A couple of weeks back I changed out my carpet to an impermiable rug so to insure Skyway did not get an infection due to something I missed.... I never gave thought to the lost of padding and the cushing of a regular cut pile.
Well this new rug has taken a toll on his legs. He is not just rug burned... his left leg many times will go 90 degrees under his belly and stays there. So as he hops around it has just tore up the flesh and his joints when he lands on that leg.
This is what I've come up with today. It is not the total answer, but I think I'm on the correct track. I took two carpet skidders and re-shapped them in boiling water. Next I use velcro strips as the fasteners. I also remove the padding from the skidders and place them on top of his legs to help protect that sharp edges of the velco.
Tomarrow we are going to rework what we did today. If that still does not get-er-done I'm going to call K9-Carts and see if they will make me a second custom wheel chair. One where the harness will allow him to lay down or sit up but his back end is only 3-5 inches off of the ground. I know he is strong enough to do this as when we are in the park and he gets hot playing he just plogs down with his butt still in the chair two feet up... damnest funnyest thing you ever saw!
Here is a picture of what I did today.
(http://www.dow-mgc.org/Rayeimages/skyfeet.jpg)
Wish us luck! BTW How are your darlings doing in the cold snow?? Have you had to get them snow boots yet? A lot of studies out there about bring warm weather dogs into snow and how they cannot handle it.
BTW I don't remember telling you but there is a cure for him today. However, it must be giving within the first 48 hours. It is just 27 months to late for us. [:(]
Olds
(http://www.dow-mgc.org/smilies/Launch47.gif)
http://rminor.com
Fuzzy when you get to seeing this I understand why you do not checking the boards as often.
We are now in a battle now to save Skyway's left leg. I've done all I know how to. Our Vet says I have to stop this soon or it will be to late. I've created everything I can think of. Spent too many nights awake trying to come up with a solution. So many hours drawing out ideas only to see them fail....
K9 Carts and myself are working on a new style cart for the house in effort to save this leg. It will be a lower unit that will be only 3-5 inches tall under his butt. This will allow him to sit and to lay down while keeping his legs off of the floor...and yet he will be able to move without restriction....wish us luck.
Damn the price...Susan and I just don't have the heart to see him go through anything else.
While my last idea works in protecting the area, due to the large blood vessel in that area no matter how loose I wrap his leg in foam bandage the heart pumps blood into the foot, but because he is not able to move that foot the blood does not leave due to the wrap... so in two hours his foot is almost 3X to 5x larger than normal... chit it is like I cannot win no matter what I do...what a #$%^$&* mess...
Olds
(http://www.dow-mgc.org/smilies/Launch47.gif)
http://rminor.com
[:(]
Good Luck Olds. If anybody can figure it out for him, you can![:)]
Kirk
http://www.chezbubba.com
Ya think next time I check into a hotel & they ask "Smoking or Non?" they would mind?
second time i've read this post-tears- nothing worse than seeing a good friend(best) suffer-the best to you and skyway----hinny
Olds sorry to hear that about Skyway,[:(] if you beed or are looking for anything just ask!!!!!!!!!!
This is my idea that K9 carts and I'm working on.
(http://www.dow-mgc.org/Rayeimages/sk25.jpg)
Last night Sauce was kind enough to send me information about wheelchairs for dogs. He did not realize that Skyway has a regular wheelchair. In fact the first 11 months we had it Skyway walked me about 1600 miles!! I was replacing those tires every two month...However I could not replace my feet~~! For those who have not seen him in his outside chair this is his Christmas picture of 2004:
(http://www.dow-mgc.org/Rayeimages/2004b.jpg)
Again Sauce, thank you very much for you kind letter and thoughts behind it.... [:)] During this tough time it is comforting that you took the time to send to those articles. I also thank all who have express their thoughts in this thread. It does help to have real friends.
Olds
(http://www.dow-mgc.org/smilies/Launch47.gif)
http://rminor.com
Hey there Olds,
My 2 cents is that I hate castors. I'm thinking mostly of the problems associated with office furniture on carpet, but I would not base my design around front mobile castors. Skyway is obviously strong in the front end, but have you ever noticed kids if there are in some kind of car on wheels, or in a new style plastic wagon? It's terrible when the rotational wheels are sideways, or don't want to turn at just the right angle.
I am impressed with the "chariot" style chair you have now, and I wonder if you cannot keep that style with a lower platform. Forgive my childish drawing, I only have "paint" the program, but this is what I'm thinking of:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v433/whitetailfan/skywayplan.bmp)
Now the hubs are going to be at 3 to 4 inches on a 6 to 8 inch diameter wheel, and I think it will roll way better, and still be in line with your design above.
Also you could look at a wheel that is even bigger, but that the axle could bend and be below the centre of the wheel.
JMHO
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v433/whitetailfan/wtbuck.bmp)
<font color="green">whitetailfan</font id="green">
"Nice Rack"
Lethbridge, AB
JUST a thought, yes biger castors like a 4" like you see on a tool box, i think instead of 4 wheels i would try 3 . two fixed in the back and 1 swivel in the front but set back a bit so his weight is over the front swivel , now on your platform take the front corners and cut them off like a 45 so he dosent get it stuck on something and play tugawar, still thinking about this so will report back later,
Thanks for your ideas. We have a mechanics cart (the type that you use to roll under a car)and on this type of rug we have it rolls just about like it is on VCT. It is his day bed. As far as seeing them turn sideways with him that would not a problem.
As far as the same style of cart but lower it is the harness that holds his rear legs to the cart that is the problem. After a extend period of time if he is not moving the blood flow gets cut off from the legs. Next the cart cannot be high enough to be tipped over unless you are there with him to make sure this does not happen. Also the wheels have to inside the outside of the platform or he will get his wheels hung up on a table leg etc..
As far as having two fixed wheels in the back and 1 swivel in the front but set back a bit so his weight is over the front swivel and the platform corners 45 degree angle that was talked about today and we are considering goint that route. Not for the reason you mentioned, but because when he really want to move in the house he goes totally airborn... think of a frog jumping. At "lift-off" his front feet go up to his knees as you see in that picture of him sitting. Thus if it is not cut at an angle he paws would hit the platform.
Next the platform has to be tied to his back end. In his outside cart his back end is held by the hooped harness. If the cart is not tied to him even with the front harness and bars going down his sides we feel he could come out of it when turning too fast. This is the reason for the side railing. We are giving thought as to using a couple of bunji cords from railing to railing.
I also have to consider the clean ups and how a cart of this type can be cleaned several times per day. At this point it is hard to admit this but as of now most of the times he no long knows when he has to go outside. Sometimes he still knows and will come and get me, but those times are fading.
This weekend I will be making the cart itself. The adjustable bars and front harness should be here later next week. I'm going to go with 3/4 of not 1" of marine plywood. The lining will be carpet tiles. These are easy to remove and just hose off.
Monday I will go down to GoodYear Rubber Company and see what type of markless rubber they have so I can add bumbers to it. As to the railings I have not yet decided yet what to make them out of.
Again thank you for your ideas!
Olds
(http://www.dow-mgc.org/smilies/Launch47.gif)
http://rminor.com
Olds,
Sounds like you have some good ideas for Skyway. I liked the braces made out of plastic. They would have given him the most mobility, to bad they didn't work out. I have an idea for you to think about.
Do you remember those plastic snow sleds that were made out of a heavy plastic that would coil up if you were not on the sled? I was thinking that if he was on something flat like this type of plastic, with his upper body strength, he would be able to pull himself around <u>in the house, especially on carpet.</u> It would have to be hooked up with his harness, and folded up on the sides a bit and probably attached at his waist as well. With this sled, it would act like the braces only it would offer support to his entire hind end.
Just a thought.
Give Skyway a good scratch for me. [:)]
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/xcelsmoke/FREEGIF.gif)
<font size="4"><b>Doug</b></font id="size4">
Olds:
I grew up on a ranch with LOTS of critters of all kinds....it grips my heart to see Skyway in that condition.[:(] He sure looks like a trooper though! If you'll private me with a mailing address, I'll send some special Wild Alaskan King Salmon treats down to Skyway.....it won't cure his disability, but it'll sure make him forget about it for a moment[:p][:p]
RC
35 years of extinguishing smoking stuff and now I'm wondering WHY!
Kummok @ Homer, AK USA
Hey Kummok,
Woof Woof[:p][:p][:p][:D]
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v433/whitetailfan/wtbuck.bmp)
<font color="green">whitetailfan</font id="green">
"Nice Rack"
Lethbridge, AB
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">snow sleds <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote"> We have tried carpet skidders under a platform. However, he would seem alway get off of them no matter how I tied them to him. The problem is he was two ways of "walking" in the house. One is the hop, the other is the snake movement. It is the snake that killed that idea as he would some how wiggle his butt off.
I picked up all but one part today for his next "sled." Instead of having K9 carts do the bars and harness I've got that worked out too! The people were out of what I wanted but will have in tomarrow. This time I think we are going to win this one. If I'm correct he will be flying around this house big time tomarrow afternoon.
If I'm correct then all I have left to do is build a small ramp from the family room floor to the main house.
Olds
(http://www.dow-mgc.org/smilies/Launch47.gif)
http://rminor.com
Good luck Olds and keep us posted!!!!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/xcelsmoke/FREEGIF.gif)
<font size="4"><b>Doug</b></font id="size4">
Hi Old's,,,
Curious if the "sled" you created worked for Skyway? I sure do hope you got it figured out. Your story has touched both my son and I. Thank you for sharing it with the forum. Good Luck!!!!
Steve
Oh man, I'm really sorry to hear about Skyway this way Olds, it's a big ol' tug on my heart.
I really wish you best with him and please keep in touch.
I am sorry I've not got to the board to much with all my traveling on the new job.
Thanks for asking about our kids...Cookie does not take the cold well at all and shivers quite a bit - we keep her in a foam bead and wrap her in a blanket (kinda like your pork and t-shirt routine!)to try and keep her warm. She's a warm weather dog for sure and when it's warm outside she loves it! Last night we had a fire in the fireplace and she was in heaven (sometimes we also call her our "firedog").
Stella, like Skyway still has her compressed vertebrae problem and hobbles around but has a very strong constitution like him too! Two weeks ago we had to have the vet pull 4 molars out of her tiny face (tooth decay/gum disease)Two days on pain pills and one week of soft food - you would never know that little dog had anything wrong with her at all - or any pain.
The dogs (although not pointers) go on point or alert when they are outside on those 10 acres - Stella bolted for a herd of deer several weeks back and Cookie chases the birds when she can get a head start on the Robins foraging on the ground.
I have been trying to build them a fenced area around the house so they could run and play and snooze in the summer heat but have been having problems getting enough wood locally here at one time (I need about 185 linear feet) 19 4x4x8' posts/38 1x4"s/and about 300 give or take a bit 1x4x3' slats. (remember, I have a "houdini" dog with Stella and I've seen her squeeze her body through a 4 inch opening so I've got to have no more than 2" spacing between the slats.
Anyway, that's about it up here - keep in touch.
Fuzz
"A mans got to know his limitations"
Chattaroy, WA - USA!
Ok all the cart is finished and it works. Skyway is not crazy about it as it limits his normal speed in the house. However, let someone come to the door and he is a dog on speed wheels. That boy can move in that cart.
Next, we got around the problem of padding that leg when he is not in the cart by using old knee high socks of mine. We wrap the leg in paper towels and sponges. Lightly tape them closed, but not where that main blood vessel is. We cut the foot off of the sock. slide it up from his foot to his upper knee. The sock hold the padding into place, but is not so tight as to cut off the blood to his foot. Thus the foot does not swell up due to the lack of blood.
I knew if I held on to those socks from the old days that one day I would find a good use for them. [:D] I have 20 pairs of them which is good as these have to be changed out several times per day.
This is what it looks like without the harness. Basically his butt sits toward the front edge with his legs sticking out towards the back. In the first picture you can see that I made the bar adjustable so I could fit it to his harness/ and him correctly.
<b>click to enlarge</b>
(http://www.dow-mgc.org/Rayeimages/skyway/skadjust-0.jpg) (http://www.dow-mgc.org/Rayeimages/skyway/skadjust.jpg)
<b>click to enlarge</b>
(http://www.dow-mgc.org/Rayeimages/skyway/skadjust1-0.jpg) (http://www.dow-mgc.org/Rayeimages/skyway/skadjust1.jpg)
The first one I made was with the front cut at a 45 degree angle--left and right sides. But when he really took off his "knees" would go past that area. So I had to made it square.
Fuzzy, I hope your dogs adjust. I did read a couple of items years back about protecting "Southern" dog's feet when you moved them orth.
Hope all is going well with your new job~~! Cheers ALL~~~!!! [^]
Olds
(http://www.dow-mgc.org/smilies/Launch47.gif)
http://rminor.com
Looks like a nice job on the cart Olds!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/xcelsmoke/FREEGIF.gif)
<font size="4"><b>Doug</b></font id="size4">
Thanks~~!
Here are a couple with him in it.
<b>click to enlarge</b>
(http://www.dow-mgc.org/Rayeimages/skyway/skadjust2-0.jpg) (http://www.dow-mgc.org/Rayeimages/skyway/skadjust2.jpg)
<b>click to enlarge</b>
(http://www.dow-mgc.org/Rayeimages/skyway/skadjust3-0.jpg) (http://www.dow-mgc.org/Rayeimages/skyway/skadjust3.jpg)
Olds
(http://www.dow-mgc.org/smilies/Launch47.gif)
http://rminor.com
[:D][:D]LOL[:D][:D]
Hey Olds, how fast can Skyway go when he lights up those yellow rocket boosters on the sides?
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v433/whitetailfan/wtbuck.bmp)
<font color="green">whitetailfan</font id="green">
"Nice Rack"
Lethbridge, AB
Hey Olds,
I have had pets all my life, currently live with 2 dogs (4 legged, not a couple of Chez's trollops![:D][:D]) including a chocolate labrador plus 3 cats, 2 of which have 3 legs!
One of the cats has come through soooo much recently, think one of the reasons that animals can show so much fortitude is because of the love and attention they receive, guess Skyway is in that category.
From the pictures it looks like he gets, and gives, a lot of love!!
Hope things work out for you all. [:)]
Manxman.
Hi Olds,
You, Susan and Skyway are all heroes in different ways! I hope Skyway gets through this episode in good health and good spirits.
John
Newton MA
How cool is that? Skyway has "JATO"!! LOL! That boy would find a way to get around even if you wasn't a good pappy, building him things with wheels on them!
I don't think our dogs have a problem so much with the feet getting cold as their bodies - virtually no hair on the underside and what's on top is pretty short - they practically shiver at any temp less than 65 degrees.
"A mans got to know his limitations"
Chattaroy, WA - USA!
Hey all thanks for the good words~~!
<hr noshade size="1">
<b>manxman</b>said: "...3 cats, 2 of which have 3 legs!<hr noshade size="1">
Years back we had a cat name #259. Someone threw her out of the window of a passing car in front of my house. It busted her jaw up pretty bad. After checking her over I wrapped her in a towel and took her into the house. She begin to purr and as she did she was blowing blood all over me. That was it. Took her to the animal emergency hospital. They said that friends of strays would pay the bill. Long story, short story was I had, had a good 4 or 5 brandys and I said Hell no this cats gone enough. Whatever it takes I will pay for it. You see her left front leg missing. It was from mis-treatment. You could feel a perfect sock where the leg had been ripped out. The emergency doctors agreed with me that her leg had been ripped out as a kitten and she was not born that way.
Any who the reason I called her #259 was it cost me $259.00 the next morning when I went to pick her up. So <b>manxman</b> I can say you and yours are real fine folks IMO.
Olds
(http://www.dow-mgc.org/smilies/Launch47.gif)
http://rminor.com
Well Skyway just hates his day cart. He chews up the harness everytime. I don't see how he can get to it but he cuts it into two. Well that hard wrap I made was not working as well either.
Then I came up with the idea that if I took two pencils cut them in half and place each one on the sides of the blood vessel that they would protect the vessel from collapsing when I applied a standard wrap. Kind of like a splint protecting a broken bone.
Well it works. 18 hours later and his foot is not blown up for the lack of blood leaving the foot. The heart would pump the blood but with no movement in the foot there was nothing to push it back out... Plus he is not restricted in his movements...Phew...this has been a long fight trying to figure something out that worked and something he would accept.
For the first time in days he is sound asleep on his couch--all is good again.
Olds
(http://www.dow-mgc.org/smilies/Launch47.gif)
http://rminor.com
Olds,
Are you sure your last name is not McGuyver[:D].
Jeff
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/Jeff100/shopping.gif)
(//www.bbqshopping.com)
Some say BBQ is in your blood, if thats true my blood must be BBQ sauce.
Hi Olds,
I wish our politicians (all of them, not just the ones I don't vote for [:D]) had your ingenuity and problem-solving skills!!!
John
Newton MA
Dang Olds, change your handle to Mr. Fix it!
Good boy![:D]
Glad things worked out for Skyway - time to figure out how to strap him to a surfboard now, heck, you've done everything else except maybe teaching him how to fish and ski!!
"A mans got to know his limitations"
Chattaroy, WA - USA!
You should see him swimming with a life jacket. Plus I have added side floation bars to the jacket [:D]
At first he was a little upset about it until he found out he did not have to swim to float... LOL This year I will be add a another float device so he can rest his head.
We go out to a sand bar and he figured out he can walk with his front feet while the rest is floating. He just loves it. You can see it in his eyes. They just light up and he get that look on his face. I guess it is a type of freedom that even his outside cart cannot give him. The one things we do because of the mass singrays here in the summer is to run them off of the bar before we put him into the water. Even though we have had run-ins with small shovel nose sharks (3-4 foot) generally a hard slap on the water with a cain pole moves them off. Plus we carry a few bang sticks if needed.
Thought a couple of summers back I was going to have to use one as there was a bull shark that swam up to us twice. (If you don't know about a bull shark it kills more people around the world every year than all other sharks combind by a factor of 2 at least.) That was the day I was glad to get Skyway back into the boat. Now that I look back it was kind of funny. My wife was standing in the water just a little deeper then knee high guarding us as I loaded him up with a bang stick in each hand~~!
If that bull had gotten within her reach she was going to kill the chit out of him....LOL!! If you don't know what a bang stick is it is an underwater 357 or .44 Caliber gun. Mine have a 4 1/4" power head and originally overall lenght of 28 1/4". I have modified mine to a 5 foot reach. I have the 44 mag. calibers. While the percussion of the exploding gasses of a bang stick will cause significant and often sufficient stopping power without a projectile I use a projectile that is hollow point and I cross cut the head. I waterproof my rounds by applying a thin layer of nail polish to only the rim of the round.
Many years ago I saw a home made one that used 45 cal. However the most impressive bang stick I've ever seen was another home made one. It was 12 gauge 3" mag shells. The casings were brass. I saw a shark with most of its head missing. His slugs had several 1/8" holes drill into them and were cross cut 2X (into eight parts.) Plus he made his own slugs. There were a good 2" long and he also cross drill them. Talk about shredding power! Understand there is no trigger on a bang stick. It goes off when you stick something with it. So between the gasses and the projectile there is nothing left of the area where you poked it at.
Here is where I got my bang sticks: BANG (http://bluewaterhunter.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/shop_bangsticks_biller.html)
Here are couple of image of them:
(http://www.maneatingsharks.com/Images/Bull/002.jpg)
This just about the size of the one that day--maybe a little bit larger--everything in the water looks bigger [:D]. As you can see it is just a chunker shorter type of Tiger Shark.
(http://www.weeklyfisherman.com/Bull%20Shark.jpg)
BTW You should see the looks we get at the boat ramp as I wheel barrow him to the car. After 5-6 hours on the boat in the sun and water he is ready to go home. I call him my A/C dog!~~~ What is that old saying about a dog's Life?? Heh he he...
EDIT he knows about fishing. If I set a rod to a light drag and a fish hits it and takes off he is all woof about it. He gets right next to me looking at the line in the water. He tries to grap the fish when I bring it in the boat so I have to be careful when it is a saltwater cat as you know unlike fresh water catfish, saltwater cat's 3 points besides being sharp are very toxic/ poison! Not to mention down-right painfull. A small one got me about 20 years ago and I can still tough that spot and feel it to some degree.
When I die and if I come back to this life I want to be a dog~~![^][^][^][^][^]
Olds
(http://www.dow-mgc.org/smilies/Launch47.gif)
http://rminor.com
Olds, it's always educational reading your posts!
I'm thrilled that Skyway is happier now--you and Susan are to be commended!
BTW, there are freshwater catfish that have toxic spines--up here in New England we have a smallish catfish species called hornpout that inhabit warmer lakes, ponds and rivers. Like their saltwater cousins, they hav e those nasty "whiskers" that cause quite a sting if you touch them!
John
Newton MA