It’s the joy of every pet owner to see their beloved pet buddies grow from strength to strength, from puppy to full-grown adults. Things can take a sad little turn when pets begin to face some of the misfortunes that come with aging. Some can be lucky enough to go through this phase gracefully without any ailments or such difficulties. However, very often, most pets would suffer from a range of troubles that can deter or even go on to rub them of important necessities like mobility, in which case you must find a solution for your beloved pooch. The simplest means to help your pet, in this case, would be to go for a full support wheelchair. However, since these special wheelchairs can be very expensive compared to the DIY’s, you can do it yourself instead. Also, doing it yourself helps you pattern your pet’s wheelchair especially according to the nature of their challenge; this is a huge benefit both for yourself and your pooch.
Pros and Cons of a DIY Wheelchair
Pros – Very first benefit of doing your dog’s wheelchair yourself is that it is a lot much cheaper compared to the cost of getting ready-made ones from a store.
Secondly, by doing it yourself, you get the leverage of patterning the wheelchair according to the severity of your pet’s ailment. As you may not immediately find one that matches what you are after for your pooch.
Very importantly also, you get to ascertain the measurements and thickness of the materials used. You have to consider the fact that all pets do not quite have the same measurements and thickness. Therefore, because the ones available in stores were mass produced for different dogs, you may not find one that fits your dog’s measurements and thickness perfectly, which is very important for the dog’s comfort and faster results.
Also, you can even build more than one wheelchair when you consider how inexpensive the materials are. This can also be beneficial to you as you can now have one wheelchair for indoors and the other for outdoors. You can make the one for outdoor activities more rigid and include any other necessary features if you like.
Cons – well, nothing good comes easy. So the most adamant con here will be the stress involved in gathering the right materials. The building part is easier, especially if you get the measurements right and follow the instructions carefully, depending on your pet’s needs.
The Planning and Design
The first things you should consider when embarking on a DIY wheelchair project for your dog include your dog’s measurement, their thickness, their body width, their neck height, their body length, and body height, and the nature of their challenge.
Afterward, you want to consider the materials, what do you need, where can you find them, how much they cost, and how to put them together. People often go for materials like aluminum fittings and polycarbonate plastic plates for the base as they provide more support. The diameter of the wheels also is an issue of concern; the bigger your pet, the larger the wheels should be.
Also, the area that will accommodate the lower body of your pet (the saddle) comes into concern. And may get tricky sometimes because it must be both comfortable and solid at the same time. Getting it wrong here might complicate things more or even give your dog an ulcer. So, you must be careful so that it doesn't inflict any pain at all.
Necessary Tools and Equipment
The materials you will need vary according to what kind of wheelchair you plan on doing. While some projects may need nylon fittings as well, others may not. However, some of the most characteristic tools that are often needed include:
- A saw (to cut aluminum and PVC pipes, etc.)
- A set of vise and clamps
- A drill
- Adjustable wrenches
- Sewing materials (straight pins, a pair of scissors, etc.)
- PVC elbows
- Wheel axle
- Adhesive
- C-clips
- Hammer
- Nylon webbing
- Wheels
- Support glue
- Bandages
- Nuts and screws
- Pool noodles, etc.
The Building Process
During the building process, you must make sure of accurate measurements throughout your project. To avoid errors that can end up in discomfort for your pet and you are buying materials more than once, take measurements at least twice before cutting and cut once. Remember, more accuracy, more comfort, and fewer expenses.
After you might have gotten the measurements right, you can use strong glue or adhesive to put the framework together and see how it looks. If your result is satisfactory, you can go ahead to drill holes in the relevant areas so you can insert screws for better rigidity. Also, you can drill holes through the bottom of your framework so that you can insert the wheel axle to secure both wheels with the help of your C-clips. You should also be meticulous with the shafts.
Also, for visual tutorials and the sake of clarity, you can look up some of the tutorial videos on the internet. There are some good examples on YouTube from dogsaholic.com and handicappedpets.com.
Conclusion: DIY dog wheelchairs are one of the best solutions for pets suffering from mobility challenges. One major benefit of a DIY wheelchair is the fact that it is usually custom made especially for your dog and specifically to address the current state of ailment. As such, you can expect more rapid improvements as these wheelchairs will give your pet more comfort because it is custom made. Also, you get to save a lot of extra bucks off ready-made wheelchairs.