Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Degenerative Myelopathy and cart usage

In the beginning when Llyr was still using his back legs some I used a Walk About Harness. It had holes for his back legs and wrapped around his hind end with velcro closures on top. It worked okay for a little while. He was not able to stand on his back legs or use them with out assistance of the Walk About Harness. I was advised that it was best to get him a cart while he was still able to use his back legs. I was very fortunate to get a loaner cart that originally came from the Corgi Aid Cart Loaner program.

It was a K9 Cart Company East Cart. They are located in Oxford, Md. Since i did not live to far from Oxford, Md. I gave them a call and asked if I could come down for a fitting. So off we went. Here is a video of Llyr after his fitting in his cart.



What a wonderful day this was. You will see in this video a very happy Corgi! It was all I could do not to cry when I saw Llyr being able to walk, run and do anything he wanted to. Llyr's quality of life vastly improved the moment he got into his cart.

 Dr. Parkes at K9 Cart Company East took Llyr's loaner cart and fitted it for him.  Down the road when his loaner cart did not fit him properly because of his advancing DM I went back to K9 Cart Company East and had a cart custom made for Llyr, but his first loaner cart worked well for quite some time.

I can not say how important it is to find a cart company that their carts can be adjusted as your dog progresses with DM. Not all carts on the market can be adjusted properly. The best choice is a custom made cart specifically for your Corgi if you can afford it. Think of it as an investment for your Corgis quality of life. If you break down the original cost of the cart with the amount of time that your Corgi will be in it it is really worth it. I personally like K9 Cart Company East because I think they make the best cart on the market and they have wonderful customer service. This is only my personal opinion.  There are many different cart manufactures. Do your research and find what is best for you and your Corgi. I highly recommend if finances are an issue to look into the Corgi Aid Cart Loaner Program.

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