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We’re back with another success story! Here at K9 Carts, we channel our passion for pets into creating customized carts that allow dogs, cats, and even chickens to regain mobility and improve their quality of life. Every pet is unique, and we relish the chance to get to know each individual case and create a cart that serves that animal well. Degenerative myelopathy (DM) is a progressive disease of the spinal cord that generally affects older Pembroke Welsh Corgis, German Shepherds, and Boxers. As the spinal cord degenerates, the dog begins to experience hind limb weakness and eventually loses the use of his or her rear limbs. Today, we’re taking a look at two special dogs that were affected by this disease. They have since passed away, but their story serves as an important reminder that paralyzed canines are perfectly capable of living happy lives. Daisy Mei and Joseph If you’ve ever met a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, you know that they’re some of the friendliest, spunkiest dogs around. Their long torsos, stubby legs, and short tails give them an adorable, perpetually enthusiastic look. Daisy Mei and Joseph were perfect, fun-loving examples of the breed. “Daisy Mei ruled the land and all the tennis balls,” said pet parent Allen C. Johnson, M.D. “Joseph’s domain was the water. Daisy hated to swim. Joseph loved it. He would throw himself into the pool to get the tennis ball, and he was a powerful swimmer.” The pair enjoyed daily walks by the seashore and plenty of attention from visiting tourists. Unfortunately, Corgis are also predisposed to developing degenerative myelopathy, and Daisy Mei began to show signs of DM in 2013. While her right hind leg remained very strong, her left hind leg grew weak. This manifested as a gait disturbance, which resulted in injuries to her left rear foot. In September 2017, Allen noticed the first signs of Joseph’s DM: when Joseph dove into the pool, his stronger hind leg flipped him over, and he sank. “This scared him so much that he never wanted to go into the water again, even with a doggie life vest,” said Allen. And as Joseph weakened, he became less interested in life. “I took him to the beachfront every morning of his life, but he would only want to walk as little as necessary for his potty needs, then just go home,” Allen said. Getting the Corgis Back on Their Feet with Custom Dog Wheelchairs After the onset of Daisy Mei’s DM in 2013, Allen took to the internet to research his options. That’s where he came across K9 Carts. Upon hearing of Daisy Mei’s condition, we got right to work designing and building a dog wheelchair for back legs that would give her the support she needed. “Daisy Mei took to the cart right away,” Allen said. “She was faster in her cart than Joseph was on four legs. She could even get it off the ground to jump for the tennis ball.” Daisy Mei enjoyed romps on the beach in her cart for the next two years. And, when Joseph’s diagnosis came, Allen knew exactly where to turn. While it doesn’t take long for most dogs to get used to the cart, Joseph needed a little extra time. “When we first tried it, he planted his feet and refused to move,” said Allen. Joseph’s hind legs grew weaker, and when Allen brought out the cart again, the little dog was ready for it. “The next time I introduced the cart, he took to it right away and grew completely dependent on it for the last year of his life.” With the help of a dog wheelchair, Daisy Mei and Joseph were once again able to enjoy their morning walks on the beach. Joseph even had a bicycle light affixed to his cart for safer evening walks. “Joseph soon realized he was even more of a tourist magnet in his cart,” said Allen. “When he noticed someone approaching who looked like a good prospect, he would turn and bark at me. That was the sign to get a tennis ball out of my bag and throw it so he could show off for the crowd.” Creating a Unique Cart Because every dog is different, each of our carts is also different. We’re always learning new things and coming up with creative solutions as pet parents take their newly-mobile dogs on varied adventures. Daisy Mei was a smaller Corgi, so our 6-inch wheels were the perfect fit for her custom cart—but they became a special issue when the ocean came into play. “On her morning walk at the beach, she did not hesitate to head straight for the water, climb the rocks, and settle down in a tide pool,” said Allen. He eventually worked out a system of drilling a hole into the hub and spraying in WD-40 after each walk to keep the wheels from degrading, but he still found himself replacing quite a few wheels as Daisy Mei continued to splash about in the water. When Joseph was on his second set of 6-inch wheels, Allen consulted with Glenn, General Manager of K9 Carts. “He made up a super cool looking set of 8-inch wheels with stainless steel hardware,” said Allen. “Joseph was very proud of them, and they lasted the rest of his life.” Allen credits K9 Carts with helping both of his Corgis regain their mobility and interest in life. “The cart kept them mobile and happy, and that made our lives so much better. Without a cart, they would have been miserable and died at least a year sooner,” he said. “The K9 Cart is an elegantly simple device that performs miracles; it keeps animals alive.” Pet Wheelchairs for Animals Big and Small Whether your furry friend is suffering from degenerative myelopathy or in need of surgical rehabilitation, we’re here to help! As the experts in pet mobility, we’ve spent years researching, designing, and building customized pet wheelchairs that give animals a new lease on life. We’d love to help you get your pet back on his or her feet again—give us a call today to learn more about our carts and other mobility aids.

Here at K9 Carts, we like to measure our success in happy pets. We’ve been helping special needs animals regain quality of life since 1961, and we’re not slowing down any time soon! Our custom wheelchairs for dogs and other pets get furry and feathery friends moving again, providing an increased range of motion to animals experiencing limb weakness, paralysis, and other conditions that affect their ability to move. We talk a lot about breed-specific health problems and diseases like degenerative myelopathy—after all, these are the issues that our dog wheelchairs address—but these medical conditions can make the world of canine health seem like a gloomy place. In reality, that couldn’t be further from the truth! Exciting advancements in medicine and our very own personalized carts are paving the way for happier, healthier pets the world over. Today, we’re highlighting one of those success stories. Sammi the Shih Tzu Meet Sammi, a 15-year-old Shih Tzu weighing just 7.6 pounds. His pet parents, Raymond and Nancy Crampton, said he’s always been friendly, playful, and active. But when he was diagnosed with a curved spine, his back legs became very weak, and he began to get around by using just his front legs to move himself. Though he loves to go for walks, Sammi’s condition made it impossible for him to enjoy the outdoors, and he went months without being able to frolic and romp around. Eventually, his back half dragged on the ground behind him wherever he went. Animals losing the use of their back legs tend to “crawl” around by using their front limbs, but this way of moving risks injuring a dog’s spine and back paws. A mobility aid seemed like Sammi’s best bet. Sammi’s veterinarian told the Cramptons about his own dog, who suffered from the same problem as the little Shih Tzu. The vet had found a solution in the form of K9 Carts, which provided a customized dog wheelchair for back legs that enabled his pup to regain some range of motion. The Cramptons were impressed by the vet’s demonstration of the cart and reached out to us. They were connected to our customer support, and our design experts got started building Sammi’s new wheels soon after! Because no two dogs are alike, we make sure to customize each of our dog wheelchairs for the best possible fit. We offer both rear and full-support carts to address a variety of conditions that affect mobility, such as hip dysplasia and arthritis. In Sammi’s case, his front legs were still strong—he just needed some rear support to help him get back on his feet! And because we begin designing and building a customized cart the same day we receive an order, he got it sooner rather than later. Getting Sammi Moving with a Customized Dog Wheelchair Some dogs need time to adjust to their new wheelchair, but not Sammi. “He loved it,” said his owners. “Within seconds of putting him in the cart, he was off riding around the house.” And even better—the Shih Tzu is once again able to enjoy walks! He’s now back to his friendly self, saying hello to everyone he meets. “He is so happy to have his new ride to get him moving again,” said the Cramptons. Sammi is loving his newly regained independence, and his pet parents appreciate not having to carry him around everywhere. The little dog is learning to navigate life on wheels with confidence and is now able to get down off of curbs and turn corners in his cart without help. Sammi’s owners take his cart with them everywhere they go, whether they’re visiting a park, going for a walk, seeing friends, or just traveling. They’re pleased with its sturdy construction, light weight, and smooth roll, and count themselves lucky to have found K9 Carts right when Sammi needed help. Improving Quality of Life with Pet Wheelchairs Sammi’s story is just one of tens of thousands—that’s right, we’ve helped that many animals get moving again! But happy pets and pleased customers aren’t just feathers in our cap. Really, they’re evidence that we’re making a difference in the care of animals, helping special needs pets and the owners who love them enjoy more quality time together. Not every pet is a good candidate for a cart, so take some time to consult your vet and evaluate your pet on your own to determine whether he or she might benefit from a pet wheelchair. We’re also happy to help you determine what kind of mobility aid your pet needs. If you have a paralyzed dog or a cat with weak limbs, contact us today to find out more about how our custom made carts can get your pet up and moving again. We can’t wait to help you make your animal companion’s day!