Thatcher has DM. Anyone use Dwanecart wheelchair?

[Rbastedo]

If you don't have a raised food bowl you should get one, it will make it easier on him, all my dogs used them...well now just the one.Also if you can put in the additional time and work it will require, his time is not done just yet! He can easily make it to next xmas if his legs go out soon and longer if they don't!
And he still needs to exercise but much much less than in the pass, think of him as an engine with bad rod bearings the motor will run but you better throttle it back!

He and I have much in common, the exercise is good for both of us.
I will take your advice, it would be nice to see him running again.

 

[Gunther]

He and I have much in common, the exercise is good for both of us.
I will take your advice, it would be nice to see him running again.

No not my more running! Just shorter walks!

I would get him use to the WC as soon as possible. You don't have to use the rear stirups if he can still walk? I had found a site on theropy for DM. I'll see if I can dig it up.

 

[Gunther]

American Boxer Club: Dealing with Degenerative Myelopathy in Boxers

 

[Gunther]

American Boxer Club: Dealing with Degenerative Myelopathy in Boxers
This is the site I was thinking of. They suggest boots and I have seen info on no boots!

The thought for no boots is because the boots reduce the nerve endings even more and so the dog has even more trouble with foot placement while he can walk. I belive that to be the case so soft surfaces are advised.

 

[TysonCheeto]

If you don't have a raised food bowl you should get one, it will make it easier on him, all my dogs used them...well now just the one.Also if you can put in the additional time and work it will require, his time is not done just yet! He can easily make it to next xmas if his legs go out soon and longer if they don't!
And he still needs to exercise but much much less than in the pass, think of him as an engine with bad rod bearings the motor will run but you better throttle it back!

It's not recommended for boxers to use raised feeding bowls. There is actually a sticky on a study (I believe it was the second study done on the issue) the sticky:http://www.boxerworld.com/forums/do...risk-factors.html?highlight=raised+food+bowls

However I do not know enough about the health issues at hand and if that makes a difference. I just know I was advised against the use of them.

 

[Jan]

Raised bowls are definitely not recommended as they increase the risk of bloat. They should probably only be used in cases where the dog has difficulty putting his head down to eat.

 

[SherylM]

In the case DM raised food bowls are a must! Especially after their rear end cannot support them anymore raised dishes are actually a blessing.

My Jack had an Eddie's Wheels cart and he initially didn't care for it but after some tasty treats as a reward he did very well in it. He loved to run down the road in it! I know that Eddie's Wheels sells refurbished carts so you may want to look into that. We didn't use the cart all that much in the house. Mostly inside it was used for feeding, so Jack could be steady while he ate his meals. It's a good idea if you don't have carpet to lay down cheap rubber back runner or mats so that Thatcher doesn't slip while trying to walk on tile/hardwood. We also had a Hartmans Hip Harness (Helper?). It had a handle over the hip area that made it easy to help Jack get up and down stairs and outside. Once he lost complete mobility in his hind end we used a towel as a sling to help him around inside. He was very good at communicating with us what he wanted and we would simply slip the towel under him to support his back end and he would walk to retrieve whatever it was he was after, a drink, a toy that had rolled out of his reach. We never wanted Jack to feel like he couldn't be all that he ever was, so we supported his back end with a sling each night and let him "walk" up the stairs to our bedroom. We also encourage him to "walk" that way whenever he wanted something, instead of just retrieving it for him. He became and excellent communicator during his DM journey. Boots are a must if you don't have rear stirrups in the cart. We were fortunate enough to find Mutt Lucks that were leather and bought several pairs. Keeping Thatcher's mind busy once he's down is important also. Make sure he has plenty of things to play with in his reach or chew toys. Yahoo also has an excellent support group for DM dogs. One of the most important things is to never, ever let Thatcher see your frustrations or sorrows as you deal with his disease. There will come a time when things will be so overwhelming but you will get through it..just stay strong for him. If you need to vent or cry, do it out of his site. I'm so sorry you have to go through this with Thatcher. If there are any other tips I can think of I will be sure to post for you.

 

[Gunther]

In the case DM raised food bowls are a must! Especially after their rear end cannot support them anymore raised dishes are actually a blessing.

My Jack had an Eddie's Wheels cart and he initially didn't care for it but after some tasty treats as a reward he did very well in it. He loved to run down the road in it! I know that Eddie's Wheels sells refurbished carts so you may want to look into that. We didn't use the cart all that much in the house. Mostly inside it was used for feeding, so Jack could be steady while he ate his meals. It's a good idea if you don't have carpet to lay down cheap rubber back runner or mats so that Thatcher doesn't slip while trying to walk on tile/hardwood. We also had a Hartmans Hip Harness (Helper?). It had a handle over the hip area that made it easy to help Jack get up and down stairs and outside. Once he lost complete mobility in his hind end we used a towel as a sling to help him around inside. He was very good at communicating with us what he wanted and we would simply slip the towel under him to support his back end and he would walk to retrieve whatever it was he was after, a drink, a toy that had rolled out of his reach. We never wanted Jack to feel like he couldn't be all that he ever was, so we supported his back end with a sling each night and let him "walk" up the stairs to our bedroom. We also encourage him to "walk" that way whenever he wanted something, instead of just retrieving it for him. He became and excellent communicator during his DM journey. Boots are a must if you don't have rear stirrups in the cart. We were fortunate enough to find Mutt Lucks that were leather and bought several pairs. Keeping Thatcher's mind busy once he's down is important also. Make sure he has plenty of things to play with in his reach or chew toys. Yahoo also has an excellent support group for DM dogs. One of the most important things is to never, ever let Thatcher see your frustrations or sorrows as you deal with his disease. There will come a time when things will be so overwhelming but you will get through it..just stay strong for him. If you need to vent or cry, do it out of his site. I'm so sorry you have to go through this with Thatcher. If there are any other tips I can think of I will be sure to post for you.

Thanks for your insight some of these things I did, some I didi not.
But the more you know the better prepared you can be to deal with a doggie with DM!

 

[Rbastedo]

Thanks to you all, I will think about these things and see what we can incorporate into our lives. I will also use this thread as a resource for my family.
Since we also have a healthy 5 year old Boxer maybe raised bowls wont work for us but we will find a way to work it out.

I'll look into slings, that will likely be a very helpful suggestion as it's hard to get him back up once he falls. He is a very large boy, weighed 105 lbs in his prime and wasn't fat - just a big lean Boxer machine. He weighs less now but it's still difficult for some in our family to lift him up.

The Dwanecart shipped out today, I'm getting a pair of bike wheels refurbished so we will be ready as soon as it arrives.

 

[Gunther]

https://www.facebook.com/DEGENERATIVEMYELOPATHY

Dog Harness Mobility & Support Harness for Dogs, Dog Leads Dogs Sling Dog Mobility Harnesses Worldwide

Couple of links here, I had never seen the Quincy harness before. But they look interesting, the one for dogs with mobility issues looks like one, I will be getting for my GSD, he has Wobbiers and has issues with getting up and falling down.

He was in the back of my mind when I chose the Walking Wheels because I can size it up for him when the time comes. Course in the mean time I see the cart and think of Struddell. :(