How to measure for a small dog
If you have a small dog, one whose leg measures 6" or less from point of elbow to floor, please take the following measurements:
Featured Companions
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Feniks Resolving elbow hygroma... I am writing this for Feniks who has asked me to do so as she has had another busy day. Feniks is not a working dog except as my resident alarm dog and my favorite girl. I spent time in a K-9 unit but that was years ago (best job I ever loved). One of the other K-9 handlers had a Dutch Shepherd which is how I came to love this breed. So, here's a little story of Feniks. Just prior to obtaining Feniks I bought a home that needed a lot of interior upgrading. I am talking from the ceiling to the floor (paint, blinds, baseboards, door frames and flooring). The carpet that was in the house was disgusting and was torn up the weekend I bought the place. Feniks arrived in Miami on January 12, 2010 - 2 weeks after my undertaking began. I had painted the concrete in the house because until I get the painting and window treatments done, the flooring has to wait. Feniks is a very active dog and is busy every minute of her day. In November of 2010 I noticed her right front elbow had some swelling. I kept an eye on it not knowing what it was, other than a swollen elbow. In December 2010 I noticed the swelling had not gotten better. I took her to her vet, Dr. Jodi Ehrlich of Pet Calls Animal Hospital, and asked her what it was and what could be done. Dr. Ehrlich stated it was a hygroma, they are common in very active dogs and they can be caused by hitting the elbow on hard surfaces (my concrete floors I imagine) over and over. Dr. Ehrlich stated they sometimes they go away after 6-8 weeks and that surgery was not recommended. I brought her back to Dr. Ehrlich in late January/early February as it was not healing. Dr. Ehrlich advised me of the DogLeggs and stated they may help Feniks' elbow. After measuring her for the fit of the Standard Length Adjustable DogLeggs (which she thoroughly enjoyed I assure you), I ordered them. Once they arrived I used them on her at night while we were relaxing in the house. I put them on her at night when she has run out most of her energy and just relaxes. She seems to like the way they cushion her elbows and even falls asleep in them. The swelling has decreased dramatically. There is still a ways to go as she is active so I battle that but, she just had her annual check-up and passed with flying colors. Dr. Ehrlich was impressed with the results of the DogLeggs and agrees she is a beautiful girl and her hygroma is healing nicely. She is excited about being a representative for DogLeggs and is grateful for the work you do making aches, pains and disabilities easier to live with for any animal in need. Connie R. |
Beatrice Beatrice, a beautiful Basset Hound, had a rough beginning but with the help of many and the love of her "Mother", Deborah, she is now getting the love, care and pampering she deserves! Beatrice was born at a puppy mill and spent the first four months of her life in a wire cage, neglected. She was rescued by the Companion Animal Protection Society (CAPS) when investigators retrieved her and many other dogs from the puppy mill. She was placed with a foster family through Mid America Basset Rescue until she found her forever home with Deborah Howard, CAPS President. Beatrice suffered with many conditions including severe mycoplasma pneumonia, glaucoma and congenital luxation of the radial heads in each elbow. More recently she was also diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Due to her past and present conditions, exercising is a challenge for Beatrice. Swimming is a good option but its was not her favorite especially because she really disliked wet ears. Fortunately her therapist, Cathy Symons of Sterling Impression Animal Rehabilitation Center of New England, suggested the DogLeggs' Swim Snood to protect Beatrice's ears and keep them dry. Now Beatrice loves her "spa" treatment and has become a great swimmer! And swimming helps keep her in shape for her job as puppy mill spokesdog for CAPS. To see Beatrice's full story, click here.
Ronan Ronan's second time around for help with his elbow... Ronan had used the Standard Length Adjustable DogLeggs with great results in the past when he first developed -Kris R. Update 6/13/11: Ronan had his last check up for his elbow this afternoon. He is doing great, his elbow is healing very well. -Kris R.
Oliver This is the story of Oliver the Great Dane as told by one of his owners. This story is not unusual both from the perspective of a failed attempt to cure a hygroma by surgical means and the success of simply using Standard Length Adjustable DogLeggs. Oliver is an 11 month old Great Dane. At six months of age he began to develop lumps the size of golf balls on each of his elbows. My fiance and I took Oliver to the vet and were told his lumps may just be "pads" forming and we were to watch them for an increase in size. At eight months of age the lumps had grown to the size of tennis balls. We visited the vet for the second time and it was determined that the lumps were hygromas. We had them drained and drain tubes were put in for one week. Once the tubes came out, the normal course of action is to place a compression bandage on each of the deflated hygromas so the skin can fuse back together and the hygromas heal. Unfortunately, with the location of the hygromas, the compression bandages caused Oliver's front feet to swell up to twice their size and they [the bandages] had to be removed. The hygromas filled back up with fluid within a couple of days. We tried heat compression a couple times a day, carrying his bed with us wherever he went to keep him from laying on any hard surface and took more measures to heal the hygromas on our own than we can count! We were then referred to a veterinary orthopedic specialist. We were given two options: surgery or Standard Length Adjustable DogLeggs. We had never heard of DogLeggs before and we were skeptical at first. However, since it was a promising alternative to surgery, we gave them a shot. We're so glad we did! We purchased two pairs and Oliver wears his DogLeggs 24/7. When one comes off to be washed the other pair goes on. Within a matter of days Oliver's hygromas began to shrink on their own and after a week and a half they are down to less then half their original size! We are so thankful this product exists and that it kept our Oliver out of the operating room. Our only regret is that we didn't find DogLeggs sooner.
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Odin Odin's Story (as told by his human)... We got Odin on 16 April 2006 after a 400 mile drive. He was a birthday present for me from my wife as she knows I love dachshunds. Odin hurt his leg one day when he was a puppy, running round the house like a mad thing and taking a tumble. He was limping a little and we took him to the vet, nothing could really be picked up. As Odin got older we started to notice his leg was not quite the way it should be and once again it was off to the vet where Chris could defiantly see there was an issue. Odin had X-rays taken that showed the deformity on his little legs even to an untrained person. My little boy's tumble when he was a puppy had actually damaged the growth plate on the one side of his wrist causing the forearm bones to grow at different speeds making the inside longer than the outside. I was told that surgery was not an option and that Odin was developing arthritis in his leg and eventually we would have to do a wrist fusion when the pain gets too much for him. A year or two later i saw the program The Bionic Vet with Dr Noel Fitzpatrick who does amazing things for dogs. Odin was having more issues with his leg his arthritis had progressed and he could not walk as far any more, he would limp when getting up after a long lie down and he would battle to be able to jump up onto the bed or couch, we had also got to the point of having to carry him up the stairs in the house some times. We got hold of Dr Fitzpatrick’s surgery and had Odin referred by our local vet to see the man that can make miracles happen. Dr Fitzpatrick’s diagnosis was very similar to our vets except that the arthritis had got worse and Odin had adapted his walking gait very well to accommodate his leg deformity. Unfortunately what this had also done was cause his shoulder joint socket to become elliptical instead of round. Once again it was a case of wait till he cant handle the pain and then have a wrist fusion as any surgery now would inflict more pain on him than he is in at the moment. Dr Fitzpatrick then told us to look up an American company DogLeggs “ remember the 2 G’s in the word leg” he said ask them to make Odin a DogLeggs Carpal Support. I was quite surprised by this, but thinking about it later after visiting the web site.... if it works for people why not dogs. Thank You, To learn more about Odin's healthcare team visit: |
Firefly Firefly...On the mend! Best Friends Animal Society's mission is No More Homeless Pets®. They help homeless creatures from all over the country, providing the attention and love that many had never before known and then find "forever homes" where they receive the doting care they deserve. DogLeggs was excited to have the opportunity to help Best Friends improve the life of Firefly, a dog who was rescued from appalling conditions at a puppy mill. She came to Best Friends emaciated, infested with heartworm and hookworm and with multiple infected sores along her front legs from living in her own filth. The Best Friends' veterinary staff began treating Firefly's many issues and as part of the treatment, used an Elizabethan collar (e-collar) to prevent Firefly from licking and chewing at the wounds on her front legs. As many of you know, e-collars are cumbersome and generally not well liked by dogs (or their humans). After going through several e-collars, Jacquie, Firefly's caregiver, learned of DogLeggs and contacted us to see if we could help. We recommended our Full Length Adjustable DogLeggs, which provides coverage and protection along the length of the forelimbs. Both Jacquie and Firefly were thrilled with the DogLeggs! The DogLeggs provided a barrier to prevent further self-mutilation while allowing Firefly to be active and uninhibited by the awful e-collar. With the care of dedicated staff and volunteers and the gracious help of the members of the Best Friends Guardian Angel program, Firefly is flourishing. To read more about Firefly and other animals saved by Best Friends, or to become a Guardian Angel visit www.bestfriends.org/guardianangel/. |
Rosie Rosie the Fawn... In July 2009, a fawn, just hours old, was dropped off at a Florida emergency clinic by a couple who witnessed the animal being attacked by a dog. Three weeks later, Rosie's wounds had healed but she remained incontinent and paralyzed in the rear. Rosie's adoptive family, Jan (one of the emergency clinic's staff) and her partner Lee contacted Dr. Jennell Appel, a veterinary rehabilitation therapist at Los Robles Animal Hospital, to see if she could help Rosie regain the functions she had lost. Dr. Appel had reservations but Rosie had such character Dr. Appel felt compelled to do all she could to help the little creature. Jan and Lee brought Rosie for rehabilitation therapy two to three times a week. Dr. Appel used a combination of modalities to stimulate Rosie's nerves and release the muscle contracture. Two and half weeks later, a momentous event occurred, Rosie moved her tail! Jan and Lee, who had the sole burden of providing all of Rosie's care, realized they needed more help and turned to Dr. Appel once again. She, and three of the clinic's technicians gladly agreed to share the responsibility of caring for Rosie in the evenings. Meanwhile, during the day, Rosie greeted the clients at Los Robles with interest and enthusiasm while reclining on her bed in the lobby. Her sweet temperament and spirited nature drew in everyone she met. In fact, Rosie became so popular and engendered so much interest in her progress she earned her own Facebook page!
Sadly, despite the great success of the rehabilitation therapy, her cart and special DogLeggs, Rosie never regained voluntary control of her bladder. As a result, she suffered chronic UTIs and in January 2010, she succumbed to renal failure. Despite being broken-hearted, everyone involved was truly grateful to have known this amazing creature. Dr. Appel says "Rosie's fighting spirit was an inspiration to all. As much as I helped Rosie, Rosie helped me more. Working with Rosie made me really consider the application and impact of rehabilitation for all animals and that has made me a better therapist. Thank you Rosie." To learn more about Dr. Appel and Los Robles Animal Hospital visit www.lrah.com. |
| Chutney Help for Chutney's Horrible Hocks! Jennifer Hill, a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist in Montana, sent us an email about Chutney; "I have a dog who is in a mess! Chutney has horrible hocks. Arthritic, swollen and his gait is very compensated." Because the severe arthritis was causing him pain and limited range of motion, Chutney would circumduct his hind legs when he walked. This circumduction would likely lead to future problems in the hip due to the poor biomechanics of this unnatural gait.
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Nigel A corgi with chronic pressure sores... Nigel, a 12 year old Pembroke Corgi, lost a great deal of mobility when significant paralysis struck his left hind leg. While otherwise healthy, Nigel spent a great deal of his day lying prone. A deep pressure sore quickly developed on his left elbow. The sore persisted despite two attempts at surgical closure and a house full of emergency carpeting as cushions for the hardwood flooring. The only option remaining was bandaging and padding the leg. It became obvious very quickly that bandaging was not going to be practical for the long term. Although there was no sore on the right elbow, the complete loss of hair in that area indicated a problem might be developing there, as well. |
Murphy "DogLeggs were a Godsend" for front leg bandaging... Murphy suffered with an abscess of his elbow that left a gaping hole - you could actually see tendons and his elbow joint. He was being treated by a veterinary specialist that required a 3 hour round trip for each visit. His owners, Joann and Vince with the care of the veterinary specialist were doing a great job of treating the wound, but keeping a bandage on the leg was a full time job. Bandaging the elbow is difficult. Even when applied well, these bandages often slip.  When this would happen, Murphy's owner had to make the 3 hour trip or try to re-bandage the leg themselves. Joann to us that there was one time when she and Vince rushed Murphy to the vet because his bandage fell off and by the time they got home the new bandage had begun to slip exposing the wound.
Fortunately, Joann and Vince heard about Standard Length Adjustable DogLeggs. They order it for Murphy and after he started wearing them, not only did the bandaging hassles go away, his elbow healed up in no time! It was miraculous! The DogLeggs provided the padding and coverage needed to protect the wound and relieved the constant worry of bandaging complications. Joann told us "Murphy was also thrilled to not have to wear the doughnut around his neck anymore! I only wish we had ordered the DogLeggs earlier in the process. Thank you so much for this wonderful product! DogLeggs were a Godsend." |
Journey Journey is an active 9 year old German Shepherd that loves to play and as you can see in the video (click on picture to play) nothing stops her! Journey not only brings great joy to her family, but also as a registered Delta Society - Pet Partners® Program therapy dog and an "Animal Ambassador" for the Monroe County Humane Association she gives to the community. As an official "Animal Ambassador", Journey has helped her mom, Sarah, Education Program Director for the Monroe County Humane Association, with nearly 1000 humane education programs over the past 8 years and Journey has gone on hundreds of therapy dog visits to hospitals, libraries, a transitional housing unit for domestic violence survivors, and many of public events. She has brought joy to a great number of people and also helps with the "Paws and Claws" camp each summer. At home, the other dogs in her pack include Gage, a 4 year old male German Shepherd who is also an MCHA "Animal Ambassador" and Delta Society Pet Partner, and Phoebe, a rescued Standard Poodle from Dog Pack Rescue in Georgia. Phoebe is new to the family and is in training for the same kind of work.
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Riley
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Muldoon, McKenna & Puppies BuddyBags come to the rescue for mom and her kids! Shelly originally ordered DogLeggs BuddyBags for Muldoon, her big English Mastiff, when he injured his back - they were the only things she could drape across his hips and that would stay in place. She said the BuddyBags really helped when he was having a bad day.
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Baby Bella Would you believe it , Moose Gear? DogLeggs received a call from a veterinarian at a central US zoo asking if we could help with a special case, Baby Bella, the moose. Bella had an injured hind leg and there was a need to keep her off of it while it healed. Her veterinarian wanted to place Bella in an Ehmer Sling but felt the traditional bandage and tape sling wound not work. The hair of a moose pulls out easily and keeping the complex wrap on even a dog is nearly impossible, no less a baby moose with long legs and weighing hundreds of pounds. After much discussion a DogLeggs Vest and Ehmer Sling were made for Bella. 
Now DogLeggs is no stranger to these types of requests. We have made shoulder stabilization for a ferret, chest protection for a llama, head protection for goats and other custom solutions for a variety of animals. We love this type of challenge and it helps us learn how to make our products for dogs and cats even better. Baby Bella has done well in her Ehmer Sling and the vet has mentioned that there may be a penguin that needs some special booties... Update: Bella made a full recovery and is doing great! Her vet says the DogLeggs Vest and Ehmer Sling were critical to this success! |
Rinus DogLeggs is proud to help animals all around the world. In fact, at last count, we have helped dogs in 39 different countries! Rinus, a handsome boy from the Netherlands, has bilateral medial shoulder instability. His vet prescribed DogLeggs Shoulder Stabilization System and within a week Rinus began improving. His owner, Jos, says "I haven't seen him walking bad for a week and this is with just 1/3 of the pain medication he used to get!" The vet thinks Rinus will need to wear his DogLeggs for about 3 months and she expects a full recovery. |
Ron and Maggie Ron and Maggie have had a special bond for over 10 years. Maggie is more then a pet she is truly Ron's partner, she is his service dog. She and Ron are together 24/7 and Ron can not leave his home without her. When Maggie developed lameness do to arthritis in her elbows, Ron turned to his vet and DogLeggs. Ron called us and explained the critical situation and ordered a pair of Standard Length Adjustable DogLeggs. We felt the weight of this responsibility and shipped Maggie's DogLeggs for next day delivery. Ron gave us regular reports on Maggie's progress and we are happy to report that she started feeling better within a few days. Ron wrote, "after six weeks her arthritis is gone and she can actually run". (BTW, that is a perfectly restored 64 Mustang!)
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Murdock Murdock is a big boy with a very big hygroma on his left front leg. There have been a number of times that DogLeggs has been called upon to create a very custom coverage to support or protect tumors and very large hygromas. Because of the success of the Standard Length Adjustable DogLeggs the need for surgery or placing drains has been dramatically reduced; in this case surgery was the right solution. DogLeggs helped Murdock recovery and prevent recurrence. |
Josey |
Tessa
DogLeggs Shoulder Stabilization System helps Tessa make a full recovery... Six year old Tessa came to physiotherapist, Michelle Monk after 9 months of forelimb lameness and subsequent shoulder arthroscopy. Proper diagnosis and surgery were only half the solution. Rehabilitation therapy and DogLeggs Shoulder Stabilization System were critical to Tessa's successful outcome. Michelle's physiotherapy strategy was three-fold: a carefully managed home exercise program, regular physiotherapy treatments and a DogLeggs Shoulder Stabilization. With this combination, Tessa's results were fantastic!
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Jinx Jinx is a five-year old Belgian Malinois who underwent surgery for shoulder instability. Jinx is a certified Type 1/CE disaster dog with the Wisconsin Task Force and is also a Schutzhund 2 Champion, as well as holding a Mondioring 1 Title. She wore her DogLeggs Shoulder Stabilization System and successfully completed her post-operative rehabilitation therapy. |
ous calluses on both elbows a few years back. He developed them from being a large breed (and a little overweight at the time) and lying down on tile or hard wood floors all the time. Ronan ended up loosing a lot of weight and sleeping on 4” thick memory foam mattresses and so we thought he didn’t need the DogLeggs anymore so when we moved we threw them away (bad idea).
She weighed only a few pounds, suffered severe bite wounds along her torso, was incontinent and lost the use of her rear legs. The staff at the emergency clinic named her Rosie, treated her wounds and nursed the little fawn. 
Dr. Appel continued to work with Rosie in rehab and after a month Rosie took her first steps. At this point in time, Rosie was using a cart from Eddie's Wheels but as she grew Dr. Appel modified the cart to accommodate the fawn's lengthening limbs. When she outgrew that cart, Walkin' Wheelsâ„¢ worked with Dr. Appel to create a model that fit Rosie's deer body. Rosie continued to progress but had a setback; an avulsion fracture in her right hind limb. Dr. Appel stabilized the injury with a splint but Rosie had to shift her weight to the forelimbs due to the injury. This stress eventually caused tendon laxity in her front legs and left Rosie unable to walk or even rise. Dr. Appel tried to support Rosie's forelimbs but nothing worked well until she called DogLeggs. Like so many other veterinarians, Dr. Appel consulted with DogLeggs outlining Rosie's multiple problems. To create a workable solution, DogLeggs designed and made a special pair of 
One November morning Riley came limping down the hall and his owner immediately saw that Riley's left carpus (wrist) was swollen. Riley's ears were down. He had a pained look on his face and he wasn't wagging his tail. Gary took Riley to the vet where he found out that Riley likely had osteosarcoma - cancer of the bone. The next morning Gary took Riley to the CSU Animal Cancer Center. The vets at CSU agreed that Riley's swelling and pain was surely osteosarcoma. Riley began treatment. Due to the treatment Riley would be receiving, coverage of the entire limb was recommended so Gary contacted DogLeggs and ordered 
Then, when McKenna, Shelly's female English Mastiff, had her two puppies and developed mastitis, moist hot packs were ordered several times a day. Sitting on the floor holding warm towels in place and having to constantly rewarm the towels was not realistic for Shelly, so she applied warm wet towels on the affected teats and placed heated BuddyBags over the towels. The BuddyBags kept the towels in place beautifully and keep the towels warm so she did not have to keep reheating them. When the treatment was done the BuddyBags were set aside. Shelly noticed that Petunia, one of McKenna's puppies had wriggled over and snuggled up to one of the BuddyBags....it was warm and smelled like Mommy so it was perfect for her. Pagan, McKenna's other puppy was much bigger than Petunia and since birth had preferred to scoot away from Mommy and Petunia to cooler snoozing spots. Poor Petunia needed additional warmth. Petunia is pictured here dozing peacefully with her DogLeggs BuddyBag.
