We receive many inquiries from people who are wondering if a dog wheelchair is appropriate for their dog. The first question we ask is, ” how well is your dog walking on his own?” There are many reasons why a dog might benefit from a walking aid.
- Young healthy dogs who become paralyzed due to disc disease or spinal trauma (FCE)
- Middle-aged and older dogs becoming increasingly ataxic and wobbly due to degenerative myelopathy or poly-neuropathy.
- Pets with injuries to their limbs – amputees who are unable to walk comfortably for any distance on 3 legs, or dogs with torn ACL’s for whom surgery is not an option.
- Dogs with diseases such as Cushings, syringeomyelia, tick-born diseases causing paralysis
- Dogs born with congenital malformations of the front or rear legs who cannot ambulate well.
Dachshunds, with their long backs, are prone to calcifications of the spinal discs, and typically are between 4 and 7 years of age when those calcified discs impinge on the spinal cord causing paralysis in the rear legs. Many of these dogs will undergo spinal surgery, or be confined to cage rest for a period of 6 weeks in hopes of recovering their mobility. For those dogs who do not regain feeling in their rear legs, a cart is a passport to a life of independence and play again. Other breeds of dogs who are prone to disc disease include basset hounds, corgis,pit bulls, Dobermans, and German Shepards.
Super-Lance gets the red ball in his Eddie's Wheels
A common myth is that once a dog relies on a dog wheelchair to get around, he’ll come to depend on it and never walk on his own again. Our experience is completely opposite – MANY dogs with disc injuries use their carts and rehabilitate over the course of 6 months to 2 years. The very first dog for whom Eddie built a dog wheelchair, his own Doberman, Buddha, used her wheels for 6 months, and went from total rear paralsis to walking on her own again.
Recently we met with Leon, a dachshund who had had disc surgery 14 months ago and has been using a cart for over a year. He is now able to walk short distances without his wheelchair, and we expect that he will continue to rehabilitate as he uses his wheelchair as a walker to regain strength and stability.
Great to see the dachshund running around on his new set of wheels, but here is something to think about. Have any of you thought about using acupuncture for your long back friends. Nine days to two weeks of acupuncture can get your friend up and running. I have rescued 5 dachshunds and have had 5 successful results. They have all gotten back their legs 100%. None of my dachshunds had surgery, they were completely paralyzed from the waist down, incontinent of urine and stool. Something to think about. You would need to find a good vet that is also a Licensed Acupuncturist.
We are great fans of acupuncture and have had success with acupuncture ourselves with a quadriplegic wobbler Doberman. However, not everyone has access to a holistic vet, and not all veterinarians are open to trying or recommending acupuncture.
A cart supports healing by keeping the spine straight and supported while dogs take what time they need to heal.
waar is suid afrika kan ek die rolstoel vir honde koop. ek benodig dringend ene.
Suid-Afrika:
Dr Megan Kelly, ‘n holistiese veearts en hond rehab praktisyn, bied’ n volledige reeks van rehabilitasie produkte in Suid-Afrika. Haar webwerf is http://www.holistic.co.za. Dr Kelly het suksesvol toegerus honde vir beide voor-en agterwiel wagentjes en ons raai haar dienste.