Getting old ain’t for sissies – either human or canine! Dog mobility issues can crop up at any time, due to age, injury, or illness. We want to do everything we can to alleviate pain and to make our dogs’ lives easier.

We’ve been fortunate in the past – none of our dogs really had major issues with getting around. Even our oldest dogs were able to maneuver with stairs or ramps to beds and couches. And, of course, one of the advantages we have with our small dogs is that we can carry them!

Age isn’t the only dog mobility issue

While none of our current dogs is “old” – just this summer Hope’s eight-year-old French Bulldog Teddy was diagnosed with Degenerative Myelopathy, the canine equivalent of ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a.k.a. Lou Gehrig’s disease). He’s losing coordination in his hind end. This progressive, incurable disease will inevitably rob him of mobility.

So we’re learning all kinds of “tricks of the trade” for keeping Teddy’s independent mobility. His feet start sliding out from under him on wood or tile floors. So the decor at the house now includes not-very-stylish but extremely practical yoga mats in the Teddy-trafficked areas. A great find – if you have “Five Below” stores around you – yoga mats are, in fact, $5!

The mats aren’t practical everywhere – some areas are just too tight, or there are doorways that won’t clear over the mats, or they need to come up so we can vacuum and wash floors.

Boots can help

We’ve also used Pawz dog boots for Ted. If you ever search for “dogs in boots” on YouTube, you’ll see countless hilarious examples of dogs trying to walk without putting their feet down. The “get this thing off me” expressions are priceless.

Pawz aren’t like that. Dogs tend not to hate them as much because they can still feel the ground under their feet. The natural rubber allows traction without “losing touch.” We just put them on Teddy’s back feet. They can’t stay on for hours on end, but if he’s “helping” with the housework, it’s a solution that works.

Stairs and ramps

We already mentioned stairs and ramps. Teddy’s lost the ability to go up a regular flight stairs now, so we carry him up and down. He is able to negotiate pet steps and ramps, so those have taken the place of coffee tables and nightstands at our house.

Teddy is still able to walk, although he tires easily and his back legs start to shake. We got a stroller for him so he’ll never be left behind. In all honesty, Teddy was never all that fond of going for walks, anyway. He was always more of a “sit on the couch and eat bonbons” personality than an athlete. Torque, Hope’s other Frenchie, is a goer and doer. So Torque goes and does, and Teddy watches from his stroller “throne.”

Dealing with pain and anxiety

One of the things we all worry about with our ill or old dogs is pain. None of us want our best friends to suffer! The “good” part of Teddy’s Degenerative Myelopathy is no pain is associated with the disease. Apparently it just kills off the nerves, from back to front, but doesn’t cause pain.

At first, Teddy seemed distressed, almost frightened, when his back legs didn’t do what he wanted them to do. He’s never been a particular anxious dog, but we could see the confusion in his expression. Because it wasn’t a constant state, we didn’t want to start him on anti-anxiety medication. Instead, we chose to start him on CBD oil. We’ve talked about our decision to carry it here in the shop and the testimonials we’ve gotten from dog owners convinced us it was the right thing to do. Now we can add our own voices to the testimonials. Teddy is still himself, and his legs still fail him at times, but he accepts his life as it is and gets back to chewing on his chews, or playing with his brother, or just carrying on with whatever business he has.

More common issues dog owners face, like arthritis or disc disease, may involve pain as well as difficulty in getting around. We all love our dogs and most of us are willing to try whatever we can to make their lives happy and comfortable. Dog mobility is part of that equation.

Keep in touch!

Every dog owner makes decisions based on what’s right for his own dog and family. For now, we’re coping with Teddy’s mobility issues just fine. If we can help you, with questions you may have, with products you may need, please get in touch. We’re here to help.