Doggy Wheels?

[Guest 3furkids]

Good morning. I am looking for any suggestions to help my 12.10 year old male Greyhound Casey. He has had a hard life but came to me at 7 weeks old as an oops puppy. He is very dear to our hearts and want to help him in every way we can. Does anyone know of a Greyhound that has ever used doogy wheels and if so what kind?? His latest surgery on 3/13/13 was for:

 

 

 

Decompressive dorsal laminectomy. Herniated type II intervertevral disc material was present at L7-S1 resulting in nerve root compression. Spinal cord tissue appeared normal. A large amount of disc material was removed from the spinal canal at L7-S1. The spinal cord appeared well decompressed prior to completion of the surgery.

 

Tests/procedures performed:

 

CBC

Serumchemistary- midly increased ALT, midly increased creatinine, consistant with previous blood work (stable)

Urinalysis: Adeqautely concentrated sample, 3+sample

MRI whole spine: Dorsal intervertebral disk protrusion at L7-S1 causing modetate nerve root and forminal nerve root compression, Multilevel degenerative intervertebral disc disease with mild to moderate dorsal prottusions

Urine Culture

T3/T4 On thyroid meds .3 soloxine 2 times a day

 

Other meds he is currently on are:

 

SamE

Tramadol 50 mg 3 times a day

Gabapentin 300 mg 2 times a day

L-Carnitine 1000 2 times a day

glucosamine/chonfrointin

 

6 weeks after surgery he cannot get up himself nor walk. My husband picks him up and carries him outside to do his business about 3 times a day. He is bright and alert and eats well (what he wants anyway).

 

Yesterday our regular vet had a consult wiht the neuroligist at Virginia Tech where his surgery was performed. Basic out come was nothing else could be done and he started 20 mg prednisone 1 time a day along with pepcid AC 2-3 times a day.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions on what else we can do? I am also looking for anyone who has ever tried doggy wheels. He is the type thay wants nothing on him even a winter coat. The vet suggested Kerdog. Looks great but way to much stuff there. I want him to be able to join the family again. Now he lies on our bed all day and just out 3 times a day. He does stand but jsut can;t seem to walk.

 

Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help!!!!!!!!!

 

 

[Guest IrskasMom]

I was thinking of a Radiowagon or I have seen Garden Wagon . That does not help with walking and you still have to get him up to do his Business.

But I was thinking of getting him out .Maybe somebody has another Idea.

[Guest BiancasMom]

I would look for a rehab center near you and see if you can get him on a water treadmill. Sounds like he may need some physical therapy. Good luck!

[3DogNite]

My husband MADE a walking cart for a greyhound several years ago - out of PVC piping. screwed together with

big wheels for going over rough terrain. I made the sling hammock for the dog to be suspended from.

 

The dog we made this for hadn't walked for several months after running into a sliding glass door and breaking her neck.

it went thru surgery to repair and then we all waited ----- and waited... until we made the decision for her to start walking again.

 

it took only 4 sessions of walking in the cart and she was walking on her own - it was like she just needed to remember to walk.

 

I'll see if I can find a picture for you - it was quite big,,, and able to hold a 100lb person.. so a greyhound was no problem

 

 

 

 

Edited May 8, 2013 by 3DogNite

[Guest 3furkids]

Rehab would be great but the closest place is 2 hours away. I want him to walk again. I love the cart made by 3dognite but it's a little big. He is so sensitive I'm not sure what he would do with something like that. I bought him Therapaws because he has corn all the time and he would not walk in them.

[Hollis]

My husband MADE a walking cart for a greyhound several years ago - out of PVC piping. screwed together with

big wheels for going over rough terrain. I made the sling hammock for the dog to be suspended from.

 

The dog we made this for hadn't walked for several months after running into a sliding glass door and breaking her neck.

it went thru surgery to repair and then we all waited ----- and waited... until we made the decision for her to start walking again.

 

it took only 4 sessions of walking in the cart and she was walking on her own - it was like she just needed to remember to walk.

 

I'll see if I can find a picture for you - it was quite big,,, and able to hold a 100lb person.. so a greyhound was no problem

 

 

 

 

 

 

I remember this, so well. You done good.

[macoduck]

See if this site will have something to help:

http://www.handicappedpets.com/

[Guest BiancasMom]

The Help 'Em Up Harnesses work great, especially if your hound just needs help getting up. You can also use the handles to help steady him as he walks. I don't know how to post a link but the website is www.helpemup.com

[silverfish]

I'm looking too, for Sid. We are reluctantly coming to realise that he may never regain full strength after a series of problems over the last six months or so, beginning when he went in for a tooth extraction and came out looking like a different dog. Mostly that was Vetergesic which REALLY spaced him out and made him psychotic, but once past that it was clear that he'd been hurt/hurt himself during this period, too.

 

Then he got a bit of grit in his pad and did a lot of falling on his backside unexpectedly which also hurt him.

 

He's have issues with various muscle groups. He's had massage therapy and painkillers/anti-inflammatories and hydrotherapy but he's not improving. He's had x-rays which have ruled out bony problems except for a bit of arthritis in his hock and some interference with flexion due to the extra bone he's laid down. He's got to the point where he won't even swim anymore, and he used to love it so much. Vets and hydrotherapist both say he might need a cart next, even if only short term/temporarily/to go out for longer walks.

 

So I was going to ask the same question: has anyone gone the cart route, and if so, what did you use?

 

I've looked at Eddie's Wheels, but realistically (though I know they ship) it's a long way to ship something like this that might need to go back for adjustment ... they look good though. Walking Wheels look good, too.

 

Whether Casey will take to a cart depends on several things: Does he want to go out walking? Does he learn fairly quickly, if it's in his interest to do so? Can you get a cart to fit and be comfortable for him? Is he the type to freak out if something is 'running behind him' and making noise?

 

Sid hates coats, too, but I think he'd do OK with a cart, once he got the idea that it helped him to move without pain. Only you can say if Casey would be that way, too. But some of the US dog wheelchair people do rental, or trial periods.