I’ve been making big changes for the paralyzed pet community while the world has been sheltering in place due to Covid-19. And now I’m ready to share the exciting news. We’re rolling out a brand-new website with in-depth stories and a fabulous kickoff giveaway to celebrate.
Everything on the site’s been designed to better serve the needs of pet owners with a disabled dog. I hope you like it!
Here are the details and how to enter our best giveaway ever.
Drum roll please!
Dog Wheelchair LIFE is the name of the new site and the mission is to teach pet families how to care for their paralyzed dog. It’s my personal goal to help you become a confident, expert caretaker in as short a time as possible.
Here’s how it works:
- Blog posts are organized by your dog’s medical condition so you can find information fast.
- We have stories just for dogs with IVDD (Intervertebral Disc Disease), Degenerative Myelopathy and other spine disorders. There are even articles with practical tips about daily care.
- Stories are in-depth and comprehensive. That way your questions are answered in one article instead of many.
- There are also Free Guides with downloadable materials so you can stay organized about dog’s health care needs. And we’ll be adding to this page on a regular basis.
How to sign up
Dog Wheelchair LIFE is an ongoing project, so don’t worry if you don’t see your favorite post just yet. All of our old stories are being evaluated and updated. Once they’re done we’ll email them to you in our newsletter, as usual. There’s no need to sign up again.
If you’re new to our community, it’s easy and free to register for our bi-monthly newsletter. Just look for the box that says, “Join Our Newsletter.”
Our Fabulous Kickoff Giveaway
When I decided to start Dog Wheelchair LIFE, two of my favorite people in the paralyzed pet world offered to make the launch special. Cathy Erwin, founder of Walkabout Harnesses, and Hanna Jung from Roller Skate with Maximus agreed to host a kickoff giveaway with their life-changing products for disabled dogs. Here’s a list of the prizes.
Walkabout Harnesses
Two lucky winners will receive the Original Walkabout Back End Harness™ and a pair of Walkaboots™ for their pups.
This harness was by Sophie and my side every day during the 5 years she was paralyzed. It’s been clinically tested and recommended by veterinary specialists for more than 30 years.
Walkaboots are used by veterinary hospitals worldwide. The boots fit like a glove and protect your dog’s paws from scraping on the ground.
Roller Skate with Maximus
One lucky pup will win a pair of these innovative canine roller skates. Hanna developed the skates for her Boxer, Maximus, who had Degenerative Myelopathy. Maximus didn’t like his legs in the stirrups of his dog wheelchair so Hanna came up a product that’s become a “must-have” adaptive mobility device.
The skates keep a dog’s legs in their natural walking position and provide exercise for their legs. Maximus skates can be used for leashing walking a dog with hind end weakness and for dogs in carts.
Another winner will receive the latest product from Skate with Maximus. It’s the new Paws Up boot for dogs who knuckle their feet, limp or have an unsteady gait.
Other prizes
Our fabulous giveaway will also include: A Walkie Belt® utility belt, travel pet water bowls and t-shirts.
How To Enter The Giveaway
Leave a comment about why your dog would like to win The Original Walkabout Harness and Walkaboots, roller skates from Skate with Maximus or PawsUp. (You must live in the contiguous United States to enter.)
Entries will be accepted through Tuesday June 16, 2020 at 5pm Eastern time. Winners will be notified through the email address you leave in the comment. (So, watch out for my reply to say your dog is a winner.)
Good luck to everyone!
Dog Wheelchair LIFE
I hope you like the new website. I’d love to hear your thoughts about the design or if you have a question about your dog, you’d like to see answered in a future article.
And I want to send a big thank you to all of our readers who’ve spent the past 6 years with Lessons From A Paralyzed Dog. It’s been a labor of love.
Dog Wheelchair Life – https://dogwheelchairlife.com
What Is Your Veterinarian’s Philosophy About Treating a Paralyzed Dog?
I doggie should win because he had an accident and now is relearning to walk and do stuff again
Patti, Your dog is entered in the Dog Wheelchair LIFE giveaway.
I want my dog to continue to enjoy walks with his human pack with ease and comfort. Would love to see him run again.
Pam, Your dog is entered in the giveaway.
Waylon would love to win because he has struggled with environmental allergies, aggressive melanoma, and degenerative myelopathy without ever giving in to any of those challenges. We raised him to be a blind assist dog for a local nonprofit Fidelco knowing that we would have to surrender him at 18 months. Well, Waylon had other ideas and decided on a career change and wanted to live with us forever. Here is he today with us being cared for ever step of the way.
Joyce, Please let Waylon know he’s entered in the giveaway. Thank you for saving him.
My dog Murphy suffered an FCE 1 year ago, he remains incontinent of bowel and bladder and has weakness in his right back leg and profound weakness in his back left leg which always a ys knuckles causing him to bleed if he is on concrete without his boot. He is a real trouper and LOVES going to the dog park with his wheelchair!!!
Renee, Let Murphy know he’s entered in the giveaway for the roller skates. Thanks for not giving up on him.
You have been such a wonderful resource during our Journey. I had no clue on how to handle many of Justice ‘s needs and looked to your blog many many times for ideas and support that we weren’t alone. Thank you for all you do! Hopefully someday there will be more resource/products for bi-pods. The paw-ups have been recommended to help Justice gain traction with her front feet on slippery surfaces. Keep up the Great Work!
Thank you for the kind words. Let Justice she is entered in the giveaway.
Wooohoo! Congratulations Sharon! You did such a great job with this, I loooove it!
Wyatt and I would like to win a cool t-shirt or other goodie to help raise awareness of special needs wheelchair doggies. He is having some issues from lumbosacral disease, but thankfully not knuckling or in need of any of the other pawsome giveaways.
Keep up the great work!
Rene, Please let Wyatt know he’s entered in the giveaway. I’m sorry to hear he’s having health issues. I’m so happy you like the new site!!
Hi! I am on day 7 of fostering to adopt to Norman. If it weren’t for Lessons From a Paralyzed Dog and a couple other dog parents on youtube, I would not have had the confidence to take Norman in. We have a lot of work to do including getting a custom wheelchair so winning the Roller Skate with Maximus would not only help Norman but allow me to put that money toward his wheelchair and other items he needs.
Olivia, Thank you for saving Norman. I’m happy my stories helped you. Please let Norman know he’s entered in the giveaway. And regarding a wheelchair, some of the dog wheelchair companies offer discounts to nonprofit groups. So, if you’re working with a rescue group, please share that information with them. Best wishes.
Love the new website, really well laid out & lots of info! Have followed LFPD for awhile now..always a great source of information. Our paralyzed rescue frenchie Lilly would love to enter, but unfortunately it’s not open to residents in Canada?
Dianne, Thank you for the kind words about the new website. Please let Lilly know that I’m sorry about having to limit the giveaway to the U.S. My goal was to keep the cost of shipping down for the small businesses who donated their product and will ship them directly to the winners. I appreciate your support.
My sister’s 13yo female English Lab was just diagnosed with arthritis in her rear legs. She cannot walk without sustained assistance.
We looked for a rear leg walking harness — and so far have not found one that would work best for her. Your rear leg walking harness looks like it would work perfectly!!!
Caring for a Sr. dog with hind leg paralysis caused by arthritis requires medication and expensive therapy treatments. Winning this rear leg walking harness would make a huge difference in the quality of her life.
Please consider giving Elsa a chance to be able to function on daily outings with ease & dignity.
Elsa – is a 13yo female English Lab recently diagnosed with rear leg paralysis caused by arthritis. She needs a rear leg halter to enable sustained walking for daily outings.
Joyce, Elsa is entered in the giveaway.
Charlotte would love to be chosen. She came to us a few years ago after her owner couldn’t care for her anymore and was going to euthanize. Luckily I work at the vet clinic and asked them to surrender her instead. She has so much life left ? She’s spunky and can even keep up with her new puppy brother! And maybe with those skates she could out run him ?
Melissa, Charlotte is entered in the giveaway!
Abby would love to win. She has been my back end paralyzed foster dog for over a year now. Every time someone thinks they might be interested in her, it falls through. But she is a wonderful 4 year old chihuahua who has been paralyzed for 3 years. She is a very happy dog and we have our routine worked out well. So she will live with me till the perfect forever home comes along. Abby knows my birthday is coming up soon and she’d like to get me a surprise present for herself!
Jesse, Please let Abby know she’s entered in the giveaway. Thank you for saving her.
I am long term fostering a cute little pup named picabo! She came from India after being hit by a car which led her to be paralyzed. She is so full of life & the sweetest girl you will ever meet. We love her dearly & it would be amazing if we won this give away to allow her to become even more active. Picabo is only about 2 years old and has been through so much, she is now given all of the love she deserved from the beginning of her life. I know she would be the happiest dog in the world if she won this give away
Olivia, Are you hoping to win the skates or the harness and boots?
Rufus picked me when he was a five week old ball of fluff and we’ve had loads of adventures together until he was diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy five years ago. We’ve been very fortunate that his disease has progressed so slowly and it’s given us so much time to have as much fun as we possibly can together. He can’t go for walks anymore without his cart and he loves the freedom it gives back to him. He’s not wild about having his legs put in the stirrups and I think he would LOVE a pair of roller skates to zoom around in!
Separately, THANK YOU for all that you do. No one ever taught me how to care for a handicapped dog. He was diagnosed, I was given great sympathy as his prognosis was explained, and off we were sent, to learn how to adapt to this new life. It’s been a lot of research and more trial and error. Thank goodness Rufus is so patient with me! The information you post has been so helpful and has become my go-to resource for when we enter a new phase of life with different challenges to tackle. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your helpful advise and bright outlook. It truly matters and has made such a difference in our lives.
Elizabeth, Thank you for the kind words about my blog. Please let Rufus know he’s entered in the giveaway. I’m glad his disease has progressed so slowly.
Miss Mellie would like to win, even though she will not be able to use, she would love to donate to a pupper in need
Miss Mellie, You are entered in the giveaway. Hope you’re doing well.
Maisy would love to be a winner. I have had her since she was a puppy and at 3 she was diagnosed with IVDD and was paralyzed overnight. She turned 7 yesterday and the happiest dog anyone will ever meet. She had 2 years of therapy almost daily initially, and then weekly, but never gained the ability to walk again. She enjoys her cart when in it, but her back paws scrape against the concrete so she can only be in it for a short time to avoid cutting her feet up. Maisy inspires so many people with her care free spirit and love for life despite her challenges. It has been quite a road for her and she would love to rollerskate down the street on her walks 🙂
Hi Mandy, Please let Maisy know she’s entered in the giveaway for the roller skates.
I rescued Sazi when she was 8. She had never had vet care, no teeth but a uterus! She was morbidly obese, filthy, and couldn’t walk because her nails were too long. She was un-socialized and anxious. The IVDD surprise came 6 months later. She regained 90% with crate rest. She had another episode 6 months later, and she again came back with crate rest. Last spring, she was accidentally dropped onto cement from her carrier. She was fully paralyzed in back. Crate rest brought a lot of function back except continence. Then, last fall, she somehow escaped the yard and was hit by a car. We all thought she would die, but she eventually woke up. This time, her ataxia is too bad for her to take walks. So, she has had the wheels for 3 months. She is starting to walk in front of me with my other dog, again. Sazi would love to win because life has given her a lot of rough roads but she still has passion for living and new adventure. Congrats on the new adventure!
Cathy, Sazi is entered in the giveaway for the roller skates.
Cruzie would bark a happy song if he won. He suffers DM and missing his favorite things to do and knows it would feel so much better on his paws than his mommy wrapping a towel around my lower half and trying to help me walk and not drag my toes.
Jolene, Cruzie is entered in the giveaway.
We have a very special dog, Koda, who has IVDD. He is beginning to drag himself and just received a loaner cart. His back Paws are beat up and he would love to receive your Walkabout Harness and Walkaboots. He is heavy and I have so much difficulty lifting him to go out to potty. His and my life would be so improved if he won these.
Cindie, You and Koda are entered in the giveaway.
My dog became suddenly paralyzed and was diagnosed with ivdd. It’s been awful watching him deteriorate over the past two months. Being that he’s only 3 and full of life he doesn’t understand why he can’t be right by my side anymore. Any help for him would be amazing!
What you are doing is nothing short of just that! Keep up the great work:)
Tiffany, Your pup is entered in the giveaway. And thank you for the kind words about my blog.