Coping with DM -
How to help your dog and yourself
When you first receive a possible DM 'diagnosis', so many thoughts can run through your mind.
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"How long do we have?"
"How will we cope?"
"How soon until my pup is unable to walk?"
"what happens when my pup becomes incontinent - how do we deal with it ?"
"What can we do to help?"
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The good news is there is a lot you can do to help your companion continue to have a good quality of life
for the time they have left. There are now a lot of places that offer advice, support and equipment such
as carts, harnesses and other mobility aids to help DM pups - you are not alone ! and rememer, it is important to take care of your self throughout this journey.
In Loving memory of Milo
HARNESSES
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One of the first mobility items you will find helpful when your companion starts to lose their mobility is a good harness. There are many harness options that you can choose from.
A harness is invaluable as your dog starts to need support as they lose the use of their rear legs and for supporting them to toilet. Harnesses becomes vital, for quick potty breaks outside, for help to get them into a wheelchair/cart or into the car or up steps. Do not towel walk your dog, (meaning, using a towel to lift from the belly as this can put pressure on internal organs and cause them to urinate if pressure is put on the bladder) Choose a harness that supports the entire pelvis and try to choose a harness that will see your dog through the progressive stages of DM. There are companies that make a harness to support both the front and back end and will work for your dog through the entire course of DM. 'Lifting Slings' have been found to be an additional help alongside a harness to help move your dog around quickly. Again, we would recommend these for very short distances only, perhaps from one room to another, otherwise, these can place too much pressure under a dog if they are used for daily walks and will also make it difficult for the guardian to support the weight of their companion.
In Loving memory of Bailey
WHEELCHAIRS (CARTS) AND STOLLERS
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Carts: Carts or wheelchairs for dogs, are a great way to help your dog cope with DM once the hind legs can no longer bear weight. A word of advice is to not wait for your dog to go down before measuring for a cart. Many cart companies custom build carts and accurate measurements are needed. It is much easier to measure and get accurate measurements if your dog can still stand as you take measurements. Each cart company is different so be sure to check with them on how you should measure your dog. There are many cart companies that exist and to help make a decision on which company to choose, look at return policies, costs, what you want in a cart, options to equip it as a quad cart, customer service and ease of use. A brand that works for one dog may not be what your dog is comfortable with. If you are based in the U.K. or U.S. take a look at our page for 'Cart/Wheelchair Companies and loan organisations.
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In Loving memory of Lexi
PROTECTING THEIR PAWS
WRAPS:
A wrap is what it says, something you can wrap around your dogs paws and secure it, so their paws are protected out on walks. Wraps are better used on soft ground such as grass as they will not last so long. They will need unwrapping at the end of the walk, probably washing or replacing when you go for the next walk. Many use 'Vet wrap' for this purpose, these are those stretchy bandage rolls that adhere to themselves you can buy from your vet to protect your dogs legs or paws when they get injured. Many online retailers such as Amazon or others also stock them as well. Do remember when using Vet Wrap, to unroll a section and give it a couple of stretches first before you wrap it around your dogs paws as these 'bandages' retract a little to enable them to grip and you don't want them too tight around your dogs paws.
SOFT BOOTS
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'Soft' boots such as PAWZ, work well for some dogs, especially those who do not take to 'hard' boots. They are rubber boots that look rather like a balloon and fit over the dogs paw. They do stay on very well, but will also wear out quicker than a 'hard boot, therefore , they are better when walking your dog on grass. Pawz do come in packs of 12 boots though and you can also use a product like ShoeGoo to coat the section that drags (as with all boots, soft or hard) to help make them last longer. Rubber boots in particular shouldn't be left on all day as the paws need air.
In Loving memory of Dahlia
As DM starts to show symptoms, you may notice your companion is stumbling and getting grazes and cuts on their paws. This can be one of the early signs something is wrong. As DM progresses, their rear paws will start 'Knuckling' under. This is a time to start protecting those paws as no one wants to add an infection to the list of things to manage. There are a number of different type of boots to help protect the paws of a dog with DM, some are softer boots such as Pawz, which are like rubber balloons, others are harder and more rigid like a workers boot, others are even made of rubber, like human crocs. Finding the right ones to help your companion is not an easy task, as some that work for one dog may not work for another, but don't give up it is so much better to find something that will enable your dog to continue to walk and exercise for as long as possible,
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We've detailed below the different type of things to protect your dogs paws to help you
find what will suit you:
'Knuckling of the right rear paw.