Walkin" Wheels: Increased Mobility and a Happier Life For Your Elderly Dog
If your dog is getting on in years, he or she may begin to have trouble getting around due to age-related troubles, or genetic conditions.
Two such debilitating afflictions are hip dysplasia or degenerative myelopathy, but there are sadly many more.
In the past, the owners of dogs that developed these or other mobility related conditions faced two equally heartbreaking choices: try to locate some form of canine mobility assistance device, or have the animal put to sleep.
But now, aging dogs are regaining their freedom due to a new mobility assistance device called Walkin' Wheels.
How It Works Walkin' Wheels has been designed especially to benefit dogs that are having difficulty moving or using the hind portion of their bodies.
Unlike a traditional wheelchair, where the patient sits down and is pushed around by another person, the device is intended to replace the dog's non-functioning hind legs with wheels.
The dog moves himself or herself around as they normally would with their healthy front legs.
This enables the dog to walk and run as they normally would if all four legs were functioning properly.
Earlier mobility assistance devices were unwieldy and difficult for the animal to maneuver.
They were also cumbersome for owners to transport, as they were heavy and relatively rigid.
Also, because they were made to fit the specific canine's body, they required exacting measurements of the dog's body dimensions.
The Walkin Wheels device is made of aluminum, so it is lightweight and easy for the owner to lift and transport, particularly since it is designed to fold completely flat.
It is small enough to allow for greater maneuverability indoors, but its sturdy construction can handle a variety of outdoor, and it comes fully assembled and ready to use with only a few adjustments.
This allows it to fit dogs as small as a poodle or as large as a mastiff.
How It Can Help The Walkin Wheels wheelchair allows your dog to regain her former level of mobility.
By enabling the animal to can help run freely and play with ease again, they are able to get the exercise needed to live a happy and healthy life.
The increased mobility is also beneficial for dogs suffering from a range of conditions, since it can reduce the severity of some of their symptoms, and thereby decrease the amount of medication needed, or the frequency that it needs to be given.
Experts have found, for example, that when a dog that has suffered a muscle injury is able to increase its mobility, it speeds up the healing process, reduces inflammation and restores the muscle to its normal function.
In cases involving injuries to the spine or diseases that affect the disks of the vertebrae, an increase in mobility has led to the animal experiencing fewer spasms and a quicker, less painful recovery.
Sometimes, paralyzed or quadriplegic animals have even been able to partially regain the use of their legs due to exercise.
Other conditions that can benefit from the use of a dog wheelchair include fractures, joint replacements, tendon injuries, amputations, and conditions that affect the animal's ability to stand or balance themselves.
How And Where To Get One Unlike the mobility aids of the past, which were custom build for each pet at the request of the owner, the Walkin Wheels device can easily be purchased from your local veterinarian or pet professional.
You can also get one by visiting an animal rehabilitation facility in your area, or ordering online at http://www.
handicappedpets.
com.
For dogs ranging from 20 to 200 pounds, the owner only needs to provide the dog's standing height, from the ground to the fold at the rear leg.
The measurement doesn't have to be perfect, as the wheelchair is slightly adjustable; the main purpose is to determine the type and size of wheels the chair will need to accommodate your pet.
Wheelchairs are also available for dogs that weigh less than 20 pounds; however, these must be custom ordered, and require a few more measurements to ensure that they are a proper fit.
With the exception of specialized orders, all Walkin' Wheels wheelchairs are available for next day shipping, or the devices can be rented for up to 45 days.
The aids arrive already assembled, and can easily adjusted to fit most dogs within the weight range.
A tote bag and instruction manual are also included with the wheelchair.
Two such debilitating afflictions are hip dysplasia or degenerative myelopathy, but there are sadly many more.
In the past, the owners of dogs that developed these or other mobility related conditions faced two equally heartbreaking choices: try to locate some form of canine mobility assistance device, or have the animal put to sleep.
But now, aging dogs are regaining their freedom due to a new mobility assistance device called Walkin' Wheels.
How It Works Walkin' Wheels has been designed especially to benefit dogs that are having difficulty moving or using the hind portion of their bodies.
Unlike a traditional wheelchair, where the patient sits down and is pushed around by another person, the device is intended to replace the dog's non-functioning hind legs with wheels.
The dog moves himself or herself around as they normally would with their healthy front legs.
This enables the dog to walk and run as they normally would if all four legs were functioning properly.
Earlier mobility assistance devices were unwieldy and difficult for the animal to maneuver.
They were also cumbersome for owners to transport, as they were heavy and relatively rigid.
Also, because they were made to fit the specific canine's body, they required exacting measurements of the dog's body dimensions.
The Walkin Wheels device is made of aluminum, so it is lightweight and easy for the owner to lift and transport, particularly since it is designed to fold completely flat.
It is small enough to allow for greater maneuverability indoors, but its sturdy construction can handle a variety of outdoor, and it comes fully assembled and ready to use with only a few adjustments.
This allows it to fit dogs as small as a poodle or as large as a mastiff.
How It Can Help The Walkin Wheels wheelchair allows your dog to regain her former level of mobility.
By enabling the animal to can help run freely and play with ease again, they are able to get the exercise needed to live a happy and healthy life.
The increased mobility is also beneficial for dogs suffering from a range of conditions, since it can reduce the severity of some of their symptoms, and thereby decrease the amount of medication needed, or the frequency that it needs to be given.
Experts have found, for example, that when a dog that has suffered a muscle injury is able to increase its mobility, it speeds up the healing process, reduces inflammation and restores the muscle to its normal function.
In cases involving injuries to the spine or diseases that affect the disks of the vertebrae, an increase in mobility has led to the animal experiencing fewer spasms and a quicker, less painful recovery.
Sometimes, paralyzed or quadriplegic animals have even been able to partially regain the use of their legs due to exercise.
Other conditions that can benefit from the use of a dog wheelchair include fractures, joint replacements, tendon injuries, amputations, and conditions that affect the animal's ability to stand or balance themselves.
How And Where To Get One Unlike the mobility aids of the past, which were custom build for each pet at the request of the owner, the Walkin Wheels device can easily be purchased from your local veterinarian or pet professional.
You can also get one by visiting an animal rehabilitation facility in your area, or ordering online at http://www.
handicappedpets.
com.
For dogs ranging from 20 to 200 pounds, the owner only needs to provide the dog's standing height, from the ground to the fold at the rear leg.
The measurement doesn't have to be perfect, as the wheelchair is slightly adjustable; the main purpose is to determine the type and size of wheels the chair will need to accommodate your pet.
Wheelchairs are also available for dogs that weigh less than 20 pounds; however, these must be custom ordered, and require a few more measurements to ensure that they are a proper fit.
With the exception of specialized orders, all Walkin' Wheels wheelchairs are available for next day shipping, or the devices can be rented for up to 45 days.
The aids arrive already assembled, and can easily adjusted to fit most dogs within the weight range.
A tote bag and instruction manual are also included with the wheelchair.
Source...