Last week, my partner and I obtained a dog that was neglected and abused. He is a 5 year old un-neutered GSD mix. He was kept outside on a chain for most of his life, hit as punishment, and he was rarely brought to a vet. His name is Eren. Last Friday, he was diagnosed with heart worms and intestinal worms. After the diagnosis, many people suggested we either give Eren to a rescue group or even euthanize him. We have ignored these people. We already love Eren very much, and we will have no problems taking care of him financially or time-wise.
This Monday, Eren was vaccinated and given flea/tick medication. Today, he had his first day of heartworm treatment. He won't be able to be neutered until after his last heartworm treatment. We have a space cleared out for him in our bedroom closet: 4'x5' floor space, pillows and blankets, and a baby gate. He will be on bedrest for the next four months because of the intensity of the heartworm treatment. This means no running, jumping, playing, or excitement. Basically, his heart needs to be calm or he could die.
What is the best way that I can help Eren mentally during this time? I am very worried that I won't be able to help Eren mentally because of his extremely tedious physical health. He is not very interested in treats. He is very good at learning tricks because he loves praise. He likes toys, but he gets too excited because of them. What are some specific things that I can do to keep him entertained and happy for the next four months?
Note: If mosquitos live in your area, your pets (dogs, cats, etc) should be on heartworm prevention! Adult heartworms live for many years, regularly grow to be a foot long, and a dog's heart can hold up to 300 of them. Heartworm prevention is much much cheaper than heartworm treatment. While cats are less likely to get it, it affects them much more severely and there is no approved treatment for cats after diagnosis. More Information: https://www.heartwormsociety.org/
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from Pets https://www.reddit.com/r/Pets/comments/hb6p70/how_to_help_depressed_dog_on_four_months_of_bed/
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