Walkin Wheels Medium Quad Dog Wheelchair

Description

Walkin Wheels Medium Quad Wheelchair.
- Wheels are upgraded from foam to air tires.
- Comes with optional stomach support band depending how much support your dog requires.
- For dogs 26-49lbs.
The rear wheels plus the front wheels attachment, upgrades, and support strap put this over 700$.
In the picture i have black zip ties on the front of the chair on both side to tense up the frame. They can be removed. The chair design has a little bit of “give” to it when your dogs weight comes down on to it meaning the front wheels spread apart ever so slightly from your dogs weight. A very small amount but depending how bad your dogs mobility is that tiny bit of height may be needed like it was in the end with my dog.
I got this wheelchair for my Australian Shepherd, Sammy, after she was diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy.
For the first year after the diagnosis she maintained a lot of her strength, she was just a little wobbly in her rear end. She always loved to be outside and active but began dragging her rear paws slightly so when I walked her i used a stomach support strap to help her keep her balance and doggy boots on her back feet to protect them from the pavement.
As time went on her rear legs became weaker and i became her rear legs entirely. However, her front legs still had a lot of strength. Impressively, with my help, she still could pull me with her front legs alone and with my assistance had no issue getting up stairs and mild inclines.
Maybe a year later I could see she was slowing down so it was time for me to make a decision. It broke my heart thinking about putting her down when she still had such a will to live. She still loved to be outside, play with her ball, and had a huge appetite. Even with her limitations she was happy. So i started looking into doggy wheelchairs for her.
Immediately I realized it was going to be expensive. I was going through a hard time and I didnt have a lot of money saved and couldnt afford the spend hundreds of dollars on a good wheelchair for her so i tried a cheaper brand but It was defective immediately and could not do the job. It broke the first time I put her in it. So next i tried making one.
I designed a couple wheelchairs out of pvc pipe and the wheels to a stroller but I couldnt get the support straps accurate enough. For a smaller, lighter dog it would be easier to build a wheelchair because size and body weight wouldnt be such a factor but for her size and condition it was really important to get all the measurements perfect in order to not hurt her. But ultimately my attempts at building one efficient enough failed.
I was really depressed and discouraged and i felt like I couldnt help her but i was determined not to give up on her when she still wanted to try so hard. So at that point i didnt care what itd cost because i had decided to find a way to pay for a safe wheelchair for her.
I had begun boxing up my electronics and anything i had of value and taking them the pawn shop to get whatever i could for them. My family caught on to this at some point and offered to loan me the money. I didnt want to accept it, but it was too important to me to let my pride get in the way so i accepted the money and bought a good wheelchair.
For another year we went for walks and she loved every bit of it. She genuinely enjoyed and looked forward to them. When i grabbed her wheelchair to get it ready for her shed get so excited and wanted to get into it so badly because she knew it meant we were going for a walk . But in her condition all good things must come to an end.
Halfway through the second year post diagnosis her condition started catching up to her front legs and she could no longer pull herself. But she still could move them like she was walking so I began pulling her chair with a strap and let her pretend she was doing it herself. But eventually it became too hard hard for her so I knew it was time.
This wheelchair gave me more time with my girl. I got her as a puppy, had her for 10 years, and saw her off at the end. She was the best dog Ive ever had and my only regret was that I didnt get this wheelchair sooner.
I had this chair stored away for awhile because it made me sad to look at but I know it can help another dog out there and Id strongly encourage you to get your dog a good wheelchair if its in need and youre able to, even if its not this one.