Building a better wheelchair. For a dog. Yes, seriously.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 15,536
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Building a better wheelchair. For a dog. Yes, seriously.
So, one of our dogs, Noa, was run over by a car in Spain when she was 3-months-old. Both of her front legs were broken, and one of them was a particularly bad break that didn't heal well.
She gets around just fine, but she can't come on longer walks because she gets tired quickly (she's fine to play in the yard for extended periods of time, because she can just lay down and rest for a bit -- not so on walks).
I was thinking adding some strapping/mesh to a walker-sort of device, rigging casters on the rear poles as well as the front ones, and thus taking some of the weight off of her front end.
It's not the most elegant solution, and I don't know how she'd feel about it, but I should be able to execute for ~$100, and it could be put in the car.
Here's a rough P-chop:
<img src="http://www.hipmotional.com/random/noa-walker.jpg">
Stacey, however, feels like that'll be too unstable, and she wants to spend copious amounts of money on something professionally constructed along these lines (~$500):
<img src="http://www.doggon.com/images/products/amputees.jpg">
Now, I've got no qualms about hooking my dogs up with awesome, useful items, but I think the above is pretty darned overkill.
I'd love to hear thoughts, solutions and otherwise...
Heck, it seems like I could build one like the one that's pictured for a fraction of the cost...
She gets around just fine, but she can't come on longer walks because she gets tired quickly (she's fine to play in the yard for extended periods of time, because she can just lay down and rest for a bit -- not so on walks).
I was thinking adding some strapping/mesh to a walker-sort of device, rigging casters on the rear poles as well as the front ones, and thus taking some of the weight off of her front end.
It's not the most elegant solution, and I don't know how she'd feel about it, but I should be able to execute for ~$100, and it could be put in the car.
Here's a rough P-chop:
<img src="http://www.hipmotional.com/random/noa-walker.jpg">
Stacey, however, feels like that'll be too unstable, and she wants to spend copious amounts of money on something professionally constructed along these lines (~$500):
<img src="http://www.doggon.com/images/products/amputees.jpg">
Now, I've got no qualms about hooking my dogs up with awesome, useful items, but I think the above is pretty darned overkill.
I'd love to hear thoughts, solutions and otherwise...
Heck, it seems like I could build one like the one that's pictured for a fraction of the cost...
AudiWorld Super User
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 7,044
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Hey Chris... that's f'n awesome of you to do. Here's a link for ya>> And a bonus idea.
A little cheaper and would work awesome for the dog. If you do a PayPal fund raiser on here, I know you'd be able to put together the scratch to buy one. I'm in.
B<ul><li><a href="http://handicappedpets.biz/www/pet-products/help-pets-walk/dog-wheelchairs.html">Kewl stuff for disabled pets.</a></li></ul>
B<ul><li><a href="http://handicappedpets.biz/www/pet-products/help-pets-walk/dog-wheelchairs.html">Kewl stuff for disabled pets.</a></li></ul>
AudiWorld Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 779
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let me know the final outcome, have been thinking of something similar for
our dalmatian who is 14 yrs old and her back legs are not as functional as they used to be. She was hit in the hind legs when she was a puppy before we adopted her and now as the years have gone on, she has really developed a limp but otherwise happy about life. we really miss taking her for long walks, and her sister really is missing out too.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 15,536
Likes: 1
Indeed. And it's really not a problem... Just a minor limitation. =)
<img src="http://www.staceyandchristopher.com/blog/Site/blog/Entries/2008/6/4_Long_overdue_update._files/shapeimage_1.jpg">
It doesn't bother her or us.
It can look a little funky, and it sort of spooks out newcomers, but *shrug* it's just one of those things.
It doesn't bother her or us.
It can look a little funky, and it sort of spooks out newcomers, but *shrug* it's just one of those things.
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Thread Starter
Member
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 15,536
Likes: 1
Will definitely do that!
I understand that a good amount of R&D goes into these things, but it also seems like the basic functionality is pretty similar and easy to duplicate -- and it seems like a one-off could be made for less to me.
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