When I woke up this morning and went to take Sukki on our morning routine potty, I noticed that she was walking funny. At first I hoped that she managed to have her leg fall asleep like us humans do. But after watching her for a few minutes, I began to fear it was something more. Her back end looked like it was drunk. I directly took her to the vet and arrived five minutes after they opened. She has a slipped disc and her back end is partially paralyzed. I am so heartbroken. The vet gave her an IV of steroids, and I am now giving her steroid pills twice a day. I have to watch her for the next two days to see if there is a reaction to the steroids. She is also on "lock down" and cannot leave her crate for two months, except to potty. When it is potty time I am carrying her to the yard and using a long rolled up towel as a sling so that I can "carry" her back end while she "walks". I do not know if I am doing this correctly. She has not gone #2 yet either. Sukki and I are meeting the vet again on Saturday (during the vet’s day off, I am so grateful she is coming in to see Sukki) to see if the steroid pills have helped any, and to discuss muscle relaxers, etc. The Vet has also warned me that surgery, total paralysis, incontinence, and one of those wheelie-carts may be in Sukki’s future. I am hurting so badly knowing that my puppy is in pain, and doesn’t know what is happening to her. She depends on me for quality of life, and I don’t know how to make it better. I got Sukki a new, bigger crate that opens from the top. The side fully opens like a garage door too. It is large enough for her padding and pillow and blankets I have put in for her to snuggle comfortably, and also has room for her food and water bowls. It is quite large but is on wheels, so that I can take her into different rooms with me and never miss a chance to pet or watch her. I have cleared my school and work schedule for the next two days to be with my puppy girl. The vet told me that even if Sukki fully recovers, she is to never jump onto a couch or take a stair ever again. I have cried so much today. I am so very scared that I may have to put my little girl down in the near future. I always thought that if Sukki came into these daschy problems, that she would be older and already had an energetic life. But she is five years old and has such a special, curious, playful and loving personality (that is all her own) that I don’t want taken away from her. I remember when I first got her, and knew I loved her, and she became my little girl, I told myself that I would do anything to keep her with me…even if it meant one of those back-end wheelie-things. But now I am wondering, "What kind of life is that for a dog?" Also, I am a 27 year old college student with only a 0/month income. I cannot afford a surgery. I wish I had the financial means to make anything possible for her, but I dont even have Federal Financial Aid helping me, and that makes me so guilty for not being able to care for my hurting puppy better. As of right now, all I can do is give her love and rest and medication to see if she progresses before I need to make those decisions….but thinking of the possibility physically hurts.

I am hoping that someone’s experience might have some suggestions to pass onto me. I keep petting Sukki and telling her that I will take care of her, but I can’t tell her that everything will be alright. I don’t know what to tell myself either.

Do you carry them in your car seat when you go to visit someone? What about when you go to the store? Just curious because my girl is getting very heavy. She can sit up in a cart, but what if she would get sleepy while shopping. I’ve never used a sling, but she weighs 17 pounds so she is pretty big. If you do use a certain item to carry them, what particular one do you use?

I am debating whether I should start out with a convertible seat, or with an infant seat. The "convienence" of lugging a baby bucket around in a stroller/shopping cart is not an issue for me. I plan to leave the seat in the car, and carry the baby in sling or something. When the baby is too big for a sling, I’ll use an umbrella stroller.

option 1: 1st years true fit, then later opt for a booster, when my baby exceeds the 65 pound weight limit

option 2: graco snug ride 35 until she/he reaches 35 pounds, then switch a convertible booster, such as the graco natralis seat after 35 pounds

Which is a better option? Hubby and I share a CR-V, so I was kind of concerned about the angle issue. Would an infant seat be easier to install at the correct angle? I am worried about having to rig it up with pool noodles and such, even with a professional installer. Either option would allow for extended rear-facing of up to 35 pounds (in theory).
Yes, pool noodles are what the professional car seat installers suggest to create the proper 45 degree angle needed for a rear-facing seat.

ok i am about to have my 2nd baby, and my daughter will be around 21 months when this one comes. we usually walk her around the grocery store if its me and my hubby (one to wrangle her up when she decides to run a muck, or we just sit her in the cart, depends where we are) but whats the easiest way to shop with 2 babies? i mean in wal mart im not going to want to be pushing a dual stroller and a shopping cart. i dont think it would be very easy holding my daugthers hand as i am pushing a cart. with the new baby, i will sit the car seat in the shopping cart (the front part) but where does my toddler go? this sounds soo silly, but im wondering, how do you shop with your babies??
wow, brainfart! i didnt even think of a sling!! THANK YOU!! YAY

Hmmmm.. it seems to me that one member of the Yahoo! Answers community is very closed minded about what should or should not go in the cart at the grocery store. I thought maybe we could help her be more open-minded about our questions and perhaps inspire her to think outside the box.

I’ll start! I put my 3 month old baby in the shopping cart in her carseat and I will deinitely let her sit up front in her shopping cart seat cover when she is old enough because I have severe back problems and, although I’d love to, I can’t always carry her in a sling or front carrier. In fact, I have even put my dog in the shopping cart before! :>)
I agree but I’m tired of hearing how "there’s no reason anything besides food belongs in a grocery cart" Everyone is different and different ideas, advice about parenting should be respected not put down by her.
I don’t feel inferior. I FEEL that her responses are often unnecessarily rude.

Evan is invited to go to a party for his friends birthday at Chuckie Cheese Today. He’s been excited. But yesterday in his gymnastics class he fell while doing cart wheels and we got his arm x-rayed and such and he sprained his elbow and is in wrap and a sling, He’s all swollen from his fingers to his elbow. I’m going to be there helping him do the games the whole time, if he goes. Is he well enough to go do you think?
It happened around 4pm yesterday and he got his diagnosis around 7pm yesterday.