Latest news with #Tyrion
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Dog Suddenly Paralyzed After Living with Unknown Autoimmune Disease. Now He's Rediscovered Life on Wheels (Exclusive)
Dagmar Gudmundsson's dog, Tyrion, was left paralyzed after unknowingly living with an autoimmune disease The seven-year-old dog was fitted for a customized wheelchair, which he loves Gudmundsson shared her story on TikTok and started an online business, "Wag & Wheel," that donates to rescues and sanctuaries that care for disabled animalsNamed after the witty and resilient Game of Thrones character, Tyrion the Maltipoo has lived up to his name in more ways than one. With his boundless spirit, sweet face, and customized wheelchair, the seven-year-old dog is not just surviving — he's thriving. Tyrion's journey hasn't been easy, but his 28-year-old owner, Dagmar Gudmundsson, has been by his side since he was just eight weeks old. Tyrion had always been a healthy dog and never showed odd symptoms or warning signs. However, everything changed on March 2, 2024. That afternoon, Tyrion was playing fetch like usual before curling up next to his owner for a quick nap. When he woke up, something wasn't right. 'He woke up from the nap, I noticed he was like, kind of walking a little funny,' Gudmundsson tells PEOPLE exclusively. What followed was a rapid and terrifying progression. 'We went to the vet, and then we were there for a long time, but within like, three to four hours, he went from playing fetch to kind of walking wobbly, to absolutely no function, no movement in his back legs, nothing,' she recalls. 'Like it happened so fast.' Initially, the vet suspected intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), which can occur when the disc between a dog's vertebrae bursts and puts pressure on the spinal cord. It's especially common in dogs with long bodies and short legs, and although not always debilitating, it can lead to paralysis. Tyrion underwent an MRI to identify the affected disc, but the results told a different story. Instead of a burst disc, the MRI revealed that Tyrion's spinal cord was severely inflamed. 'They tried to figure out what's going on, and they figured out that he has an autoimmune disease. It's called GME (granulomatous meningoencephalitis),' she explains. 'It's a neurological thing, but, yeah, he has an autoimmune disease, and basically attacked his own spinal cord, and now he's paralyzed.' For Tyrion, the road to rehabilitation was slow. 'For the first six months or so of his paralysis, there was not a lot going on,' Gudmundsson says. With the help of acupuncture to stimulate his nerves and hydrotherapy sessions, where a therapist helped move Tyrion's legs in water, he began to make progress. About six or seven months in, Tyrion finally began trying to stand and take his first steps. Though he still can't feel pain in his legs due to the disconnection between his brain and spinal cord, Tyrion has started 'spinal walking.' While it's not a brain-directed movement, it's still walking, and it's nothing short of incredible. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Around a month after his paralysis, Tyrion was fitted for his wheelchair. 'And what's crazy about the wheelchairs… his physical therapist, who helped us set it up, she was like, 'Okay, just a warning, not all dogs like this. It's kind of 50/50, so don't get your hopes up,'' Gudmundsson recalls. Luckily, Tyrion took to it immediately. 'He's like, I'm free. I can run again – loved it immediately.' Though Tyrion doesn't wear his wheels all the time – often opting to drag himself indoors or in safe areas – he lights up whenever it's time for an outdoor adventure. 'You can just tell it's like for a normal dog, when you grab the leash and they get excited – when I grab his wheels, it's the same kind of reaction.' Caring for a paralyzed dog has not been without its challenges. In the beginning, the emotional weight was heavy. 'Honestly, I fell into a pretty deep depression,' Gudmundsson admits. 'But what really helped was I'd be like, on the couch crying, feeling bad for him, but also, honestly, kind of feeling bad for myself… And he would drag over to me and ... just give me this look like, 'What's up? Like, let's go for a walk. You want to play fetch?' ' It became clear that Tyrion wasn't grieving – rather, he was living. That realization only deepened with time. 'I had to just totally change my mindset,' his owner reveals. Gudmundsson began sharing their journey on TikTok, where they connected with others who had similar experiences. The support was validating. 'People were telling me I was doing a good job, which, in the beginning, I really didn't feel like I was.' Physically, the hardest part has been managing Tyrion's bladder. He needs help expressing it four times a day to prevent infection, something that requires a consistent, hands-on routine. 'Thankfully, I don't have a 9 to 5, because I don't know how that would work,' she says. 'It really has to be done on a schedule, regularly.' Still, despite the hurdles, the experience has transformed their bond. 'Sometimes I'm like, maybe we've gotten too close?' Gudmundsson jokes. 'But whatever, you know, he's like my best friend, it doesn't matter.' Reflecting on everything they've been through together, Tyrion's owner feels stronger and wiser. 'Life is harder for him than other dogs, but it doesn't mean you can't also have the joy and the fun and whatnot,' Gudmundsson tells PEOPLE. 'So I think my brain and the way I think about things has really evolved and grown, which has been incredibly rewarding, and I think made me a better person at the end of the day.' Her business, "Wag & Wheel," is launching soon with a website offering apparel and accessories for owners of disabled dogs, including colorful hats. After struggling to find meaningful products, she designed her own to celebrate the pride of having a disabled dog. A portion of the profits will go to rescues and sanctuaries that care for disabled animals. Read the original article on People
USA Today
19-04-2025
- Health
- USA Today
Watch Tyrion the Maltipoo 'doing zoomies' in a custom wheelchair a year after paralysis
Watch Tyrion the Maltipoo 'doing zoomies' in a custom wheelchair a year after paralysis 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.' Show Caption Hide Caption Watch this paralyzed dog on the move thanks to a custom wheelchair Tyrion, a dog from Boise, Idaho, who became paralyzed due to a rare autoimmune disease, gets a second chance to run again thanks to a custom wheelchair. 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. 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 Tyroin 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." 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." This story was updated to fix a typo. Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@ and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Yahoo
‘Amazing' police pup duo and handler who ran into burning building retire
A SUCCESSFUL police pup duo, along with their handler, who ran into a burning building to rescue members of the public, have retired from duty. Police dogs Peanut and Tyrion have retired this week alongside their handler, PC Paul Howes, who has been with the dog unit at West Midlands Police for 20 years. The trio have been involved in 'hundreds' of incidents protecting the public and detaining suspects over the years, with PC Howes having run into a burning building to rescue members of the public last year. Tyrion, a general purpose dog who was part of the force's 'Game of Thrones' litter, is retiring at age seven after having captured many running suspects over the years. Peanut was a drugs trained dog who has been involved in countless operations, including Project Servator, Op Advance and dozens of successful searches over the years. Inspector Leanne Chapman from the Dog Unit, said: "PC Howes and his dogs Peanut and Tyrion are a great team and will be missed. 'They have given their everything to protecting the West Midlands. 'PC Howes and Tyrion have been involved in detaining countless offenders and Peanut has had some very successful finds. "We couldn't do this job without our amazing dogs. They protect the public every single day. 'I hope the three of them have a well-rested retirement. They have earned it.'
