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 "We got on the internet to do research and found the Handicapped Pets site among others. Because he is a larger than average German Shepherd, after studying each one, we decided yours was best suited for him because it could be adjusted to fit his size."
Here is a picture of Lucky, our rescued dog, using his "Wheels." Seven years ago on a trip to our vet's office for medication for our dog Chloe, we were told by the nurse that our vet was out of town. A puppy had been left on their doorstep, but she couldn't bring it in to treat it because the vet was gone and couldn't examine it for contagious diseases. We took one look at him, called around and found another vet that was in and took him to the next town to be treated. He was approximately eight weeks old, less than 10 pounds, and had been hit by a car on his left side.
This caused a fracture of his left front leg, and his left hind leg was broken at the joint. In addition to those injuries, he had a hole in his chest from dragging himself on the ground for what the vet said must have been at least a week without any nourishment. After we told him we would take responsibility for him, he said if he lived through the weekend which was questionable because of his weak condition, his best chance would be to repair his hind leg by putting it in a body cast which would cause it to be a "stiff" leg that had no movement at the joint, He did survive the weekend, and the surgery was performed.
Until recently, he had lived happily with his "stiff" leg for the past seven years. Several months ago, he started having problems balancing and every so often would stumble. This progressively got worse. The vet said one thing making it more difficult for him to get around was his "stiff" leg and he would advise amputating it to give him more freedom of movement. The amputation was done approximately two months ago.
When we knew we were going to have the surgery, we started looking for some way to help him be able to walk on his own as much as possible. We got on the internet to do research and found the HandicappedPets.com site among others. Because he is a larger than average German Shepherd, after studying each one, we decided yours was best suited for him because it could be adjusted to fit his size. Not knowing which would work the best because of his amputation, we ordered the saddle attachment with it thinking it would support him better than the leg rings. However, he didn't react well to the saddle because it restricted his movement too much.
We then tried the leg rings that came with the chair and it works perfectly. We adjusted the rings so they are higher up. It fits his right leg normally while his amputation site rests on the left ring cushion. One other advantage is that he has been neutered, so we didn't have to worry about adjustments in that area. We live in the country as you can tell by the pictures, so the ground is somewhat uneven. We started out with short outings and have gradually increased them to several times a day for as long as he wants to stay. After a time or two, he learned the Walkin' Wheels don't interfere with him using the bathroom which we were happy about.
We are so grateful for your website and the fact there are people like you who provide for our companions with special needs.
Keith and Martha Houts
Parents of Lucky and Chloe
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