Author: MJT
A Pet Wheel Chair Dramatically Improves your Dog's Quality
of Life
When you bring a dog into your home, moral ethics dictate
that you assume total responsibility for the dog. Good food, clean water, a
warm place to sleep, the ability to go outside, and the best medical care you
can reasonably afford. Dogs, like people, suffer from occasional illness and
injury. If tragedy strikes your beloved canine, a pet wheel chair can give an
otherwise healthy dog many more years of companionship with your family.
Some breeds of dogs are susceptible to certain kinds of
injuries. Long-backed dogs such as Dachshunds, Bassett Hounds, and Cocker
Spaniels are genetically prone to degenerative disk disease – "DDD"
some, the "Dreaded Dachshund Disease" to others since Dachshunds are
very likely to develop this condition unless strict precautions by the owner
are taken such as not allowing the Doxie to jump off furniture.
My Dachshund has DDD. How Can a Pet Wheel Chair Help?
DDD occurs with the slow degeneration of one or more disks
in a dog's back. When these discs rupture due to day-to-day activity or through
physical trauma of some sort, the dog will most likely experience paralysis
directly below the ruptured disks. Thus, your Dachshund or other long-backed
dog will be completely paralyzed from the neck down, or the shoulders down. He
will be unable to walk, stand, or bear weight on his hind legs. The first
thought that may come into your mind might be acquiring a pet wheel chair for
your stricken dog; however, sudden paralysis due to DDD is a medical emergency;
every moment you wait to take your dog to a veterinarian limits the chance of
the dog's recovery. Depending upon the
severity of the paralysis, your vet may recommend either total confinement to a
crate with massive doses of steroids to relieve the inflammation, or else will
recommend that your dog have immediate surgery to clear and fuse the ruptured
disks. In either case, the chances of
your dog walking normally again are not good.
If surgery and/or steroids fail to bring function back to
your Dachshund, your vet will advise you of two choices: (1) humane euthanasia
if your dog is in serious pain with no quality of life in the future or, (2)
acquiring a pet wheel chair that will let your otherwise healthy and normal dog
live a long and happy life. According to the Illustrated Veterinary Guide by
Chris Pinney, DVM, a pet wheel chair is not appropriate for every dog.
Sometimes dogs are unwilling to learn to manipulate and use the chair or may be
frightened by it. However, for dogs that are insistent in re-gaining mobility,
these chairs return them to a vital life.
A pet wheel chair consists of a harness that fastens
securely around the dog's chest and back, with two openings in the rear for the
dog's hind legs. Two sturdy wheels in the back allow the dog to pull the chair
with his front legs. Once he gets the hang of his pet wheel chair, your
paralyzed dog will be able to go just about anywhere – inside, outside – he'll
be wheeling around like he was shot out of a cannon! He will be able to go
outside on his regular schedule to urinate and defecate, accompany you on car
trips, sleep comfortably when he's out of the chair; the only things that will
bring him to a halt are stairs and sharp corners where his pet wheel chair
might be stuck on the corner. Your dog will learn that he can even lie down in
his chair, snoozing away with his paralyzed back legs still firmly ensconced in
the chair!
Pet wheel chairs are, as yet, available only for dogs. High-quality chairs are made by hand,
custom-fit to match your dog's height, weight, and leg length. They are well
cushioned with leather straps and leg holes to avoid chaffing. Do not leave
your dog in the chair "24/7." Put him in his comfortable crate to
sleep and just rest for a while. Better still, let him spend some time on your
lap!
On the average, it costs around $40 to humanely euthanize a
dog. If your vet tells you that even with surgery and steroids, your dog is
suffering, you have a difficult choice to make on behalf of your canine
companion. If you choose a pet wheel
chair for your paralyzed dog, you can expect to pay around $300 for the
apparatus. The best-seller is Canine Carts located in Billings,
Montana. This is a very high quality,
durable, custom-designed and comfortable chair that will last probably for the lifetime
of your dog. Many other companies can be found on the Internet; just make sure
they guarantee and warranty the chair.
Since pet wheel chairs provide total immobility of a
paralyzed dog's legs, it is entirely possible that after surgery and a course
of steroids, you may look up one day and find your dog standing on all four
feet, wagging his tail as if saying, "Well, I'm sure glad that's over
with!"
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