Wheelchair For Dogs

Wheelchairs for dogs, also called dog carts can help physically handicapped canines lead a better quality life. Find out what are the factors to consider when choosing a wheelchair for your handicapped canine friend.

Every year, thousands of dogs fall victim to degenerative joint diseases, hip, joint and spinal injuries. It is heartbreaking to see your dog suffer from any sort of pain, but the reality is they are susceptible to all sorts of medical conditions or injuries that can affect their mobility, including:

• Fractures and dislocations of the joints which cause the dog to be unable to walk
• Hereditary orthopedic diseases such as canine hip dysplasia or elbow dysplasia
• Injuries and disease of the spinal cord
• Degenerative joint disease such as dog arthritis
• Ruptured tendon and muscle injuries that lead to lameness
• Bone infections and tumors that cause pain and limping

All these affect your dog’s joints, making mobility difficult due to pain and inflammation.

A wheelchair for dogs can changed all that and is a great way to take the pressure of the joints. It also helps to give your disabled dogs greater mobility and the exercise it needed to keep your dog happy and healthy.

What Should You Look Out For in a Canine Wheelchair

A properly fitted canine wheelchair supports your dog’s hind legs and spine to give it an active life. When looking for a wheelchair, owners have to first consider if their dogs have adequate front-leg strength capacity and are able to function the equipment by pulling themselves along otherwise the wheelchair would not be of assistance to the disabled dog.

The wheelchair should also be light enough and custom-fitted to each dog for it to be able to support its own weight comfortably using their front-legs. With the availability of a lightweight dog wheelchair, it is also easier for the owner to transport both the dog and wheelchair for activities. Some of these materials could using an aluminium tubing, light weight plastic, neoprene rear support for its harness and a pneumatic wheel, emphasising on its lightweight feature to prevent it from being a burden for the dog to pull.

If your dog has weak forelegs or an amputation, a sling type canine wheelchair may be best. It is lightweight and has a saddle support sling that your dog wears and is clipped to the tubular structure.

Additional Considerations When Choosing a Wheelchair For Your Dog

Other additional considerations when choosing for a dog wheelchair is to consider your dog’s size, weight, its health condition and what your dog’s specific disability is as there are different types of wheelchairs for different disability problems. You may also want to consider the following:

• Does the wheelchair comes with adjustable sidebars to accommodate future body sizes changes and weight fluctuations?
  
  
• Is the canine wheelchair portable and easily foldable for easy storage? Remember that your dog must be taken out of the wheelchair to rest so it should be easily stored away when not in use.
  
  
• How fast can the wheelchair be delivered? Ideally, the wheelchair should arrive within one week after your order. If it's going to take more than 2 weeks to have it custom-built and delivered, your dog may suffer more pain or discomfort.
  
  
• Is your dog's disability temporarily or permanent? You may want to consider renting a canine wheelchair instead of buying one if the disability is just temporarily (less than 1 to 2 months for your dog to fully recover).
  
  
• Does the dog wheelchair have any return policy for defects or future resell value?

 Price Range of Wheelchairs

Typically, the cost of a canine wheelchair starts around $200 and can go up to as high as $800. Price varies depending on the type of your dog handicap. It also depends on the size and weight of your dog plus any additional accessories that you may want to order.

  Click here to get a custom-made, light-weight, user-friendly wheelchair for your dog...

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