HandicappedPets.Net

Hello,
I'm new to this forum and probably will not post much or check replies since I have to back to work the day after tomorrow! But I did get some inspiration from this site and wanted to give back by sharing my story for whoever it will help.

Mojo had had trouble with his back legs for quite awhile, and the Monday after Thanksgiving they just refused to work at all. The vet believes simply age-related neurological decline. We left him at the vet's the first night and brought him back the next day after I got a "bottoms-up" leash from Petco. However, he didn't have enough strength in the front to walk even with his hind end supported. He weighs 80 lbs (I weigh 100) and even with supports at both ends and my husband helping it was soon clear my shoulders couldn't last.

We did look into purchasing a cart, but aside from the high cost for a dog that large we were very concerned about time. Most of the sites said they could take 2 weeks! So...we scoured around and through trial and error built a cart. The cart itself is a human walker. His chest is supported by a "Skid Plate", purchased at GI Joe's (in the hunting dog section). His hind end is supported by a "Bottoms Up Leash" which has been modified some. The "skid Plate" attaches to the scooter frame with strapping and buckles that I sewed together. My husband did some cutting to remove bars and the original seat that were in the way and added the extensions in the front of the handles.

To move him around indoors we made a stretcher (I sewed a sheet of denim and my husband cut the poles) and then my husband made a wheeled frame the stretcher can be placed on.

There are pictures at http://www.mojo.claudiaweb.org
and you can also contact me for more details through that site.

I hope this will be helpful to others.

Very nice!

We are a bunch of do-it-yourselfers here (well, does two make a bunch?

That is great! Thank you for sharing!

That is really ingenious, and he has such a happy look on his face in the pictures. Have you thought about trying male belly bands on him for leakage? Here is an example.

http://www.uniaccs.com/thumbnail.asp?id=3&cid=68
http://www.uniaccs.com/thumbnail.asp?id=3&cid=68 (updated link)

Quite clever! Well done!

Thanks all for the comments and Carol, he has very little leakage. He either urinates when he eats (thankfully very predictable so we make sure the piddle pads are in place) or my husband is able to express his bladder when he is out in the cart. But thanks for that tip, I will keep it in mind in case I need it in the future.

Very creative!! I want to see the close-ups, but I need to go to a faster connection.

So my original post was quite awhile ago and the link to the pictures no longer works. I was requested by the moderator to provide the pictures, so here are a few, and also one of him on the wheeled stretcher we made for him. Such a sweet boy, we lost him in 2008. Now I have 2 more elderly dogs, one with Cushing's, heart disease and maybe canine cognitive dysfunction, and the other with cancer (in remission) and diabetes....Love them so much!

OK, well adding them as attachments didn't work; here is a dropbox link:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/dcslzmwdf58d ... S6gGa?dl=0

ThankYouThankYouThankYou mojosmom!



Mojosmom kindly gave permission to download from the dropbox and upload here, so here are the pics of the designs described above in this topic. CLICK to enlarge.


Thank you so very much, mojosmom. Mojo had all the love and support a dog could possibly wish for, and I'm sure your other seniors are getting the same TLC now.

Big hugs to you and your pet family!

Thank you. Makes me tear up a little to see those old pictures and remember that sweet boy. Still miss him.

I'd forgotten about that idea!