We found the following things useful in helping Karlie with her mobility issues and GOLPP.
- We tried a variety of sneakers on her back feet to help with traction. The best ones for her were from Ruff Wear – Ruffwear Trex Dog Boots. She’s pictured below her using her wheel chair and wearing her sneakers.
- We covered all the non-carpeted “slippery” floors with packing blankets to help Karlie walk across the floors without slipping. Other things that may work for mobility issues are area rugs, runner rugs, and yoga mats.
- Karlie used a rear wheel wheelchair for her last 6 months to take walks. It helped support her back legs, but also made her use both of her back legs equally which strengthened them to the point she didn’t need the wheelchair. We purchased the wheelchair from Walkin’ Pets – Walkin’ Pets Wheelchair. And here is a great article that discusses dog wheelchairs and how they work. 5 Things to Know about Dog Wheelchairs. See the photo below of her using her “wheels” while shopping.
- We also used a stroller for longer walks during Karlie’s last 2 months. This allowed us to her to use her wheel chair until she was tired and then get chauffeured. There are so many options for strollers, but we wanted one that would be large enough for her to lounge comfortably. Make sure you note the size of the stroller as ours was so big it didn’t fit through our bedroom door. We purchased ours from Aosom – Aosom Dog Stroller. See photo below of her riding in her “chariot”.
- We used a cooling mat from Arf Pets to keep her cool when laying outside on the deck – Arf Pets Cooling Mat. the mat stays cool for a couple hours if used in the shade or inside. To get it cool again, just have the dog stay off of it for about 15 minutes and keep it someplace cool (inside or in the shade). See photo below of her using her cooling mat.
- We used a cooling vest from Ruff Wear to keep her cool when taking walks and kayaking. – Ruffwear Swamp Cooler. See photo below of her wearing her cooling vest on a warm summer day’s walk in Bloomington, Indiana.
