Do you allow dragging?

[Rescuechick]

I'm fostering a dog who is paralyzed on her rear legs from an abusive owner. I posted before a little about her story. Anyhow we were hoping for recovery but now we're not so sure. I'm looking towards the future and wondering about her quality of life. If she does not recover we will get her a cart. But I'm thinking about everyday "in house" activity. If she stays with me permanently I'm not real keen on a big cart being wheeling around my house and we also have 3 sets of stairs. I would like to be able to let her pull herself around. She got loose from me one time and she can really move!! The vet told me she could cause damage if she's allowed to do this. Yet I see products that are strictly for that. Like the bag you put them in so they don't get rug burn. My house is all wood floor and linoleum except for bedrooms so she slides really quickly on her little diapered bum. I'm wondering if anybody else lets their dog pull or slide itself around and if you've had any trouble? Thank you!!

[slshepherds]

Hey

I have 2 paralyzed dogs, Carl and Tiny and both pull themselves round in the house - Carl is a 70lb Lab and there is just no way his cart would fit in the house. I also wouldn't leave a dog in a cart unsupervised nor for longer for an hour or so (Carl's legs become swollen if he is in a cart for too long). I used to have carpets and now have hardwoods and have never had any problems with trauma related to dragging. Like your gal my boys can really move on the hardwoods, completing amazing hairpin turns, a real sight to see.

regards
Joanne

[Rescuechick]

Joann,
I'm assuming yours are incontinent. Do you use anything to keep their diapers on? You do use diapers right? I seen the peekeepers which look really nice but they are kinda pricey.

[slshepherds]

Yes, both boys are incontinent. I just have the boys wear a belly band (which I make myself, costing less than a dollar each) with a diaper inside. I stimulate them to poop twice daily which prevents pooping in the house. Having said Tiny had surgery on his butt and is currently wearing a pullup in addition to his wrap just to protect his butt. It stays in place without any help (unless Tiny decides to remove it that is!), although I hear from others who have problems with diapers staying on females.

joanne

[CarolC]

You mentioned a big cart. I thought she was around 5 lbs or something? How much does she weigh? If you want to post a picture the instructions are here:

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6764

[Rescuechick]

She weighs 7 pounds. I know the cart won't be really big. I just thought she would probably get around alot better sliding around like she does. And I hope this doesn't sound to mean but we just put in wood floors two years ago and I really don't want wheels scratching them up. I know that probably sounds selfish. My other dogs and cats have done enough with their nails. It's their home too but I like to limit the destruction. Lol!

[CarolC]

No, that's understandable. I have my living room and dining room closed off from pets. Funny thought. If you get her a little drag sack, like those quilted ones, she would kind of be polishing the floor. But cart tires are some kind of synthetic rubber, I don't think they would scratch the floor.

[Rescuechick]

Haha! I love it! The dog polishing the floor for me! Talk about earning their keep! I could get booties for my other dogs too! Lol!!

[mswanson502]

I have a paralyzed dog (well, she has feeling but cannot move her back legs at all). I volunteer for a special needs rescue and have picked up on some things from seeing so many paralyzed dogs and talking to owners online. The only problem I've ever had from letting her drag is that she sometimes drags herself across the concrete outside on the porch. She gets sores from this. Since you have hardwood floors, it shouldn't be a problem at all. I'm assuming he meant that she'd cause damage to her skin by dragging? But could he have meant that she'll worsen her condition from dragging? That's a possibility considering her condition. I have the human version of IVDD, and certain activities can make it worse. My vet (although my dog has a different condition) told me not to let her drag herself for long periods of time. This causes swelling and pain, whether they let you know or not. Watch her for heavy breathing or fast heartrate if you do let her drag for a while. That's how some dogs will show pain.
Be sure to monitor your dog for sores. Some dogs have reduced blood flow to their limbs that are affected, so this area can be super sensitive. When she does get sores, I just put Neosporin on it and keep it clean. I do have a "drag bag", but she hates it and won't move when I put it on her. It terrifies her. Some dogs refuse to use them, but some love them. It's worth investing in one, but it's not that realistic for day to day activities. Your main problems are gonna occur outside. So just check her each time you bring her in.
As far as the cart scratching your floor goes, just be sure to get one that has rubber wheels like a bike tire instead of the plasticy ones like on roller skates. A lot of small dog carts will actually use skate wheels. So you'll need to ask them which they use. From what I've seen, most people do not use their carts much indoors. The carts are mostly used to allow the dogs to exercise and have some normal dog freedom outdoors. If your dog prefers to play indoors, that's obviously different. But i wouldn't worry about it scratching your floors if you get the right kind of wheels. It would be very hard for that to happen with rubber ones, especially with a 7 lb dog.
Here's another suggestion. I put my dog on a sleeping bag on the floor. Since your dog is so tiny, you could cut out part of a sleeping bag or really any kind of fabric, and keep her on that. She will be able to slide herself around better. She will come off of it a lot though. My dog prefers to be on her sleeping bag, so she'll drag herself back on it if necessary. I have 4 dogs, and the two big ones (one is a Chow mix and one is a Great Dane/Pitbull mix) like to drag her around the house while she's on the sleeping bag by letting her hold onto a toy while they're holding on to it, lol. It's funny to see. It's her favorite thing to do. I'm attaching a link to a video that shows one of them dragging her without her sleeping bag. They do this all the time, and she's never had any sores or problems from it, and we have tile, which has grout lines which could be more abrasive. I think you're good with the hardwood floors.
http://s46.photobucket.com/albums/f129/ ... y10mos.mp4

[CarolC]

Anyhow we were hoping for recovery but now we're not so sure.

Here is a link to a timeline I posted on my dog's two year anniversary.

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=3646&p=17654

[Rescuechick]

Oh my god! Zoe walked tonight! We were at my parents for dinner, they have carpeted floor, she walked about about 3 feet- three different times!! I could not believe it!! Here I thought our slippery hardwood and linoleum was a good thing, so she could slide around. I'm wondering if it's holding her back? I was so excited I had to share it with you!! I have renewed hope!

[CarolC]

Yes! Low pile carpet (like indoor-outdoor carpet) with no or minimum padding is best at this stage. Tile, linoleum or wood are harder to walk on. Many people here have got carpet runners or floor mats to solve the slippery floor problem.