Buddy's new ride

Buddy and Bailey, aka 'the boys', will be 11 years old this month. I know they aren't young pups anymore, but I wasn't prepared for just how quickly Buddy would age. Over the past nine months or so, Buddy has slowly lost the use of his hind legs. It's a disease called degenerative myelopathy, or DM, a disease of the spinal cord that starts with his hind legs and progresses to the rest of his body over time. There isn't any medication for this, but luckily, he isn't in any pain.

We've been researching doggie wheelchairs. There are several types available, but most just didn't seem right for Buddy's needs and size. So, Jim built one. We determined what a basic design would need to look like and he made it come to life. It took us longer to purchase the supplies from Lowe's than it did for him to actually make it! When we put Buddy in it and he took some steps, I couldn't help but cry. Tears of sadness that he needs this assistance, tears of happiness that he was able to use it and get around.

Here's a little video of Buddy sporting his new wheels. The corners are a bit tricky, but with chicken as the prize, he'll do pretty much anything!