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Hot Wheels!

Custom carts help disabled dogs live in the fast lane
By Amy Abern

Buddah woke up one day unable to walk, her back legs dragging behind her. Leslie Grinnell brought the 10-year-old Doberman to the vet for x-rays. The diagnosis: possible spondylosis, an age-related malady that causes degeneration and deformity in the joints of two or more vertebrae, along with a herniated disc. The options: surgery that promised at best a 50-percent success rate, or euthanasia. After the vet gave the dog an anti-inflammatory shot, Leslie took Buddha home.

But then another option appeared: Leslie and her husband, Eddie, learned that a mobility aid cart might help their dog. The year was 1989, though, and the only commercial cart available was a heavy piece of machinery held together with cable clamps and electrical tape. "It had no mechanical integrity," explains Leslie. "It put stress on the soft tissue, which caused chafing. It also put stress on the spinal cord."

So, Eddie built a cart from scratch. An industrial mechanical engineer, he studied the anatomy and skeleton of the Doberman breed and designed a cart that mimics a bicycle seat. The custom saddle would support the pelvic floor without stress to the spine, while allowing for mobility of the legs. The weight of the cart would fall on the strong shoulders of the dog by way of a yoke. And a chest strap would keep all the parts in place.

After being fitted with the cart, Buddha immediately started wagging her tail. She stood up straighter, and she didnt just walk - she ran. Eddie says Buddha gave him a look that said "Its about time!" as she dashed off to explore.

When the Grinnells brought Buddha to the vet for a checkup, the doctor couldn't believe her improved physical and psychological state. The vet started recommending Eddie to other patients whose pets might benefit from such a mobility aid.

In 1998, Eddie's Wheels became a full-time business that Eddie shares with Leslie. Today, the company's custom-made carts are sent to nearly 2,000 clients worldwide from Eddie's workshop in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts. A team of employees build carts for dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets, goats, sheep and even alpacas. The majority of Eddie's Wheels clients suffer from degenerative myelopathy, a neurological disease for which there is no cure. Animals paralyzed because of accidents, arthritis and any number of muscle and joint ailments have also benefited from the carts.

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