A guide to helping you navigate pet immobility with gear, physical therapy and supplement options.

In January 2019 Finn suffered spinal trauma and became paralyzed in his hind end with severe nerve damage. Since then we have taken multiple steps to get him back to limited mobility. I have gotten a lot of questions regarding Finn’s mobility, his harness, his chair and his physical therapy so I wanted to share everything I can here.

Mobility Gear

Harness: Since Finn needs assistance to do almost everything, we bought him a Help Em Up Harness and it has been a lifesaver for him and for us. The only time this harness comes off is at night. With handles over the hips and the shoulders it is easy to assist or pick him up in it. By far the best harness out there for dogs with mobility issues. I give it 10 out of five stars!

Wheelchair: While he does have very limited mobility in his hind legs and, we decided that at his age (14, then) we would risk wheelchair dependence so that he could enjoy some freedom. We worked with his physical therapist Healing Arts Animal Care to get him fitted for an Eddies Wheel’s wheelchair. We had it custom built with “off road” durability so he could bomb around the beach, cruise over rocks hiking and do all the things he loved doing prior to his accident. Finn’s wheelchair was just about $600 for the chair alone and $150 for the fitting and measurements. I do suggest if you are looking into a wheelchair for your dog that you have it fitted and measured properly to ensure it is comfortable and built to your dogs needs!

Therapy

Assisted Pool Swim: About two weeks after Finn’s accident, we started him with assisted swimming. This allowed him to swim in a pool with a life vest on an assistant in the water helping him along. This was a great way for us to learn that his back legs did have movement to some degree and it helped us with trying to delay muscle atrophy. After about eight sessions of this he was cleared to start assisted underwater treadmill and we discontinued the pool swims, though they were a crucial first step.

Underwater Treadmill: Finn has been going to bi-weekly underwater treadmill sessions and went from 3 minutes assisted with a life vest on, to 11 minutes unassisted (a vet tech still in the water with him) with no life vest. The treadmill allowed Finn the gentle buoyancy to start bearing weight on his hind legs again and helped condition him and maintain muscle mass in his hind end. The water in treadmill is warm and soothes sore muscles, loosens tight tendons and increases blood supply to healing tissues.

Cold Laser Therapy: Therapeutic laser therapy is used for many things, but in Finn’s case, we started this right away after the accident to promote nerve growth. The laser is aimed at multiple areas in his hind end for a certain amount of time so it can help improve blood flow, active antioxidants, reduce inflammation and stimulate the nerves.

Electro Acupuncture: Similar to Cold Laser Therapy, Finn is given election acupuncture to try to help awaken the nerves and promote never growth and help with inflammation. Electro acupuncture leaves a more complete effect than stand alone acupuncture and we can see noticeable positive differences in the days following his treatments.

Supplements

Hip and Joint: We stand by Wagworthy Naturals Hip & Joint. We have been using this since before Finn’s accident and we could not be more happy with the results. Wagworthy’s Hip & Joint is supercharged with Glucosamine, Chondroitin, MSM + Hyaluronic Acid, which regenerate and strengthen cartilage, reduce inflammation, soothe discomfort and protect joints from wear and tear. It also contains a Proprietary Tart Cherry Blend + Vitamin C, both powerful antioxidants that repair joint tissue, turbocharge effectiveness of all ingredients and boost immunity. I fully believe this has been an essential part of his recovery.

Fish Oil or Salmon Oil: Fish oil is known for many benefits but for Finn this is really important for alleviating joint pain and inflammation.

CBD: We have tried many brands and have landed on our favorite: ElleVet Sciences 1500 mg mobility oil. Designed specifically for mobility ElleVet Hemp CBD+CBDA products are designed to ease discomfort, reduce stiffness, and counter loss of mobility. In addition, ElleVet is endorsed by Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. I trust that!

Muscle Health: We use MYOS Canine Muscle Formula as an additional supplement for Finn to help his muscle health. Paralysis, coupled with aging, took its toll on his hind end muscles and we believe this supplement has helped delay any further atrophy and help him gain back his muscle health. MYOS is an all-natural, steroid free supplement that supports optimal muscle health and strength in dogs of all sizes. The main ingredient, Fortetropin, is a bioactive ingredient made from fertilized egg yolks using a patented process. Fortetropin encourages lean muscle mass and growth in dogs.

I think that just about covers it! If anyone has any other questions feel free to reach out! I know how hard it is to make choices for aging pets, especially when it comes to immobility so I would be happy to help in any way I can!