What to do, what to do...

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NotYourAverageGirl

NotYourAverageGirl

Member
Jun 27, 2010
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Hey everyone. I could really use some opinions from you guys. I live with my grandparents, and my grandpaw had a liver transplant 6 years ago and because of this, his immune system is really low. He can get sick very easily, and often does. I have been wanting a dog for a really long time, so my grandmaw and I have been looking around trying to find one. I'm just super worried that something would happen to my grandpaw because of the dog, if for some reason the dog gets sick and then my grandpaw comes into close contact with it. He has assured me that he would mostly stay away from it, other than petting it from time to time and that when he does pet it, he will wash his hands or use germ killing hand wipes. We were looking at getting a toy poodle because they are small, don't shed, and are easy to train so that I can house train it quickly. However... if anything did happen to him while we had the dog... I would probably blame myself or always wonder "what if it was having the dog that killed him" which essentially makes it my fault because I am the one making the decision of buying it or not. I would never want anything to happen to my grandpaw because of me. I just don't know what to do.
 
I think you already know what to do lol. .. people with compromised immune systems are usually not to be around animals or alot of people either, now if you got a dog and kept it outdoors it would be fine, but in reality pet dander is very hard to get off clothing and such, just like people with allergies to specific things have to sacrafice, in this case maybe you could just get some fish or something until you move out on your own
 
Oh and FYI. humans cannot catch sickness from animals if the dog was sick or had a cold he couldn't pass it to your grandpa, its more an issue about bacterias and things that pets have, most of us have ability to fight germs from animals tounges and rectums, but we already know your grandpa doesn't
 
My husband had a kidney transplant before he passed away and the only issue he had re: pets was that he couldn't be around cats/litterboxes because of a certain type of bacteria. Dogs were fine.

There are websites out there for transplant patients and most have Q&A sections. Perhaps it would be good to pose your question there or ask your grampa's transplant coordinator about it.

God bless. :) I hope you get to have your dog, but I know your grampa is far more important to you. :)
 
a poodle would be perfect cause they don't hardly shed. its just skin cells that fall off, so as long as you make sure you cut their hair its fine. they're also VERY smart dogs so they're easy to train.
 
Thanks you guys. They told me today that they were going to get the dog tomorrow anyway even though I had told them I wasn't going to, because they know how much I wanted it. :) Sweet huh?
 
I know that this is going to sound "hokey" but wasn't it Jesus who told us that not a sparrow falls from the sky without God's knowledge. And throughout the psalms, there are references to God caring for various animals; especially to "give them their food at the proper time". I believe that God meant for man to treat animals with respect, even though the Bible says we are clearly superior. After all, He made it clear that He cares about them.

I see no reason why your grandpaw cannot coexist with your dog. You just need to show the proper respect to each of them. You need to treat your pet kindly, but you must respect your grandpaw's condition and not allow your pet to become a danger to him. There is nothing that says a pet must have the run of the whole house. You can set boundaries that keep it separated as much as possible from your grandpaw, without treating it badly.

I also agree with Julliana who suggested that do some research on line, to determine the best course of action. There must be other transplant patients out there who deal with pets in their homes.

I am very happy with you. Just love your pet and treat it with kindness and respect. And trust God to handle the situation in the way He sees fit.

God bless you and your family, and your new dog. ;)
 
NotYourAverageGirl said:
Hey everyone. I could really use some opinions from you guys. I live with my grandparents, and my grandpaw had a liver transplant 6 years ago and because of this, his immune system is really low. He can get sick very easily, and often does. I have been wanting a dog for a really long time, so my grandmaw and I have been looking around trying to find one. I'm just super worried that something would happen to my grandpaw because of the dog, if for some reason the dog gets sick and then my grandpaw comes into close contact with it. He has assured me that he would mostly stay away from it, other than petting it from time to time and that when he does pet it, he will wash his hands or use germ killing hand wipes. We were looking at getting a toy poodle because they are small, don't shed, and are easy to train so that I can house train it quickly. However... if anything did happen to him while we had the dog... I would probably blame myself or always wonder "what if it was having the dog that killed him" which essentially makes it my fault because I am the one making the decision of buying it or not. I would never want anything to happen to my grandpaw because of me. I just don't know what to do.
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First, I would confirm that a dog may be dangerous to your Grandpa by checking with a doctor or vetrenarian. Maybe you did but I didn't see that in your post. Who knows, they may say you can but will just have to follow some stricter rules than the average dog owner. In any case your grandpas health should be a priority and I would not have one if it poses any risk to him.

If the doctor/vet confirms your suspicians I have a suggestion... Our family has a situation kind of like yours but for different reasons. We cannot have a dog because my wife and I work too much and nobody would be around to let it out. We are gone for 8-10 hours a day. We like dogs and a solution we came up with was to pet-sit and visit our local humane socieity and adopt a dog for a little while. I was just thinking that the same type of thing might help you. You might not be able to spend time with the exact type of dog you want, but you will be making a difference in an animals life, and keeping your grandpa safe and enjoying a dog at the same time. I'm not sure if your local animal shelter offers these programs. Also, you could dog sit at someones house that you know or have a little dogsitting service for friends of friends etc.
 
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