Wow. Well, if Jada still has use of her front legs, all she will need is a 2-wheel cart. They do not recommend getting a wheelchair until 6 weeks post injury, as the injury needs time to heal and sometimes the dog will recover and not need the cart. You and the young lady may want to start researching carts. Here are some links.
http://www.handicappedpets.com
http://www.walkinwheels.com
http://www.doggon.com
http://www.eddieswheels.com
http://www.k9-carts.com/
http://www.k-9cart.com/
http://www.wheelchairsfordogs.com
http://www.enablingpets.com/
I am trying to think here. Is the girl strong enough that she can physically handle a large dog for the next 5 years? Assuming the dog is 80 lbs, she will be lifting the weight of her hindquarters which is about 32 lbs several times daily, but consider it a little more weight depending on how the dog moves.
For a fixed saddle cart, where the saddle is built into the cart, she will need to lift the dog's hindquarters high enough that the hind feet clear the saddle of the cart, which may be about 18", someone could give you a closer measure. There is another kind of cart where the saddle is a detachable nylon sling and you put the saddle on the dog first, then attach it to the cart, you are still going to need to be able to support the dog in a standing position while fastening the saddle but you are not going to have to lift the hind feet off the ground. There is also a company that makes a collapsible cart so you don't have to lift as high.
Having a good lifting harness is a blessing for a dog like this. Please let me know if you want some links for harnesses.
If the dog is incontinent, is the young lady expressing her bladder? Here is an article on expressing the bladder, the first part explains the importance of it. She needs to be emptying the bladder at least every 8 hours. For those of us who work full time that normally means before work, going home on your lunch hour, again when you get home, and at bedtime. It might be easier for her to express the dog in the cart.
Do you have any idea if the dog is dribbling, or just voiding urine from time to time?
http://www.handicappedpets.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=Express_a_dog_or_cat
Can the dog turn herself? She needs to be turning the dog every few hours to prevent bedsores. Not knowing exactly where the injury is or whether the back is broken, I guess all she can do is be really careful. She also needs to be really careful to keep the bed dry, nothing starts a sore like lying in urine.
I have gone off on a lot of tangents other than what you asked. I guess I am saying if you are willing to buy the dog a chair (bless you) it sounds like you can afford any brand of wheelchair, so that is nice. It would be better if she could at least have the dog examined by a specialist so you know what you are dealing with. But if the specialist wants to do an MRI then there goes your wheelchair money unless she gets Care Credit for the exam and pays it off over time. I hope this works out somehow for Jada. Is she on prednisone? If the injury is not severe, it is possible she could recover or improve.
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