# New help for weak back end! ? !



## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Toby's acupuncture vet suggested this today, it's called a "Biko Brace". Has anyone had any experience with it?
If you click on the video link and watch the dogs walk before and after the brace, it looks amazing.
The principle is very simple, it's a big bungee that helps pull their legs forward when they walk, straighten out their gait, and keep them from curling their rear toes under. 
It's $170 (looks like it should cost about $50, sheeesh) but I just might have to try it. It has to be ordered by a vet.

Biko Physio Brace North America, LLC
Animal Rehabilitation and Wellness Hospital - ARWI - Canine rehabilitation, canine physical therapy, canine orthotics, canine prosthetics, dog physical therapy, dog rehabilitation, dog orthotics, dog prosthetics (scroll down and then click on 
"click here to view the Biko video" )


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## Judi (Feb 26, 2007)

Not familiar with this. I suggest you discuss this with your Vet.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

The videos look like it really did help. It might be a good idea to video Toby's walking now, and if you do get this device video him walking wearing it.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

if you watch a dog with a weak back end walk, this makes intuitive sense. It pulls the rear legs forward and lifts them, so that they don't drag or walk on the knuckles. The website says to not use it more than 10 minutes once or twice a day for the first 14 days because they will be building up muscle by using it and you don't want to overdo it. 
I'm intrigued. Would be a lot cheaper and easier than a wheelchair!
If you've watched the second case study on the video, the second german shepherd, you see how weak that dog's back end is. The way the dog walks is classic of weak rear muscles. It looks like this really helped that dog.
Hmmmm......


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

He'll just defer to the opinion of the acupuncture vet, who is a DVM certified in canine rehabilitation and integrative medicine. 




Judi said:


> Not familiar with this. I suggest you discuss this with your Vet.


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## Finn's Fan (Dec 22, 2007)

Barb, several people whose dogs have DM have used this. Some of the dogs simply refused to walk using the Biko, others did quite well and it helped for a while. Of course, Toby's issue isn't a degenerative disease (I think! I hope!), so it might help him more. I'd sure check out any kind of guarantee, so if he refuses to walk with it that you could get your money back.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Thanks! I was curious whether or not they have a money back guarantee, it was one of my questions. As far as I know, Toby's disease isn't degenerative, per se. It's getting slowly worse as he gets older, but I boarded a GSD with DM and Toby isn't progressing like that dog did. That dog went from normal and healthy to unable to walk in about 6 months. Toby first started showing signs of weakness in his back end 3 years ago and can still walk *fairly* well. 
When you say it helped for a while, is that because the dogs' disease was progressive?




Finn's Fan said:


> Barb, several people whose dogs have DM have used this. Some of the dogs simply refused to walk using the Biko, others did quite well and it helped for a while. Of course, Toby's issue isn't a degenerative disease (I think! I hope!), so it might help him more. I'd sure check out any kind of guarantee, so if he refuses to walk with it that you could get your money back.


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## Finn's Fan (Dec 22, 2007)

Yes, it was the progressive nature of the disease that made the brace stop working, as the dogs were totally "down" in the rear.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

ah well, I've wasted $170 on dumber stuff.
Now I have to call the vet and make an appt. to have her measure him and order it.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

Please do take videos of Toby before and then while he walks with it. I really hope it works for him!


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## Bender (Dec 30, 2008)

This looks a lot like a T touch wrap, where the elastic goes around the back leg, over the back and around the front and back over to the other leg.... done with elastic bandages. Maybe you could try that and see if that helps first? Just thinking it's the same idea...


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## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

I would think my dog would be trying to bite those straps, like if he feels a stick is caught in his fur he's back there trying to bite it out.
But, the thing looks interesting, and if it works....great!


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

I think based on what you guys have said I will just wrap some vet wrap around his ankles pretty tightly and see what he does. If he seems a bit bothered, I'll do it every day while waiting for his brace to arrive. That way by the time it gets here, at least he'll be used to that part of it.
He doesn't mind wearing boots or socks held on with vetwrap, he's pretty non-reactive so hopefully he won't mind.


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## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

hotel4dogs said:


> Toby's acupuncture vet suggested this today, it's called a "Biko Brace".
> It's $170 (looks like it should cost about $50, sheeesh) but I just might have to try it. It has to be ordered by a vet.


I just looked more closely at the ad and see the harness part isn't even included!! So, you are just buying two short leashes which attach to a velcro wrap piece. I would say $20 worth of material max! Of course, as my husband says, what you are paying for is the "know how".


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

yes, I thought the price was stupidly high, too. But if it works, it's worth the price...
talked to my regular vet today, he looked at it and thought it was well worth a try, but he commented, too, that I should call and see if it can be returned if Toby refuses to have anything to do with it.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

A little update, I called the folks at Biko and they were very pleasant and helpful. Yes, I absolutely can return it if Toby won't wear it, or it doesn't work for him. I asked if it can be used with his "help em up" harness (rather than buying a new harness) and she didn't know, although she was quite familiar with the harness. Here's her email to me:
"....Hello Barb, I am investigating the use of the “Help em up harness” with the Biko… Give me a day or so… I will have to get a hold of a harness and see where the D ring falls on the harness…. I will also talk with the inventor and vet in Austria…. Hoping that this can work…

In meantime, here is product sheet with measuring instructions; a dog wearing a Biko (so you can see how it fits); and a summary “Therapy Plan.”
Let me know if you need me to contact your vets or if you have any other questions. 

Warmly, 

Annie Janis, MA
Canine Rehabilitation Consultant
(Cofounder and former CEO of the Animal Rehabilitation and Wellness Institute, PLLC)
Biko Physio Brace, North America, LLC
www.arwi.com; www.biko-northamerica.com 919-649-6199 ...."

so things are moving along. Now I have to call one or the other of his vets and get him over to be measured....


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## coppers-mom (Jan 9, 2009)

I sure hope it works.:crossfing


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## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

well, that was a nice response from the company....I guess that's part of what you are paying for!


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

I hope it works! I also hope you can use the Help Um Up Harness with it too!


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## Finn's Fan (Dec 22, 2007)

When you find a company that's pleasant and responsive, I say try their product. Fingers crossed that Toby approves of the brace and consents to wear it and that it helps!


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Got the word back from Biko, the help em up harness will work just fine with it, with or without the back part of the harness (the front part is like a regular harness, the back part is over his hips).
I made an appointment for my vet to measure Toby on Monday, and have been in constant contact with Annie from Biko. She said she will be able to get it out to me within a day or two of getting the fax from my vet with the measurements and diagnosis (which is what they really need, any idiot can do the measurements). Also said she'd email me a 5 week, day by day, plan of how to get him used to the Biko and get his muscles built up to use it properly.
I can't wait for it to get here!


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## Karen2 (Jan 5, 2009)

*wow$$$$*

I sure hope it helps.
Why do these "medical" devices always cost a ton of money?
Sure there is R&D but there is with any product, maybe more with some than others.
But a couple of bungees, hooks and padded velcro for $170?
I had looked at knee braces and same thing, the hard brace I can kind of understand the $475 price tag, but the soft brace at $375, come on.
I know we all want to do right by our fur babies, but do they need to punish us for it too?...Sorry I'll get off my soap box now...

I sure hope this works ok for Toby.
Sierra is pretty laid back about stuff so using something like this with her would be ok, I'm not so sure with Lance.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Oh I totally agree, it looks like it's badly over priced. I will know when it gets here, maybe the photo is deceiving. But of course they have us over a barrel, if we think it will improve their quality of life, we will pay ridiculous amounts of money for something.




Karen2 said:


> I sure hope it helps.
> Why do these "medical" devices always cost a ton of money?
> Sure there is R&D but there is with any product, maybe more with some than others.
> But a couple of bungees, hooks and padded velcro for $170?
> ...


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## goldencontriever3 (Nov 7, 2008)

I hope this will work for Toby.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

unfortunately, they are predicting a major snow storm for tomorrow, we may not get to the vet to get him measured. I am SO tired of winter.


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## MillysMom (Nov 5, 2008)

Sending you lots of good thoughts!


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