Exercise Advice for my back legged Chi/Mix

Please post questions about pets who are expected to undergo amputation or who have already undergone amputation here, as well as pets born with missing or incomplete limbs.
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DJS MOMMA
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Joined: Thu Feb 19, 2015 5:23 pm

Exercise Advice for my back legged Chi/Mix

Post by DJS MOMMA »

Hello, I need help with getting my Chi (who's missing his front legs and is about 9 years old) to be less sedentary as he is unable to use a cart because he has never used his back legs to walk. He walks plantigrade. I've had him for about 2 years. He had been moving around on his own while scooting on his chest which he doesn't seem to mind. he would also sit up and balance on his hind legs. He is doing this less and not really using his legs for much of anything. He'll scoot around then stop and lie on his side. He's had vet checkups etc and he checks out fine. He does have some fusion in his C spine but it was nothing that his Vet worried about. He can be a bit aggressive so it's difficult to get a handler. What can I do to improve his mobility? Thank you.
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critters
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Re: Exercise Advice for my back legged Chi/Mix

Post by critters »

DJS MOMMA wrote:Hello, I need help with getting my Chi (who's missing his front legs and is about 9 years old) to be less sedentary as he is unable to use a cart because he has never used his back legs to walk. He walks plantigrade. I've had him for about 2 years. He had been moving around on his own while scooting on his chest which he doesn't seem to mind. he would also sit up and balance on his hind legs. He is doing this less and not really using his legs for much of anything. He'll scoot around then stop and lie on his side. He's had vet checkups etc and he checks out fine. He does have some fusion in his C spine but it was nothing that his Vet worried about. He can be a bit aggressive so it's difficult to get a handler. What can I do to improve his mobility? Thank you.
You know, I wonder if this is a good case for a front cart? Given his history, I think I'd try a homemade something--plant roller, scooter board, etc--first. I think I've also seen a plastic plate-like device that makes scooting on the chest easier and safer. At 9, prosthetics are probably not an option, and they'd require a lot of handling that he might not tolerate.

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DJS MOMMA
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Joined: Thu Feb 19, 2015 5:23 pm

Re: Exercise Advice for my back legged Chi/Mix

Post by DJS MOMMA »

Thanks for the response. He has a front cart. It doesn't work. I like the homemade Idea. Steering might be a problem. I guess I could attach something I can hold and steer for him. Hmmm let me brainstorm. Get back to you soon.
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CarolC
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Re: Exercise Advice for my back legged Chi/Mix

Post by CarolC »

That seems to be kind of common in chihuahuas, there have been several people here with chihuahuas with no front legs, including the little dog in the coffee cup you see pictured on Caretaker's Cafe on the homepage.

Here is a way to manage without a cart.



Sometimes it partly comes down to the kind of front cart. I don't know if he totally doesn't like any front cart, or if he just perhaps doesn't do well in the one he has. Here are some other examples.

http://www.dogwork.com/kan6/
[EDIT: If you don't see the video, be sure your browswer settings do not block audio or video for the site. The video is there.]

http://www.kandu.us/index.html





This one walks pretty plantigrade.



Here are some links to 2 chihuahuas (Scooter and his sister Amy) that you might enjoy even though they don't really help.

This is Scooter's homepage.
http://disabledchihuahua.8m.net/

This page shows Scooter growing up, and pictures of a homemade cart they made for him.
http://disabledchihuahua.8m.net/photo.html

This page shows Scooter walking without a cart.
http://disabledchihuahua.8m.net/photo6.html

Here he is at the park with a different cart.
http://disabledchihuahua.8m.net/photo5.html

This is Amy, a chihuahua who has only partial legs.
http://disabledchihuahua.8m.net/custom.html

I love this because it is so cute!
http://disabledchihuahua.8m.net/photo2.html

Here are 2 more websites, including one with a video:

http://www.dogster.com/dogs/458895/sniff (Gizmo, Maltese with front cart)

http://www.rollingdogranch.org/dogs/spirit.html (Spirit, Yorkie with front cart)

You mentioned the cervical condition, and that the vet thought it was not an issue. I can see where if his neck bothered him, it really would make him not want to try to walk/scoot. Something else to think about is that chihuahuas are one of the breeds that get valve disease and he is getting older. Any kind of health condition that causes weakness or fatigue would affect his walking since it's an effort anyway. Don't know if the vet checked him for something like that?
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