in the whole town, and everyone goes to the post office for mail. I can't believe they might just rip it down :(

That's odd... Why wouldn't they let you keep that up. Could you ask what's "wrong" so you can edit it and make a proper flyer.

I don't know, I guess maybe animal care isn't as important as child care? But we checked last night, and it is still up! So I don't think there was a problem.

I'm glad!

I'm not sure how close these listings are to you, but I think they may be worth checking out! Since they do dog walking/pet sitting, I'm sure they would take care of Layla too :)

Personalized Pet Sitter - Moose Jaw CV / Resumes - Kijiji Moose Jaw Canada.

Dog Walker/Sitter Cat Sitter!!! - Moose Jaw Pets & Animals - Kijiji Moose Jaw Canada.

DOG WALKING/PET SITTING - Moose Jaw Pets & Animals - Kijiji Moose Jaw Canada.

Mr Sitter - Moose Jaw, SK

Thanks for the research! Unfortunately, I am pretty far from Moose Jaw. It's about a 2.5 hour drive. I went to college there and it is my favorite place I've ever lived!

:eek: I googled your zip code. Darn.

Hahaha thanks for letting me know it's time to change my information! Oops!

Let me know when you change it :D I bet I can find someone.

Changed! I think I'm going to post an ad on Kijiji too. Maybe someone who gets mail in a surrounding community might be willing, but can't see our poster.

Did you go speak with the employees at the senior center to see if any of the residents would be interested? That sounds like such a perfect option, Layla getting responsible care while you givie a senior citizen some independence and reason to get out and about.