Better cart for Inca

[JaynTinks]

Inca had a vet appointment today and vet was very pleased with her..said apart from her back end she was in good condition and very bright and mentally active.

I thought Inca would die after her back end wasted away, but other than back end wasting she's fit and happy. Our only issue is the second hand cart I got her off ebay when she could still use her back legs a little is giving her sores under her leg which are taking ages to heal as I want her to exercise daily, its rubbing on the sores just as their starting to heal again.

There seems no reason why she wouldn't still be here to see this summer through if I can keep her active so thinking about getting her a new cart.

In the UK there is one called DogMobile thats for dogs that are paralysed or have wasted back ends and it allows the legs to sit under the back end as if in a seated position so their legs aren't going through a harness or rings to cause sores. It's also possible for the dog to go from laying down to standing up with this cart

https://www.dogmobile-online.com/product/dogmobile

I guess I'm looking for advice or confirmation that just because her legs are wasting doesn't mean she's going to die. There's very few paralysed pets on UK forums and people seem to have them PTS more over here so I guess not as many pets live with it for long.

Is it worth me trying to get the money together to try this other cart to see if she'll find it easier to use than her current one? I'd love to see her running up and down the path without having to worry about if she's getting sores from spending more time in one? I will be summer soon so it be nice for her to be able to spend all day in the garden with my younger dog.

[critters]

You might try a search of the board; I'm pretty sure people have used that brand successfully. You might also consider hydrotherapy (swimming), but I think a new cart is a great idea.

[Bobbie]

Wasting legs should not mean she is going to die. I had a corgi who had a cart for 9 1/2 years. He died of unrelated causes. He did have a little trouble with pressure sores due to eventually having no natural padding on his back end but padding the cart and limiting stretches of time in it took care of that.

I have heard of the Dogmobile cart but don't know anything about how it works. I don't know that sitting is going to make a difference in sores- you still have to make sure the cart is padded and your dog gets out of it so circulation can be restored every few hours- but talk to the company and see what they say.

[JaynTinks]

Here's a video of a dog been put into the cart

https://www.dogmobile-online.com/gallery/video/24

They can lie down in them too, the man sent me photo's of dogs laying down in it.

I think I may have misunderstood the vet as she gave me the impression that her back end would waste and there was nothing they could do. She wasn't keen on idea of a wheelchair so I felt they felt I should have her PTS as soon as her back end went, but I got Inca a cart anyway second hand off ebay (all I could afford at the time) but it did help when she could move her back legs when she was supported underneath.. now though she just seems to get sores and one of the back wheels keep sticking..have to loosen it everytime so it will turn.

As Inca made it to my younger dogs second birthday (last Sept) and wasn't expecting her to as she had been ill, then xmas... then she made it to her 14th birthday on 14th March this year and still going strong and enthusiastic about life I was thinking about getting her better cart so she can move about more, over the summer in the garden.

Typically just as I started thinking this after a new vet said she was in good shape considering and thought I was doing the right thing getting her cart, taking her out for rides in her bike trailer and keeping her mentally active..Inca hasn't been eating this weekend or wanting to play..hoping its just the ear infection (vet gave me drops) and once that treatment finishes and it gets better she will buck up again. The dogmobile is £280 so would be gutted if paid for one and then she took a turn for the worse and never got to use it...so it's a bit of gamble while she's up and down. Hoping she will be feeling brighter tomorrow.

She is going blind though also and that maybe affecting her wanting to eat and play if her sight has deteriorated or her hearing from the ear infection. I always said as long as she was happy and showing me she still wanted to be here and part of things I'd find a way to keep going but if she's not happy it's not fair on her..so hoping it's just a couple of bad days as we've had bad weather so they've been stuck indoors all weekend and she's spent most of it asleep but has been on painkillers and drops for her ear infection.

[Bobbie]

Here's an article on carts you might show your vet.

http://www.cliniciansbrief.com/article/ ... are_Bottom

The muscles will waste, especially if there are no reflexes, but as long as you manage sores and UTIs the dog will do fine. Quality of life is greatly enhanced by being able to go for walks and get aerobic exercise.

There are other types of carts- what did you get? Can you post a picture? Maybe it is just a question of adjustment to get it to fit right.

[JaynTinks]

This is the cart she has off ebay



It has a better harness thing underneath her than just the rubber rings round the legs, it supports her whole back end.

Dunno if you can see on this pic of cart without her in it?

[JaynTinks]

for some reason when that last photo is in preview you can see the whole cart but after I've pressed submit it chops the back end of the cart off??

[Bobbie]

I can't see anything obviously out of adjustment. It could be the saddle just not fitting right. Have you tried padding it? Can you comfortably put a finger between her leg and the saddle or is it squeezing fairly tight?