Thatcher has DM. Anyone use Dwanecart wheelchair?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Rbastedo

Rbastedo

Boxer Buddy
I have gotten him out a few times now, he's always a lot more frisky when he comes back even if he's only gone two blocks and back. Last time we were two blocks from home and he just stopped and wouldn't budge until I asked him if he wanted to go home.
I figure we will just take it slowly and do as much or little as he wants to do.
I uploaded a picture to the gallery but it isn't "approved" yet.
Here it is on my G+
Thatcher with his wheels
 
Gunther

Gunther

Super Boxer
I think two blocks is kinda far. I wanted so much for Stru to go to the same areas we'd go to before that I think I pushed her to hard. So one block I would sit as a max and at the half way point see if you could get him to indicate if he wants to continue for the other half a block.

That would pay off big time in the future!

But just getting him up and moving is the most important part. Good catch on the no bad associations! I jacked that up myself. :(
 
Last edited:
Gunther

Gunther

Super Boxer
Can he bear weight on his back legs now at all? I only ask because I belive you can make an adjustment to allow him to use the wheel chair as support for weake rear limbs?
 
Rbastedo

Rbastedo

Boxer Buddy
In the picture he's just hanging his back legs, but he was moving them when he walked. I'm not sure I should lower him any more, but I may try one level lower and see if he likes it better.
He does get outside in our back yard a couple times a day without the wheels, some mornings I have to go running when he falls and get him back up but then he sways around the yard and makes it back to the back door. I'm grateful he can still do that.

This really is a brutal disease, but I'm remaining positive for him and constantly telling him what a great job he's doing. I think he never gets tired of hearing that.
 
Gunther

Gunther

Super Boxer
Ok so you understand what I'm saying. I don't know if it's a better choice or not? If he seems comfortable moving in it as it is probally just leave it alone for now.

The two diffrent helper harness I linked...you might want to consider also. Neither are cheap but you can see where they would be helpful.

Struddell "was" 65 lbs in the begining and I could manager her. You guy looks considerabley heaverier than that!

And since I brought up the harness thing a regular harness won't work for these issues it would just dig into there flesh.

Rocky our GSD has "Wobblers" still wobbiling around as it were. But he needs help in the car and at steps.
So I still have a need for a harness and it will be one of the two I posted. He is also 116 lbs! So my days of dealing with "issues" are far from over!

It is gonna be tough but you did get a quick jump on the wheelchair and I think that will pay off down the line.

Hang in there you guys. :)
 
Last edited:
Rbastedo

Rbastedo

Boxer Buddy
We are definitely going to need a sling or harness soon. I really want him to be able to do it himself as long as possible but it's been progressing so quickly over the past month I know the time will come soon when he will need a lot more help. He's about 90 Lbs now. In his prime he was 105.
Thanks for your help and support.
 
Gunther

Gunther

Super Boxer
Holly crap! Yeah that's a dog your not gonna be lifting!

Seriously consider one of those two harness I listed. I'd have got one or the other had I know they existed.

They make a Y type harness but honestly I found it to be pretty useless myself. With Struddell it just seemed to make evrything worse.
 
Rbastedo

Rbastedo

Boxer Buddy
Well I can lift his hind end and get him up on his feet and then he can stagger around the yard. Like I said before I believe it's good for him to continue doing as much as he can by himself for as long as possible. He seems to enjoy his wandering and I can see him almost everywhere back there so I check on him every few minutes to make sure he hasn't fallen.
At this time he's only fallen down within 10 feet of the back door and I think that's because he's excited to be going outside and isn't being very careful about his steps.
He falls in the house once in a while but that's usually him tripping over one of the toys our grandsons leave out in his way.
I will look again at the harnesses and I have been reading on MyDogHasDM.com this afternoon. There's a blog and a forum, I've read the blog and am moving on to the forum now. Thanks for that link!
 
Gunther

Gunther

Super Boxer
I can move Rocky around GSD (116 lbs) but I could pick Struddell up when i needed to. Rocky has wobblers so I'll neeed a proper harness for him. Just want folks to be aware of as much info and equipment as possible! The DM situations is hard enough to cope with as it without trying to reinvent the wheel as it were. :)


I'll check out the sites, thanks I did not know they were there! :)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top