Kodiak's Special Bed

If you've followed the story of Kodiak, you know that he is essentially paralyzed right now.  Keeping him clean and comfortable and on dry bedding is a daily challenge.  Well, one of the sanctuary's wonderful supporters, Mark C. from Missoula, offered today to buy a special bed designed for dogs in Kodiak's condition.

It's called the SleePee-Time Bed, and is basically a dog cot with a special mesh fabric that allows urine to flow through to a tray underneath the bed.  It's a new product and we had not seen it until Mark told us about it.  You can read about the bed here.

Mark ordered the bed in an extra-large version for Kodiak this afternoon -- thank you, Mark!

In Monday's post I mentioned we were expressing Kodiak's bladder.  This is not fun for either the 'expressee' ... big old Kodiak ... or the 'expresser' ... me.  I guarantee you that it cannot be comfortable having someone squeeze your bladder so hard it makes you pee.  (Don't try this at home.) 

To give you some idea of what kind of dog this Malamute is, here's a little story from this afternoon when Alayne and I went over to Widget's House to change his bedding again and clean him.  Kodiak knows what's coming first ... I'm going to express his bladder before we move him to fresh bedding.  So I'm hunkered down on the ground next to him, with my left arm underneath his body and reaching around to his groin, my right hand resting on the other side of his groin ... and my face is somewhere near his shoulders.  Just as I start to press ... he turns his head and licks my face.

I just melted.  Here I'm about to start this uncomfortable procedure that I know he doesn't like, but he licks me anyway as if to say, "It's okay, don't worry, I still like you." 

Comments

[Roz]

Thank you Mark for buying this bed for Kodiak. Kodiak is one special boy. About how old is Kodiak? Does he scoot himself along at all using front legs? Continued thanks for loving this big, beautiful dog and love to all animals at RDRAS.

[Leigh]

I melted as I read the story. Kodiak is one very special guy. Thank you to Mark for buying the great bed. I can't wait to see how much Kodiak enjoys his new bed.

[Karen/SA TX]

The bed is a great idea and improvement...this dog is a real champion. His picture is on my computer's wallpaper! He knows how much everyone is trying to help him. I've been wondering, how is Pappy doing? I hope well.