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Home  Links and Resources
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Written by Administrator
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Sunday, 04 March 2007 |
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Frequently
Asked Questions
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My dog has some use of the rear legs; will using a wheelchair encourage
him/her to not use the rear legs?
Absolutely NOT! Pets that have limited use of the rear legs benefit by
using the wheelchair as they enable the pet to exercise for a longer duration
of time and more intensely.
If your pet has a degenerative condition, it is best to use a wheelchair
before your pet loses its ability to walk on its own. This will keep your
pet in better physical condition. Wheelchairs also make an excellent rehabilitation
tool- if your pet is recovering from surgery call to ask about our leasing
option for use during rehabilitation. |
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Will my pet be able to pee and poop while in its wheelchair?
Yes! The saddle support system of a support Sling cart is designed to allow your pet to urinate
and defecate while in the wheelchair or when used separately.
Dogs
pee and poop standing up\, and for dogs who are disabled,
they are very happy to know that they are not going to land in their
own waste any more. Some dogs may resist
using the cart for toileting - those who might regard the cart as
furniture, but with proper encouragement these dogs usually come
around. The cart does make expressing the dog's bladder easy, as they
are resting on their bladders in the cart. Some dogs pee as they
walk in the cart.
For intact males Eddies Wheelchairs positions their weld
so that they are sitting between their testicles and their penis, on
the pubic bone. Other carts don't have this problem. You may need to manually arrange the position of
the testicles so that they are not sitting on them, depending on their
particular dog's anatomy. We are of the opinion that the owners of
such dogs are far more sensitive about their dog's comfort than the
male dogs themselves - even those who appear to be squished, do not
seem to be uncomfortable.
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Can other pets besides dogs use a pet wheelchair?
Yes. Cats. ferrets, rabbits, and lots of other pets use wheelchairs. We've seen one for an Alpaca.
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Will my pet be able to run, and play in the sand on the beach?
Yes.! As long as the rest of the animal's body can support
it. There's a question on the measurement forms about terrain that is used to
help determine the proper size of the wheels.
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What if my pet is weak in the forelimbs?
If your pet is weak in the front legs and just needs your assistance for
short walks, or help going up or down stairs, you may want to consider a harness, sling, or rear end support leash. These are ideal for giving an older pet just the
right amount of assistance. |
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Why do you need measurements?
Measurements are needed to build a wheelchair that provides a custom fit
tailored to your pet.
Measurements are not always accurate, which is why we allow for adjustments
that can be easily made. If we feel your measurements are out of proportion
for the weight and breed of your pet, we may ask you to re-take them in
order to provide your pet with the best possible fit. |
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How will I know if my pet is fitted in his/her wheelchair properly?
You will receive instructions, including step by step photos. You can also use our popular forum at http://www.Handicappedpets.net where thousands of pet catetakers gome every day.
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Can my pet lay down or sit while in the wheelchair?
Some smaller dogs can lie down while in their wheelchair, however, all
pets must be taken out of the wheelchair to rest... Additionally, we
recommend that you never leave your pet in the wheelchair unsupervised.
Short-legged dogs like
dachsies, corgies, and bassetts can plop down on their front legs and
be quite comfortable "lying down" in a cart. They don't have very far
to go, and if you give them a cushion in a sunny spot in the room,
you'll find them at rest in their wheels. However, non-dwarf breeds
can't do this, and for them the cart is for exercsie only.
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| more pics of dogs laying down in carts. |
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How long will it take to build my pet's wheelchair?
Different manufacturers have different lead times depending on the
complexity of the cart and the time of year. The current lead times are
listed on the Cart Comparison Page. |
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How long will it take for my pet to adjust to using his/her wheelchair?
Most pets adapt quite readily to the freedom a wheelchair provides them, the time each pet takes
to adapt to using the wheels varies - some pets take to using the wheelchairs
instantly, others may need a few days to adjust and occasionally there
are pets that need even longer. |
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Q.
I have a 3lb female Min Pin. She is still at the vet recovering from
a HBC accident. She received a concussion that possibly will leave paralysis
in the front legs. I looked at your products, but only saw carts/wheelchairs
for the rear legs. She is very tiny and I feel that conventional wheelchairs
will be too heavy. Do you have any suggestions?
A. It would
be best to get an evaluation from the vet to make sure that the rear
legs are 100% functioning and strong before being able to determine
what type of chair the dog is a candidate for.
This dog may end up being a candidate for a Quad Chair- we've done Quad
Chairs for pets as small as ferrets. Its pretty rare for accidents to
leave the front paralyzed with no neurological damage in the hind legs
so that is why I question the rear leg strength and function.
If the rear legs are 100% normal in strength/function then a Front End
Chair may be a possibility.
Q.Was
your dog able to swim in the cart? And lay down? Do you have to put
the cart on when the dog goes outside and then remove it for inside?
Or does it stay on always?
Brenda Becker and Rosie, a 50#, 11 year
old Black Lab (mostly) who has been struck with Degenerative Myelopathy
and still loves swimming.
A. 1) Yes, dogs do swim in their wheelchairs however this is not
anything we promote but people let their dogs do it anyway and I let
Ben in his wheelchair in the water but he only likes to wade in it to
cool off). I have received several photos of dogs swimming in their
wheelchairs, the tires allow it to float really well. This is something
that no one should ever allow their pet to do on its own without
supervision of course and it would be a good idea to be a strong
swimmer in case you need to help your pet out.
2) Some dogs lay down in the wheelchairs though the chairs are not
designed for this. The dogs that usually lay down are smaller dogs
though larger dogs will rest their front legs up on an elevated surface
the owner provides however I do not recommend this for any length of
time as it does not allow the pet to fully rest and its easier for the
pet to rest when out of the wheelchair.
3) I do recommend taking the wheelchair on and off, especially for
larger breed dogs as the wheelchairs are not to stay on always.
Our
wheelchairs are easy to use and if the pet has been given enough
exercise when outside they are usually ready to get out when they come
inside. Dogs that begin to show nuisance behavior (excessive barking,
whining when you leave the room because they can not follow you due to
their disability, inability to sleep through the night) usually do so
out of boredom and lack of exercise. Clients usually see a major
improvement within a short amount of time as the pet comes in from
after using the wheelchair and is quite content and happy to rest on
its bed. It is not unusual for me to receive letters thanking us for
the owners finally being able to get a good nights sleep because the
pet is tired enough to sleep through the night. Other benefits of
course is that the additional exercise can help stimulate sluggish
bowels to keep the pet more on schedule.
Q.
How do you get an 80 lb. German Shepherd into the cart—by yourself?
Also, she seems to ‘wad up’ in the cart—it seems to cut her into.
A.
How you will put your shepherd into the cart depends on whether or not
she can still stand some OR is completely down in the rear legs.
If she is completely down in the rear legs, put the harness on her
first. Leave saddle attached to wheelchair, then put the wheelchair so
that is down behind her, side arms touching ground, lift her hind legs
up and guide them into each leg hole. Then clip the harness into place.
There is a photo in the instruction packet you would have received from
us of me doing this for an 85 pound shepherd so please refer to that
photo for a visual to see where to grab her legs at and how the chair
is positioned.
If
she can stand, even momentarily, its much easier. Put the saddle and
harness on, help her into standing position, bring chair up behind her,
buckle saddle and harness onto frame.
From your descritpion it sounds like you need to have a fitting
evaluation done and I'd be happy to help you with that- send in by
regular mail or email photos of her in the wheelchair. One side shot
taken straight on showing all of her and all of the wheelchair, another
looking down over the top of her back. From there I can assist you in
making any adjustment changes to the frame/straps so that we know that
she is all set with the fitting.
Q. What's the difference between a quad cart and training wheels?
A. The
Training wheels are not on castors. Castors, used on the front of a
Quad cart, allow for a better turning radius as the wheel, like the
front wheel of a shopping cart, can swivel completely around. Usually
the training wheels are used for pets that have had an embolism and
only one side of the body is affected and they need just a little help
on that side to stabilize them. On a saddle sling cart the training
wheel connects to the pets harness, a Quad Saddle sling Chair has a
front support sling.
Adjusting the Saddle Sling cart:
The height is adjustable on most wheelchairs in two locations, wheel
placement and at the vertical posts. Saddle Sling carts use telescoping
tubing. Simply remove the screws, slide up a notch then replace the
screws. The length is adjustable at the side arms and telescoping
tubing. The tools needed: Phillips screw driver and a crescent wrench
(or a nut driver).
The length and height adjusts
+/- on each side of the given measurements so that if the pet is taller
in height/shorter in length etc than the measurements given to us, the
wheelchair will adjust to accommodate the error in measurements.
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 04 March 2007 )
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