New to Dog Wheelchairs

[Quaidis]

Hi. I have a 9 year old Pembroke Welsh Corgi named Yukito. He's on the large end for a corgi, however weighs 30 lbs (which the vet told me was good for his size). I got him from an established breeder when he was a puppy and he's a very good, gentle dog.

Last November I noticed that he was having mild nerve problems with one of his back legs. The vet told me to keep an eye on it and that such things were common in long-backed dogs. Last Thursday I took him back in because the nerve issues have progressed and went through the long, arduous conversation about a possible disk issue in the spine or something else relating to the brain not getting the readings down to the back legs. She gave him 1 to 6 months before he would likely lose the ability to walk on his rear end.

I thought this was it. I've had this dog a long time and, when the day comes, it's time to put him down.

To which the vet looked at me horrified and shouted, "NO!" Then explained that my dog is extremely healthy outside of the nerve issue (no arthritis, his teeth are fantastic, etc). Even his back had no pain. And that he was eligible for a dog cart.




I know nothing about dog carts. I don't know what brands are better than others (Though I assume Walkin' Wheels are likely going to be my choice). How easy it is to get a corgi in and out of one. If the harness will chafe the armpits of the dog, or if there's a chance it'll dislocate the front arms at all. If it'll even work with the corgi being so low to the ground and everything.

My main question regards Michigan winters. How do these carts fair in the snow? Or should I avoid using them during winter and opt for another alternative?

Thanks for reading this and any help you may give.

[SandyNY]

you have found a good place for answers -please keep checking back to see what people can share from thier own experiances. I can't give you too much - but there are others here who have more experiance. my experiance with dog wheels was short - but it was winter in upstate NY - so I can say the snow won't slow you down! So glad you decided to check into alternatives for your Yukito; since he is not suffering and not in pain or distress, I do hope you have many wonderful years together. The wheelchair thing is a bit overwhelming of an idea at first - but it really is not too big of a deal. dogs adjust so amazing well; adapting will likely be easy. the dog i had with a wheelchair was big , so i had a problem with the wheelchair/ cart fitting thru the doorways of my house - but we just put it on back porch; hooked it up there; and the other house dogs and cats actually seemed a bit jealous!

[Bobbie]

Kudos to your vet! I suggest joining the Corgis on Wheels Yahoo group. http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/wheelcorgis/

Also check out our corgi cart loan page at http://www.corgiaid.org/cart. While most of CorgiAid is for homeless corgis, the cart loans are for any corgi, and we have links there to major cart manufacturers as well.

You may also want to read up on degenerative myelopathy (DM) in corgis as frequently that, not disk problems, can cause the back issues in older corgis. It can start as young as 8in corgis but average onset is 11.

http://www.offa.org/dnatesting. Look for the info on DM. On the corgis on Wheels site we also have a comparison sheet in the files on how you know if it is DM or disk disease.

[Quaidis]

It's good to know someone else has had to deal with snow situations, Sandy. You know how it is with lake effect and getting dumped on by 6 feet in a night, right? There's a certain level of uncool about it. That was the full extent of my over-whelming thoughts on having a cart.


Bobby, I am flattered by your guidance. However, I sadly do not have a Yahoo acct, so am unable to join the club.

I also have the funds on me to buy a brand new cart at any time (from the prices I've seen). It seems like a crime to buy/rent a used wheelchair from a site for shelter/re-homed corgis and people in need. There are others who may need those carts more than I.

From your experience, could you tell me which brands of cart work better than others for corgis in general? I was looking towards Walkin' Wheels due to its up-to-date design and adjustability, but on the net I have seen many more corgis using K9-brand. Or would just about anything work?

I'm going to discuss Degenerative Myelopathy with my vet. Said vet has experience with dachshunds, and seemed familiar with spinal and nerve issues in long-backed dogs. I don't know if the dachshund breed is genetically viable for DM or not, so she may have overlooked the possibility of it. Reading up on it, it does seem a likely culprit for what's going on with Yukito.