101 one uses for a scarf

Number 42 - a support sling.

Holly's back legs gradually got worse, I knew it was going to happen however it is hard to spot small slow changes when you see the thing in question every day. So one day it was quite a shock to realise how bad they were getting.

I had been supporting her when needed by a hand or a foot under her tummy to provide stability and occasionally a bit of a boost. This was getting more frequent and I started to realise that although it was helping her it wasn't doing me any good at all. My knees, hips, back and shoulder were all aching with the effort of leaning, stretching, lifting and the odd lunge to stop a 23Kg dog from crash landing on the floor when she wasn't in her wheels.

The wheels are for outdoor use only, letting her run around in them in the house would be asking for demolition.

A few hot showers (for me) and the application of some common sense and Holly and I worked a few things out. I started to bend and stretch and lift properly and use a scarf to support her rather than try to walk along doubled over. Holly learnt to be patient and wait for me to close doors and pick things up before setting off at a high speed in her enthusiasm to get to wherever we were going, usually the car, the garden, the sofa or her food bowl. She can move without assistance, she moves along a bit like a seal at a surprisingly fast pace, but it does twist her spine so the support is essential for anything further than across the room.

So next time you see someone wearing a scarf in the middle of a blazing hot summer, look round for a wobbly dog who might need a little extra support.