Rear Supportive Sling or Wheelchair?

[King1102]

Hi, All,

Our small dog, Lady, recently ruptured a disk and has lost all use of her back legs. After a period of crate rest, our vet has now said that it appears that our dog will most likely never walk again (we'll see about that). The vet said we should look into ways for our dog to get around, and Lady is showing definite signs that she really wants to get around! My question is, do we buy a rear support sling or jump straight into a wheel chair, or do we need both? Are there any other products we should think about? What products have you found to be the best for your dog? Any help would be appreciated. If I need to give more info, feel free to ask questions. Thank you in advance!

[Bobbie]

i'd get a cart right away. If there is going to be improvement, the cart may help. If not, you might as well get her used to it. However, some people think the crate rest period should be as long as 12 weeks (maybe even more?!) so you may get other opinions. Walking with the front legs will stimulate the back legs to move if there is still any connection with the brain.

If you can, you may want to get her into canine rehab therapy. That can also help.

[King1102]

Thank you so much, Bobbie! I really appreciate your help. We did wonder if we shouldn't try to get her into therapy. We will look into that and a wheelchair.

[King1102]

Is there a certain brand of wheelchair that is better than the rest? I hope I'm allowed to ask this?

[CarolC]

What size is Lady, just curious? How long has she been on crate rest? Does she have bladder control?

You are definitely allowed to ask and anyone is allowed to recommend or give their experience with different brands. Someone else asked recently and I will post a link to the reply I gave, which basically came down to there is probably not one single best wheelchair for every dog, but at least here is a list of things to consider.

http://handicappedpet.net/helppets/view ... =15#p96097

[King1102]

Hi, Carol,

Thanks for your reply. Lady is 16 lbs. She's been on crate rest for 6 weeks. She did have a bladder infection, but since she's been on antibiotics she has not peed anywhere. We do have to use the squeeze method to get her to poo and usually she will pee directly afterward. However, if we just take her outside she will not pee or poo on her own. It's hard to say if that means she has any bladder control or not?

As far as the wheelchair goes, money is an issue, but we will do whatever we need to do. We basically want to get her something that will be the most comfortable for her and will support her in the most therapeutic way as she walks. We also do not want her feet to drag on the ground, but we do want to give her the best opportunity to use her backs legs again if she ever can. She will be walking on grass and concrete. We went over the questions on the link you provided but we don't know how to answer many of them, since we have no experience with any of the wheelchairs. Can you recommend any of the wheelchairs based on the info I have given you?

Thank you so much for your help.

[critters]

Walkin' Wheels (the Handicapped Pets brand) has a walking aid that is also usable with Walkin' Wheels. http://www.handicappedpets.com/fabric-w ... rness.html

[CarolC]

I would probably get one with a neoprene saddle as it will be more natural when she is practicing walking, rather than the fixed leg rings. I think I have seen at least one model that has flexible leg rings so that might work, too. I still can't recommend a certain one though, because I've only tried a couple of the 2-wheel carts and the first one I tried is a model they don't make anymore. The second one I tried was Doggon' Wheels and we liked that. I was not able to try the Walkin' Wheels because they did not make it in the size we needed at the time, but it has a nice flexible saddle and is collapsible. Will try to give some links for cheaper wheelchairs.

http://useddogwheelchairs.com/
http://www.hpets.org/
http://doggon.com/dog_wheelchairs_refurbished.html
http://eddieswheels.com/used-carts/
http://www.animalrehab.on.ca/wheelchairs/pricing.php
http://www.dogstogo.net/ (Note, in the other post I mentioned avoiding PVC, but for a 16-lb dog PVC should be strong enough and hopefully light enough. They have a "walking version". )

Is your dog a certain breed?

[King1102]

We got Lady from the ASPCA and they called her a Cockapoo, but she really doesn't look like any breed. I don't know how to post pics or I would do so.
Thank you for your help Carol!

[BigDogBlues]

I have a 12 year old lab mix who is about 90 pounds and who has been diagnosed with Fibrocartilagenous Embolism (FCE). He has full mobility with his front legs, but his back right leg is problematic. I have so many questions:
(1) We live in an old house built in the 1920's with a narrow back hall (and a narrow everything... our living room is wide enough for a full-sized sofa in one direction, but not in the other. How do other folks with big dogs in wheelchairs deal with them inside the house? Have you rearranged your furniture to accomodate them? Do they only use their wheelchairs outdoors or indoors too?
(2) How long did it take for your dog to get used to using a wheelchair?
(3) Although he does not stand well on the affected leg, he can still use it (in a limited way). Would putting him in a wheelchair result in more muscle atrophy of both back legs than he is developing now (from being less mobile)?
Thanks for any advice in advance.

[King1102]

Bobbie and Carol,
Just wanted to thank you for all your help. We applied for a refurbished wheelchair from Dogon Wheels and they found one for us at half the price of a new one! We are looking forward to getting our little Lady into it and watching her go! We are also working on getting her to move her legs in the water. Things are looking up!

[CarolC]

That's fantastic! You really lucked out.

I was just logging in to give you the link about how to upload photos. Sorry it took so long, here it is.

http://handicappedpet.net/helppets/view ... =15&t=6764

[CarolC]

I have a 12 year old lab mix who is about 90 pounds and who has been diagnosed with Fibrocartilagenous Embolism (FCE). He has full mobility with his front legs, but his back right leg is problematic. I have so many questions:
(1) We live in an old house built in the 1920's with a narrow back hall (and a narrow everything... our living room is wide enough for a full-sized sofa in one direction, but not in the other. How do other folks with big dogs in wheelchairs deal with them inside the house? Have you rearranged your furniture to accomodate them? Do they only use their wheelchairs outdoors or indoors too?

I'm guessing you'll need to sling walk your dog out the back door and put him in his wheelchair out there. Chances are it will be difficult for him to get around much indoors.

(2) How long did it take for your dog to get used to using a wheelchair?
(3) Although he does not stand well on the affected leg, he can still use it (in a limited way). Would putting him in a wheelchair result in more muscle atrophy of both back legs than he is developing now (from being less mobile)?

You can set most wheelchairs either with the legs up in stirrups, or down in a walking position. If it's in a walking position, then he can use his legs.

Thanks for any advice in advance.

I don't know if the vet told you, but the prognosis for recovery from FCE is very good. My dog's physical therapist said 85% of dogs will FCE will recover. The lowest figure I've ever heard was 69%. Especially since your dog is mainly affected in one leg, I would be optimistic. If your dog was a little smaller, I would probably say wait on the wheelchair, he may not need it. With a 90-lb dog though, you are limited in how much you can help him get around with a sling. But if he can support himself well on the 2 front legs and carry a little weight on one hind leg so you are not lifting too much, you might manage with just a sling. If you do go with the sling, I would spend extra and get the best one you can. If you get one that is easy to use and allows you to use good body mechanics, it may save you money in the long run (on chiropractic, for example).

If you are able to afford physical therapy, I would definitely try to get him into PT. They recommend aggressive PT for FCE.

Possibly in this situation you could see whether it would be cheaper to rent a cart for a while. Or if you are getting a cart, you might want to consider a fully adjustable brand, as that will be easier to resell later if he no longer needs it, or even use for another dog if you have other dogs. Or you could keep it in case he starts to get arthritic in old age. But the good news is, there is a good chance he will improve.

[King1102]

Carol,
Thank you for the link! This is a pic of our two babies. The smaller one is Lady. I have no idea what kind of breed she is!

[CarolC]

Ohhh, she's just as cute as can be! Precious!
Cockapoo looks like a good guess. Cockers do sometimes have disk problems, as do poodles.
Shih tzu - poodle mix might also be possible? Shih tzus are another breed that tends to have more disk problems than usual, like dachshunds.