When age and/or medical condition preclude surgery, orthotic applications can prevent future injury while enabling increased activity levels and reduce pain and inflammation. Orthotics can also be used before or after surgery, and be a successful part of a rehabilitation program. K-9 Has successfully delivered prosthetics for dogs who have had a limb amputated due to traumatic accident, illness or birth defect. Instead of the common high level joint amputations at the hip or shoulder joints, lower joint level amputations, including partial paw can be accommodated with a comfortable and effective prosthetic leg. K-9 wheelchair products are ideal for either long- term support or rehabilitation treatment services . The three wheelchair design provides dogs with superior support and maneuverability with little effort. The light weight aluminum tube framing come in different colors and can easily collapse and fold up for travel or storage convenience.As any dog owner can attest, injuries to canine legs are some of the most common and painful afflictions to befall our four-legged friends.

Although dogs usually manage to adapt to their new situation, some dog owners often decide to put an injured dog to sleep rather than subject him to a life of perceived misery. That wasn’t acceptable to Israeli industrial design student Nir Shalom, who has designed a concept called Amigo, a lightweight, durable walking aid for dogs who have lost the use of their hind legs. The challenge was creating something as sophisticated as a dog’s actual body. Shalom began his project only knowing that he was interested in designing for animals. After talking to several veterinarians, he discovered that limb injuries were most in need of a new design concept. Devices made to help dogs walk are usually flimsy and amateur, making life tough for both the dog and the owner. “I decided to develop a super-ergonomic, lightweight, and durable walking aid made especially for dogs–that will also fulfill all of the dog owners’ needs,” Shalom tells Co.Design. He began exploring issues around dog limb injuries, pelvis problems, and genetic diseases, consulting with expert veterinarians and dog physiotherapists in order to understand the unique movement of the canine body.

As Shalom started his research, he looked for a dog in need of his concept. (Although Shalom has four dogs of his own, they’re all healthy.) Three months into his research he met a friend’s dog named Amy, who is featured in the video. Amy became paralyzed by a herniated disc when she was only a year old. “Amy cannot move her rear torso and cannot control her feces,” says Shalom. “After I heard Amy’s story I decided that the first Amigo prototype would be made especially for her.” Shalom then began the arduous task of creating what was essentially an extension of the dog’s existing anatomy, but one that was natural enough so she wouldn’t try to take off the device. Working with a plaster cast of Amy’s torso, Shalom designed an ergonomic walking device of molded plastic and aluminum, one that would cradle her body from the bottom, perfectly matching her shape and size, yet allowing Amy’s pelvis to move normally along a central axis. A small pair of rubber wheels in the back would keep Amy’s legs off the ground, and a velcro platform could hold them close to their natural position.

As he made adjustments to the prototype, Shalom realized that even though the client couldn’t communicate with words, she made it very clear when something wasn’t working. ghost chair where to buy“When the design didn’t fit and Amy didn’t feel comfortable with it, she refused to walk with it, no matter how much I tried,” he says. table and chair rentals los angeles caShalom tested prototype after prototype, until one day Amy started to walk, then run, then jump. banquet chair covers for sale malaysiaSoon she was attempting staircases. racing gaming chair amazon“I continued to refine that prototype until Amy could move from resting position to running position on her own,” says Shalom. used old school barber chairs for sale

“That point was the greatest reward, to see Amy running, jumping, going down stairs and easily moving between walking, sitting, and lying down.”buy buy baby chevron chair Shalom’s solution is already well on its way to becoming a reality.rocking chair with prices The real challenge was in designing a mechanism that was as sophisticated as a dog’s actual body, with strong, flexible hindquarters that allow dogs to move so quickly between sitting, resting and standing, he says. rocking chair with prices“I realized this had to be based on dogs’ natural movement, but still be simple enough to use by a disabled dog, without any help from their owners.” cheap leather sofa and armchair

Although it seems like a dog would have to be trained to comfortably use such a device, Shalom says that by using an intuitive shape that mimicked a dog’s natural bone structure–including elastic bands that act like ligaments and aluminum “bones”–Amy quickly understood how Amigo worked. Where most student projects like this end up in a portfolio, forever relegated to the prototype phase, Shalom’s solution is already well on its way to becoming a reality. Shalom has recently partnered with Nekuda DM, a product development company, which is assisting with Amigo’s mass-market introduction. Now they just need financial backing to bring it to the public. “We’ve patented Amigo’s core features, and we’re looking for a passionate angel investor who loves dogs, to help us bring Amigo to market and to help as many dogs as we can,” says Shalom.Here's our guide to homemade dog wheel chair designs! Note that if you're on a limited budget, the cost savings can be considerable when you build your own dog wheel chair.

Barbara from southern California wrote: I wanted to thank you for giving me the idea in the first place about using a cart. I was just surfing around and came across your website. Meanwhile, my poor Dachshund was dragging his hind legs a lot and developing sores.  I didn't even know a "wheelchair" for a dog was an option, so I thank you much! See below how she and her boyfriend solved her dog's problem (DIY Design for Dachshund #2). The video above doesn't provide any directions for building the wheel chair. However, it looks like they made a frame out of PVC and painted it pink. The wheels look like they are fairly lightweight and made of plastic. It appears they're using nylon straps to suspend the dog's rear in the frame, and to make a harness for the front so the dog pulls the device. Barbara mentioned her boyfriend used "1/4 inch PVC pipe with some elbows connected and some stroller wheels...some denim cloth to make the strap to support his rear...with Velcro so that it was removable, hence, washable.

It took all day with some trial and error and going back and forth to Home Depot, but it was worth it! He even put a pocket type thing to slip in a little pee pad for when he 'dribbles' ...a great bonus!" A later email from Barbara reports, "We started with heavier wheels thinking they would be more durable, but it just seemed to tired him out much too quickly." (She didn't say, but they probably tried lawnmower wheels first.) Our PVC ™ plans that can be built for around USD 85. For dogs from 25 to 50 lbs. (Sorry, we do not yet have plans for a larger size just for rear leg issues.) This design uses large, skinny bicycle tires and a more forward axle, which Kid John’s owner claims provides a more balanced, stable wheelchair. He includes drawings with instructions as well as photos with arrows showing various parts of the wheelchair. Owner Randy provides lots of details regarding things he experimented with such as the padding, wheels to use, and how to balance the wheelchair so it doesn't hurt the dog.

This version from a Great Dane Rescue operation is made from a used manual human wheelchair. It offers rear leg, front leg, and quad support. A pretty cheap option if you can find one at a thrift store or yard sale. Here's a photo of a PVC doggy wheelchair with a canvas sling for a small dog who has trouble with at least 3 or all 4 legs. No instructions available however. Our wooden  ™ plans offer rehabilitative quad support via a sling for medium to extra large dogs. Cost to build is about USD 150 (unless you can get the wheels off something else, then it would be much cheaper). We again mention the   instructions since this adapted wheelchair can offer a large dog four leg support as well. The former seat is used as a sling underneath the dog's torso. You will need to dig through the instructions to figure these out. May work for someone with a fair amount of experience building things. Commercial designs have taken their existing rear leg wheelchairs and turned them around to provide front leg support.