At first, Tyrion’s owner was devastated with her dog’s diagnosis. But the pooch’s positive attitude and adaptability to his wheelchair changed everything. She says he ‘comes to life in his wheels.’
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One day last March, Dagmar Gudmundsson and her 7-year-old dog Tyrion were relaxing at home in Idaho when she noticed something was off: Tyrion was walking weirdly.
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At first she thought it was in her head but soon she knew something wasn’t right with the Maltipoo (a cross between a poodle and a Maltese)
“I wasn’t freaking out, but it was just off,” Gudmundsson told USA TODAY from Boise. “I’m cautious (so) I took him to vet anyways, and I’m glad I did, because within four hours, he lost all function in his back legs.”
Gudmundsson, who has had Tyron since he was 8 weeks old in 2017, said the dog had been healthy all his life and that his vaccines were up to date, so the incident came out of nowhere.
“It happened so fast,” she said. “Like we were literally playing fetch, and four hours later, he was paralyzed. It’s not like he had a fall or slip or anything. It was really scary and confusing.”Need a break?
A plethora of tests later, the vets concluded that Tyrion has an autoimmune disease.
“It’s likely he had it his whole life, but it was lying dormant,” Gudmundsson said.
‘Ready to do anything’
While the incident shattered Gudmundsson, she decided you would give it her all to help Tyrion heal.
“It was so scary, and I was devastated,” Gudmundsson said. “I got this dog when I was 20 years old, and he’s been with me through break-ups and job changes and moving and everything that comes in your 20s. He means everything to me, so I was ready to do anything.”
Once the diagnosis came in, Tyrion’s treatment started. He started taking medication to get the inflammation in the spinal cord settled down. Fortunately, that did not take too long, and Tyrion soon started physical therapy and red light therapy. He was put in a wheelchair about two months later.
Tyrion loves his wheels
Tyrion, named after the infamous “Game of Thrones” character Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), has been paralyzed for a little more than a year but his diagnosis had not deterred his spirit.
“He really does come to life when he’s in his wheels,” Gudmundsson said.
She explained that Tyrion is not in his wheels 24/7 but wears them for about an hour or two every day when he goes for walks and to socialize with other pups.
“The reason being is that he can drag himself around the house and in our backyard really easily,” Gudmundsson said. “He’s only really in the wheelchair when we’re going outside or going for a walk on concrete or gravel where it wouldn’t be safe for him to drag himself around.”
Videos of Tyrion zooming around in his wheelchair have garnered immense popularity on social media, and Gudmundsson said he loves his wheels.
“His favorite activity is being in his wheelchair and doing zoomies,” she said. “Especially around other dogs because when he’s in his wheelchair, he can actually keep up and zoom around with everybody and you can just see how happy he is doing that.”
While other dogs and pups initially get scared around Tyrion and his wheelchair, they eventually warm up to him, Gudmundsson said.
“Other dogs are typically a little standoffish at first and it’ll take maybe 15 or 20 minutes of us being at the park for everybody to finally warm up to him and be like, ‘OK, you’re cool,” Gudmundsson said.
Humans, on the other hand, are quick to respond to Tyrion.
“Everybody thinks he’s the cutest thing, especially in his wheelchair,” Gudmundsson said. “It’s a pretty cute sight and with his custom license plate, people love that.”
Advice for pet owners in similar predicaments
Tyrion and Gudmundsson are now happily settled into their lives. Tyrion still has therapy sessions and goes for hydrotherapy on an underwater treadmill once a week. But the journey has been filled ups and downs.
“I was pretty depressed those first few months because I just felt like I had lost this,” Gudmundsson said. “It was a huge, huge shock. But it was actually Tyrion, who while I was crying, would drag his little butt over to me and be like, ‘Are we gonna play?’ Are we gonna go for a walk?’”
For people in similar situations, Gudmundsson said the best way to start the healing process would be to “admit it is terrifying and heartbreaking.”
“He adapted so quickly so I had to get over the fact that he’s not sad (and) I don’t have to be sad,” she continued. “It is so devastating and that’s OK to feel all of that, but it really does get so much better with time. Things just fall into a routine, and it gets easier. You get used to this new version of your dog.”
She added that documenting her journey on TikTok helped her connect with pet owners in similar situations.
Wag & Wheel
Gudmundsson now hopes to raise more awareness about pets with disabilities. She has started her own line of products with images of wheelchair dogs on them.
“In the early few months, I felt really proud of myself for putting in the work and effort, so I would try to find a shirt or a hat or something with a little wheelchair dog on it that I could wear proudly,” Gudmundsson said. When she didn’t come across anything appealing, she decided to start her own line of Tyrion-inspired products, Wag & Wheel, and is aiming to launch a collection of hats, T-shirts, sweatshirts and tote bags.
“I can’t be the only one who wants to be proud of their pet and wear a shirt or a hat with something that represents their pet,” Gudmundsson said. “I’m excited to make sure other people can have the opportunity to have these things, too.”
Gudmundsson said she plans on giving a portion of profit away to rescues and sanctuaries that focus on disabled animals.
“I feel really fortunate,” Gudmundsson says. “I mean Tyrion has just the best attitude and is so go with the flow. He brings me back down to Earth most days because he’s just happy and chill and just happy to be here.”