View Full Version : Making Carts...with boy parts
Chris
03-03-2011, 01:56 AM
No, not making a part WITH boy parts.
Alex has the least amount of space from his boy parts to the beginning of his hind legs that I have ever seen in my life. In fact, there is just no room. We are making a cart for him - or at least attempting it this weekend and the only thing that is mystifying us is the back bar/support. I have seen PVC models where it is just a padded bar, but it apparently is on female dogs as I don't see anyone with boy parts unless they don't have the dog in the cart to potty and it just smushes it.
I have also seen some have a terrycloth sort of sling with leg wholes and a notch in it, but this is not going to be a suspension cart but a walking cart.
Does anyone have a better picture of what that part of the cart should look like? Either from a purchased one or a homemade one? This one is going to have a non-pvc metal frames and have car seat belt material for the chest strap and the part that goes behind the neck/over the back but the whole boy part thing is the conundrum unless we just go with "he won't be in the cart long enough to pee on it."
areese
03-03-2011, 08:47 AM
Go to dodger's list and ask them about carts. I wouldn't make one myself...it's important that they fit correctly and do not put any additional stress on his back or neck. I believe Eddie's Wheels are ones that a lot of people say are good.
But I'd spend my money right now on an experienced physical rehab specialist, not on a cart.
I totally agree with Amy. I completely understand your desire to make him more mobile, but you have already put 8 weeks into the crate rest, give him at least another 4 - 8 weeks of therapy. My concern is, once you get him a cart, he really will have no need to use his leg and it will become an endless circle.
I know a PT sounds expensive, but in both Pixel and Pogo's case we only needed one visit. Again, it was about evaluating him and coming up with proper exercises and teaching us how to do them where the value of the visit came.
Some of the things we learned were:
- bicycle movement
- splits
- water therapy
- neuro-patterning
- obstacle course (getting him to walk over skinny PCV tubes)
- lifting his legs and applying pressure
- sit to stands
Just taking "splits" as an example. Sounds straightforward enough, take the dogs back legs and split them apart, bring them together and repeat. It is not that simple. You have to know exactly how far apart you should be pulling the legs, too little and there is zero point doing the exercise, too much and you can injure the dog. What surface should their front legs be on? Is a bed okay or does it have to be a hard surface? How many reps do you do? How many times a day?
Can I guarantee Alex will never need a cart? No. :( I am trying to find an adequate human analogy but can't come up with one. Rehab is an important part after any physical trauma. Your body needs time to heal (crate rest & drugs), then rebuild and reteach (PT), then if required, mobility tools.
Doing physio is work. You have to do it 2 - 3 times a day, everyday. You have to mix up the exercises, push him to force and the muscles & nerves to build and work. Again, no guarantees, but IMO it is worth a try.
Here is a site that shows some PT places.
http://landofpuregold.com/challenge-physical.htm
lotsadox
03-03-2011, 10:08 AM
I agree with both Amy and Lisa. PT is definitely worth it. If they had had physio's for dogs when Amanda and Bandit were down, I would definitely have taken them. As it was the surgeon showed me what to do with Amanda and I did tha same things with Bandit. it's a lot of work, but its what got both of them up and walking well and built up the strength in their back legs. Do the PT First and then if you need a cart, you can consider the options.
areese
03-03-2011, 10:18 AM
You can make him worse with a homemade cart, seriously.
I also think you might wnat to PM Paula (Alex's Mom) because when she got Wenda, he had a leg that was almost totally fused, due to a previously broken pelvis. shorter than the others and very stiff and she and her vet got it MUCH better.
Muscle COMES BACK. With use. it's way too early to think he won't improve.
Alex's Mom
03-03-2011, 10:34 AM
You can make him worse with a homemade cart, seriously.
I also think you might wnat to PM Paula (Alex's Mom) because when she got Wenda, he had a leg that was almost totally fused, due to a previously broken pelvis. shorter than the others and very stiff and she and her vet got it MUCH better.
Muscle COMES BACK. With use. it's way too early to think he won't improve.
Yup, Dr. Laura the miracle worker has been working on Wendal's back legs (chiro and acupuncture) since he came a year and a half ago, and he's gone from dragging himself around by the front legs and not really being able to walk because his back right leg was fused straight and he couldn't use it, to walking almost normally. He'll never be completely normal because his right leg is shorter than his left (if I EVER find the asshats that did this to him, the planet isn't big enough for them to get away), so he kind of walks with a little skip (bery cute :hearts: ), and he can run faster than the other two!! As Amy and Lisa (and Rafi :)) can tell you, when I got him he literally had NO muscle anywhere in his hind end...it was literally skeletal. Now his hind end looks like any other dachsie's. Lots and lots of muscle. I have a very long ramp down to my back yard, and I credit him going up and down that by himself (he couldn't when he first came, now he runs up it!! :cheer2: ) with some of the muscle build up. But I also have to do massage with him a lot, and work his back legs a bit every day just to keep them from stiffening up again. If he hasn't had a chiro appt in a while, they do tend to deteriorate in terms of mobility, but a couple of weekly sessions and they're right back to as normal as they'll ever be. Sadly, he also has spondyloses on his spine and quite a bit of arthritis everywhere, which makes it hard on him sometimes, but heat and massage (and a whole bunch of lovin' :)) helps with that (he can't take NSAIDs cuz of his liver & kidney issues). In fact, I have to say that my :angel:Alex MUST have sent him, cuz he's proving every bit as challenging to keep in balance as she was. :sosad:
So, in short :rolleyes:, ITA with Lisa and Amy. Your Alex may end up needing a cart, but you've got a lot of other options to explore before getting to that point. It is a long ol' rehab road though. You have to be patient. And if you don't keep his muscles worked even then, he'll lose them, leading to incontinence etc. Well worth the cost of a trip to the PT, in my opinion!! Good luck with him, :bigrayz::bigrayz::bigrayz: and :hug99::hug99::hug99: and keep us posted, ok?
@ Paula - you need to give Paula The Miracle Worker some of the credit too, please. You are awesome and if I were a geriatric special-needs dog, I'd be packing my bones and blankets and heading to Nova Scotia.
Alex's Mom
03-03-2011, 02:04 PM
@ Paula - you need to give Paula The Miracle Worker some of the credit too, please. You are awesome and if I were a geriatric special-needs dog, I'd be packing my bones and blankets and heading to Nova Scotia.
I'm blushing here :ashamed: :hug99:. Seriously, I'm a crappy nurse. Not enough patience these days (lack of sleep will do that to you :rolleyes: ).
Chris
03-03-2011, 05:31 PM
I guess I was thinking this was the way to go because the vet recommended it in conjunction with PT. His legs would not be suspended, it would just hold him steady so he could start using his leg more and then hopefully someday he would not need it any longer. The vet had said it would help him not to continue to lose muscle mass in his leg. There are a lot of instructions online on how to make and measure them so I thought since I knew someone who was very handy, it could be done, esp due to finances. So you are thinking I will do more harm than good?
LUVMYGUNNER
03-04-2011, 11:17 AM
there used to be someone on dodgers that makes cart out of pvc pipes, she works for a vet and i think its called dogstogo...I will look it up. Maybe talk to her and see what advicew she can give, she has been making them ever since I belong to dodgers, and thats about 8 years.
www.dogstogo.net
areese
03-04-2011, 11:28 AM
I don't KNOW that you will do more harm than good but why not talk to experts or at the very least check out dodger's archives on the topic.
regular vets are not experts on IVDD unless you happen to have one that is a neurologist and physical therapist...
Maybe a cart would be good, but I'd still talk to someone experienced in making and fitting them as you do not want to put pressure on the wrong area of his back.
I guess I was thinking this was the way to go because the vet recommended it in conjunction with PT. His legs would not be suspended, it would just hold him steady so he could start using his leg more and then hopefully someday he would not need it any longer. The vet had said it would help him not to continue to lose muscle mass in his leg. There are a lot of instructions online on how to make and measure them so I thought since I knew someone who was very handy, it could be done, esp due to finances. So you are thinking I will do more harm than good?
Amy said exactly what I wanted to say. It has been 8 weeks, one more week without a cart is not going to make any (negative) difference in his recovery, until you book an appointment with a qualified physio therapist.
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