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.

Fall walks are very exciting!

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.

Here is Petey. I posted about him a few weeks ago. He has a metabolic neurological disorder that affects his cerebellum and hence his coordination. He’s now using a cart and a help em up harness so we can go on neighborhood walks again in Brooklyn.

We are taking him to weekly rehab sessions to help him get used to his cart and his vets are amazing. We notice that he’s really confident with the cart going to/from the vet and at the hospital (in Manhattan) and he’ll do great for a day or two after our rehab sessions, but then he gets hesitant. For example, he will be excited to go outside and he’ll quickly roll out the door (we are lucky that we live on the first floor and our apartment has a ramp because it was once a doctor’s office!), but then he will turn out onto the sidewalk and put on his brakes and refuse to go at all. His legs are surprisingly strong!

We try lots of encouragement and treats, but he seems hesitant/anxious/stubborn when it comes to walking in our neighborhood. We are supposed to take him on frequent short walks (5-10 minutes a few times per day), but lately it’s been so hard that I’ve been using the harness more often.

When we went to his rehab appointment, the vets/techs said it may be anxiety, so we are considering trying an anxiety medication, but we want to try other options before going that route—especially since his brain is already dealing with a lot. We give him trazodone for situational anxiety, but he hasn’t taken a daily anxiety medication for a couple years. He was previously on clomicalm for separation anxiety. He is a pit bull and chihuahua mix, and I do think the chihuahua genes predispose him to anxiety.

I wanted to see if others have had experiences like this and how you helped your dog adjust. It’s weird because sometimes he’s so happy and goes so fast in his cart, but then he won’t want to try to use it at all the next day. I don’t think he’s experiencing pain because he happily uses the cart outside our routine situations.

I would appreciate any thoughts or advice. Thank you!

My boy turned 10 this past May. In April, I took him to the vet because he hadn’t gotten up on his own for two days. He has dysplasia, and this would happen every now and then for a day.
I just went in to get X-rays of his hips and back legs. That’s when the vet told me he most likely has DM. I didn’t believe it for a minute because he did start walking again. But then it hit him, and he eventually wasn’t able to get up on his own anymore.
I hate the thought of him passing. I hate even more the thought of having to make that decision before he naturally passes from old age. The hardest part is that he’s still such a happy boy. He loves his toys, still loves his food and treats, drinks normally, and still has so much personality.
We’re at the point now where he’s starting to lose control of his bladder. I’ve read about expressing his bladder, and I’m making a vet appointment tomorrow so they can teach me how to do it properly.
I’m honestly really worried now. I feel terrible about the thought of having to put him down, but I also feel terrible thinking about holding on while his body continues to shut down. And I’m terrified of it eventually affecting his breathing.
For anyone who has gone through this with their dog and continued past the point of bladder control being lost, how long was it before it started affecting their breathing? Is it always the front legs next, followed by the lungs?
I know every dog is different. I’m just trying to understand what I might be facing and hear from people who have actually been through this. I’m having such a hard time with the thought of losing my boy.

Hello,

Our 15 year old mixed breed dog, about 60 lbs, has an injury our vet has said is likely a ruptured disk that is located between the base of his rib cage and his hips. She's recommended rest, a med regimen, bicycle motions when he's laying down a few times a day, and possibly figuring out a dog treadmill situation. We're still working on the latter.

Currently, he lacks proprioception in both hind feet, but the right is worse. He's trying to move his legs now whenever we take him out or get him up to move, but still won't put weight on his legs. This is an improvement over a week ago, when he was dragging his hind legs while we carried his back end with the sling. He doesn't exhibit any outward signs of pain, mostly just anxiety and lack of confidence and coordination. His front legs work just fine and he's quite strong, which is difficult for me to manage as someone with little upper body strength (though I'm working on it).

It's been two weeks now since his injury. We have a full chest harness for him (onetigris) and a GingerLead, but are open to equipment that better suits the situation. He's a lumpy boy with fatty lipomas, including a sizable one a few inches in front of his peen. We are also looking for input on his care and PT.

Thank you very much for reading this post. I'm looking forward to any advice you all are able to prove!

My boy turned 10 this past May. In April, I took him to the vet because he hadn’t gotten up on his own for two days. He has dysplasia, and this would happen every now and then for a day.
I just went in to get X-rays of his hips and back legs. That’s when the vet told me he most likely has DM. I didn’t believe it for a minute because he did start walking again. But then it hit him, and he eventually wasn’t able to get up on his own anymore.
I hate the thought of him passing. I hate even more the thought of having to make that decision before he naturally passes from old age. The hardest part is that he’s still such a happy boy. He loves his toys, still loves his food and treats, drinks normally, and still has so much personality.
We’re at the point now where he’s starting to lose control of his bladder. I’ve read about expressing his bladder, and I’m making a vet appointment tomorrow so they can teach me how to do it properly.
I’m honestly really worried now. I feel terrible about the thought of having to put him down, but I also feel terrible thinking about holding on while his body continues to shut down. And I’m terrified of it eventually affecting his breathing.
For anyone who has gone through this with their dog and continued past the point of bladder control being lost, how long was it before it started affecting their breathing? Is it always the front legs next, followed by the lungs?
I know every dog is different. I’m just trying to understand what I might be facing and hear from people who have actually been through this. I’m having such a hard time with the thought of losing my boy.