How to Build a Dog Wheel Chair
Wheel chairs are important to a dog that needs help to walk. The wheel chair allows the dog to use mostly his front legs to walk when his back end is not able to. Sometimes when the dog's front legs are bad and need healing, the wheel chair can be turned around by removing the back bar so that the dog can use his back legs to walk. The wheels add support on either end of the dog where he needs it most. It is a great idea for the dog that is disabled or very old and has a difficult time walking.
Things You'll Need
- Harness
- Two wheels (8- to 12-inch)
- Drill
- Nuts and bolts
- Tape measure
- Aluminum pole
- U shape bar
- Tennis racket padding/tape
Instructions
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1
Take measurements. You will need to know how wide the dog is to measure the width of the wheelchair.
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2
Purchase two wheels. The wheels should be about 8-inches for small dogs and at least 12-inches for larger dogs. Connect each wheel to a metal right angle frame brace with a nut and bolt.
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3
Cut an aluminum pole. You will need to buy an aluminum pole about 1/2-inch in diameter and about 4 to 8 feet in length. If the width of the dog is 8 inches then cut the pipe 12 inches. This should give enough room so that the dog's rear will not hit against the wheels or piping. Attach the pipe to the bottom hole on the metal angles with a nut and bolt.
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4
Measure the length of the dog. Measure from back end to the shoulders. This will determine how long the next poles will need to be. If the dog is 14 inches in length then cut two pipes 12 inches. The 2 remaining inches on each side will give room for the harness connection.
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5
Measure the dog's shoulder width. Buy a U shape bar that would fit the dog's width. Take the padding used on a tennis racket handle and wrap it around the bar. This will ensure that the metal doesn't rub against and irritate the dog's back. Attach the bar to the harness. Take the middle of the harness where it tightens and slip it through the bar until it reaches the top of the bar and then take each end of the harness and slip its metal ring through the bar.
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6
Attach bar to the sides pipes. Match the side pipes up to the bar and bring the bars at least 1 inch up on the bar. This is where you will need to drill a hole (on each side of the bar). The holes will need to come all the way through the bar so that the pipes can sit through them. Screw a nut and bolt into each pipe end to make sure it stays on. The head of the bolt will need to be larger than the hole.
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Tips & Warnings
Make sure to put enough tennis racket tape around the bar so that it adds padding for the dog. You do not want anything that will rub and scratch the dog's back.
