My Symphony Of Life Episode# 19 - Interview with Leslie Grinnell Of Eddies Wheels (Mobility Carts For Disabled Animals)

My Symphony Of Life 19

My featured guest on this show is Leslie Grinnell of Eddie’s Wheels (www.eddieswheels.com). This episode is in memory of Daisy and you’ll hear more about her in this show. Many of you know that I love animals. With that being said, I’m an animal Advocate. I’m always staying updated to what’s going on with animals. Over the past 20 years, Leslie has personally cared for a succession of disabled dogs including Buddha, Hardy (a Doberman with Wobblers), Autumn (a Dobe with spondylosis), Toby (Rotti mix with torn ACLs), Nick (boxer with spinal fracture), and Nelix (a 3 legged cat). Founder, Eddie built his first dog cart for Buddha, his companion Doberman in 1989.  A mechanical engineer by trade, he brings his lifetime experience as mechanical designer, welder and inventor to the task of designing mobility cart that supports pets in a bio-mechanically sound way.

What they offer:

Standard Rear Wheel Cart-

 For pets with normal strength in their front legs and shoulders,  who need assistance in the rear

 Carts are sized by dog’s weight, age, activity level, and exercise terrain

 Optional stirrups available for dogs with neurological deficits that cause foot dragging or knuckling

Neutral-Balanced Carts-

• For dogs with forelimb or shoulder pain or weakness, wobblers syndrome, degenerative myelopathy, elbow dysplasia, hyper-extension of the carpus

• By moving the wheels slightly forward and using an adjustable support strap under the chest, the yoke will rise slightly off the shoulders, making the cart weightless for the animal.

Fully Counterbalanced Carts

• All standard carts can be upgraded to counterbalanced by the acquisition of new axles, brace bars and a support strap.

• For pets with serious forelimb deficits will remove up to 40% of the weight borne on the front legs.   For dogs with advanced DM,  cervical IVDD, osteo-arthritis.

The Variable Balance Cart

• The full counterbalance position, with the wheels all the way toward the center of the cart, will take up to 40% of the dog’s weight off the front legs.

• As the wheel is shifted further back, the dog bears a larger percentage of its own weight on his front legs. At the standard position, about 5% of the dog’s weight is added to front legs, making the cart track perfectly with the dog’s forward motion.

• Appropriate for dogs recovering strength in the forelimbs following surgery or FCE, or dogs with degenerative myelopathy, taking the place of upgrades.

Removable Saddle Option

The removable saddle option is available for dogs for which lifting the dog into a cart is difficult or painful.

• Giant dogs such as Great Danes, Giant Mastiffs etc.

• Dogs with weak or painful forelimbs

• Clinic carts – removable saddles can be reversed to use for males and females

They also offer Hospital Equipment.

In the ten years that Eddie’s Wheels has been building custom mobility carts for disabled animals, we have personally evaluated, measured and fitted hundreds of disabled animals for their carts.  We have noticed the dramatic change that occurs when an animal is properly supported on its pelvic floor in a healthy normal stance.

I hope that you’ve enjoyed My Symphony Of Life- Pet’s - Barkussions.