Tater was a rescue. We have had him for almost 10 years, and we assume he is about 12 years old. Last week he stopped using his back legs. An MRI revealed a bony cancerous growth inside one of his vertebrae that has caused paralysis (thankfully no pain that we can discern). He is a good boy.

Any tips or suggestions? Best rear support harnesses? Pressure sore prevention and care products? There are so many new things to figure out. I feel like we have tried about 20 different Amazon products this week and most of them are awful. They all slip off, fit poorly, get pee-soaked... The stroller and wheelchair pictured seem good so far, but in the wheelchair he just stands there. I know he needs acclimation time, but we wonder if getting a 4-wheeled model would help, or if something different would just work better? Is eddie's wheels worth it?

Looking for any and all types of advice, support, and solidarity.

Hi everyone! I’m a college student working on a marketing class group project, and I’m looking for people who own or regularly care for a blind or visually impaired dog to take a short survey.

My group is researching a product concept called SightSafe Smart Collar. It is a proposed collar that uses sensors to detect nearby obstacles and provides audio alerts. Owners could record their own voice for the alerts, adjust settings through a smartphone app, and place additional sensors around the home to help their dogs navigate familiar spaces.

The survey asks for your opinions on the product, its features, and its proposed price of $119.99. It should take about 3–5 minutes to complete.

I would really appreciate your honest feedback! There are no right or wrong answers, and I’m interested in hearing what you think, including any concerns or suggestions you may have.

Survey link: https://forms.gle/S1AvTZzHBuRqETK86

Thank you for helping with my class project!

Hello all,

My sweet pit blue needs some help.

He tore both of his ACLs in his back legs and we cannot cover the costs for his surgery. We’ve tried everything and have now landed on a go fund me. It is so heartbreaking to watch him struggle and know that we are not in a place financially to be able to help him. He is the sweetest boy and just loves to play hard.

Please consider donating or sharing this as much as possible

Hi everyone, just found this group. Thank you! My beautiful boy was diagnosed with IVDD Stage II when he was only 20 months old after falling badly and hitting his spine on a brick ledge. As I’m sure many have experienced, what followed was a whole bunch of What the / Why has / How can / Should I / Is this / What does / If he / Do I / Can he and so on while figuring out what the deal was and how to manage it. Which has been pretty much ongoing for the last six months. What I’m finding really hard to navigate is not just the IVDD factor, but managing the IVDD for him in particular. So much of the information or support available is for small or older dogs, of which he is neither. He is a 40kg (can’t lift him) 2-year-old (can’t turn off the energy) boofhead (can’t turn off the stubbornness) who is scared of enclosed spaces (there goes crate rest… and the car…)  and when he attempts to use his special stairs to get on and off the couch he FALLS OFF THE SIDE. See previous: boofhead.

Other helpful articles assume I have a husband or just A Helpful Magic Person in a drawer I can just take out whenever something needs more than one person to do, such as creating a sling in the large blanket I don’t have, to take him to the car that he’s scared of, to take him to the vet I can’t afford this week.

So honestly? Just looking for any advice, or anyone who has had a similar experience – not just the IVDD thing, but managing anything so shit when it happens to a baby and a massive baby at that, and looking at the next x amount of years knowing this is going to be his life. How do I give him the best life he can have? What does that even look like for a 2-year-old Amstaff cross? How do I manage his depression that inevitably goes with it? I’ll do whatever I need to do, I’m just at a loss to know what that is. Any help from anyone – no matter what your own experiences are – would be so appreciated.

Hey yall! Back in July, my dog Conway (5yo mini Australian labradoodle) jumped off a bed and ruptured the disc between his T13 and L1 vertebrae which caused a complete loss of motor function in his back half. Long story short, he underwent a hemilaminectomy and after weeks of physical therapy regained his ability to walk and control his bathroom functions. However, he won’t ever be able to jump onto furniture (due to lack of strength and coordination) or off of furniture (due to a 25% chance of the same thing happening again) again, and can’t go up or down stairs. He now only goes on short walks.

Because he can’t do the same activities he used to, he appears to be depressed. Is anyone else in a similar situation and/or does anyone have any ideas to give him mental stimulation since he can’t get around as easily as he used to?

Fall walks are very exciting!

I purchased a custom wheelchair from Eddie’s Wheels for my disabled dog, hoping it would improve her mobility and allow her to run more comfortably. Unfortunately, we were better off with her original Walkin’ Wheels wheelchair.

The biggest issue was safety. One wheel kept tightening while the other came loose, and eventually a wheel fell off while we were crossing a street. After numerous attempts to fix the problem, including visits to multiple bike shops, a local mechanic finally found a workaround. Eddie’s Wheels did not provide the solution.

Customer service was extremely disappointing. The wheelchair arrived without a manual, which I only received weeks later after numerous emails. When I contacted them about the wheel problems, they sent a troubleshooting video. I followed it, explained that it hadn't worked, and asked for further assistance. Their next response was a video of dogs from Flori’s rescue, which had absolutely nothing to do with the mechanical issue.

The wheelchair also placed significant pressure on my dog's shoulders. After consulting a physiotherapist and making adjustments, she can now walk in it, but she has never been able to run as she could in her Walkin’ Wheels. Running was the main reason I invested in a custom wheelchair in the first place.

Throughout this experience, I found the communication poor and the responses defensive rather than helpful. Even basic shipping information and instructions about import fees were unclear.

I really wanted this product to work, and I've invested considerable time trying to make it work. But ultimately, we were better off with Walkin’ Wheels.

I would not recommend Eddie’s Wheels based on my experience. I'm sharing this in the hope that other owners of disabled dogs can save themselves the frustration, expense, and trouble we've experienced.

https://gofund.me/ab01d9276

I’m reaching out because Chivas(dog) is in urgent need of help, and we cannot afford the treatment. Chivas is a french bulldog who is about 4 years old. She suddenly developed an issue in her back last week which is causing her a lot of pain and making her not be able to move or use her paws. We think it is a disc in her back but my friend is struggling to find enough money even to get the MRI. She sold her gold jewelry to cover the initial vet visits and pain medication. Right now she is in a hard position where she has to decide to put her dog down and trying to raise money for a treatment that has no guarantee of working. It is a very stressful position for us all. We would if you could recommend a Non profit or any organization that helps in such situations.

The dog is currently in Lebanon. Kindly suggest any possible solutions you may have or know.

Hello! I got my sweet red heeler back when he was a young one. He was a rescue from the pound, estimated to be about 2 years old (I think he was maybe 1 year old). He was energetic, playful, and loved to play with toys. He especially loved fetch and he loved to thrash around crinkle toys. He loved a good milk jug, cardboard box, or water bottle too. As he's aged, he's now almost 10, he has developed a degenerative retinal disease that has left him completely blind. The doctor has said he's not in any pain and to do our best to accommodate the space for him and make him feel comfortable. Now as he has become a grouchy old man, he doesn't play with toys anymore, but will occasionally shred up a box or a water bottle which is his favorite thing to play with now (I monitor and let him, as it's the only thing he gets excited for besides me, his dad, his sister (sometimes), or other family members).

I guess my question is, does anyone have any recommendations for toys or activities to bring some life back into him? Most things I see for "blind dog toys" involve sniffing/food and I really don't want him to become a chonky boy with just constantly playing with treats. I've thought of bells or squeakers but I think he's just scared of running into stuff which he often does. I'd love anyone's help! I just want to make his life more meaningful.

Hey everyone! I just launched PawBond, an app I built to solve the headache of tracking pet meds and medical history. Along with daily health logs and family sharing, it features an emergency SOS button that instantly pulls up the nearest 24-hour vet with drive times when you're in a pinch. If you're a pet parent who wants to keep everything organized (or find local playdates), check it out and let me know what you think!

AppStore - Pawbond

Nestle is an 11.5 year old purebred labrador. He is a very stoic dog and has gone through some serious hardships, including tearing a knee apart, getting stuck in an animal trap (GRRR), 3 surgeries on his eyelids, numerous ear infections, several other infections.

Late last year his walking started to deteriorate. I took him to the vet and he thought it could be dysplasia or nerve degeneration in the hips. Arthritis was present as well. We tried 2 shots of Librella, which did not help at all, so we stopped. At this point the vet was fairly certain that it was nerve degeneration and that there really was nothing more to be done for Nestle. He did say that it was very possible that Nestle would live for another 1-2 years. The vet also prescribed Gabapentin and Carprofen daily to help manage the pain.

Fast forward to today and Nestle's walking has deteriorated badly. He wobbles and stumbles and doesn't walk far at all. I only have one step in my house, and I need to lift Nestle's rear up and down it. I also believe that Nestle is going blind and deaf to some extent, but is not totally there yet.

Assessment:

I took the Lap of Love assessment list. I came up with a score of 4, which falls in the middle of their 0-8 range which is not time to make the decision. Nestle still eats and drinks normally, wags his tail as best he can. He enjoys the other dogs, and really likes to hang around me. He still seems to pee and poop normally (trouble standing still though). What he didn't do well on is his breathing - he seems to pant more than before and his bark is very weak. He seems confused at times, but that could be because of going deaf / blind that I mentioned above. Walking is the big issue. He no longer walks far at all. Making it from one end of the house to the other might take a few minutes. Most of the time he will walk a little, then rest, then continue on. He is in NO apparent pain.

History:

After the first few years, Nestle slowed down a lot. He was never a hyper, go crazy run around dog. He walked normally and would take 1-2 mile walks daily. I mention this because this is my major argument against getting a doggy wheelchair (see questions below)

Situation:

I do have 2 other big dogs. One is a lab/catahoula mix (8 years) and the other is a shepherd/collie mix (3 years).

Back in February, I did ask the vet if a wheelchair would help, and he said he would support getting a wheelchair if I got one.

I am a senior on a fixed income and already paying $140 dollars a month for Nestle's rx. If the advice here is to get him a wheelchair, I will. But I don't want to buy one if it would really not do him any good.

I know Nestle's time is getting shorter. Originally I didn't think he would make it to Summer, but we are well past that. However, his walking has deteriorated and right now he is going through a bad stretch. I will be taking him to the vet for a full exam next month.

Questions:

I know the wheelchair will help with his walking. But at his size (110 pounds) and level of activity (low) is it worth the cost (I'm seeing $500 - $750 for good ones)? Even if his hips were not an issue, Nestle would not walk more than follow me around the house and go out back to potty a few times a day. Otherwise he would be laying down around the house.

Can he go to the bathroom normally in a wheelchair?

Can he lay down while in the wheelchair or would he need to get in and out of it?

If the answer is to get him one, do you recommend a certain brand?

I live in a small city, and far from any major city (over 300 miles). Looking for used ones would be difficult without seeing their condition.

Thank you all in advance for your input. I will monitor this often, so ask if you have any questions.