Best Dog Wheelchair Reviews 2018

You can expect to spend between $140 and $390 for a quality dog wheelchair. If your dog is low-energy or only needs the wheelchair temporarily for rehabilitation, you might be able to get away with a cheap dog wheelchair as they would only use it for a short period of time.

Most dog owners, however, purchase dog wheelchairs for major injuries that require months of rehabilitation, degenerative hip and leg problems, old age, or birth defects such as hip dysplasia. If your dog is going to use the wheelchair daily, and especially if your dog is too heavy for you to lift and carry, we recommend spending a bit more for a sturdier, more reliable model.

The main factors that influence price are the device’s weight, how easy it is to use, and whether or not it has any extra features. Some models, for example, only weigh a few pounds and can be easily folded for easy transport. Top-of-the-line dog wheelchairs also tend to have some very useful bonus features, such as the option to attach a harness for you to manually support your dog, or an extra piece that offers full or partial rear leg support for your pet.

As we mentioned above, dog wheelchairs are usually purchased for two reasons: rehabilitation or medical conditions that leave your pet handicapped. Dog wheelchairs can be used for degenerative myelopathy, a ruptured disc, spinal trauma, IVDD, hip dysplasia, arthritis, old age, rear amputees, and post-surgical rehab for disc, knee, and hip surgery, to name a few.

There are tons of quality dog wheelchairs on the market, but you’ll find that most function very similarly. When shopping for a dog wheelchair, here are some features you should look for:

• Fully adjustable length, width, and height
• Made from non-corrosive aluminum
• Offers full or partial rear support, depending on your pet’s needs
• Allows dogs to use the bathroom
• Available in a size that fits your dog’s height, weight, and hip height
• All-terrain wheels that can move in grass
• Good customer support to help with fitting
• Folds flat and is lightweight for easy transport
• Has a comfortable harness

If your dog is going through a rehabilitation period, you may also want to look for a wheelchair that can be adjusted so that your dog can gradually become accustomed to carrying its own weight again. Let’s take a look at some other important construction and design elements.

All dog wheelchairs feature some kind of harness system that goes around the chest area, two rods that connect to the wheelchair system, and the wheelchair itself, which looks a lot like a walker. It’s important that the harness is comfortable enough for your dog to wear for extended periods of time. Some owners also opt for models that have front support attachments, depending on the level of support your dog needs.

The most important consideration in terms of construction and design is whether or not the device in question can be adjusted in terms of length, width, and height. Dog wheelchairs usually come in a range of general sizes, from XS to XL. A Medium dog wheelchair may be compatible with dogs 20-40 pounds with a hip height between 9” and 14”, but you’ll need to be able to adjust the device based on your pet’s specific measurements. It’s important to ensure a proper fit because it’ll make it easier to get your dog into the wheelchair, for them to use it, and will make the device more effective overall.

You’ll also want to consider what the dog wheelchair frame is made from and what type of tires it has. Most dog wheelchairs – and all five in our review – are made from aluminum. Aluminum is durable, non-corrosive, and will last for years. It’s also extremely lightweight.

Most dog wheelchairs have plastic wheels; though, for an additional price, you may be able to choose air-filled tires, instead. Either option works well, but air-filled tires are usually better for grass and unpaved surfaces. A lot of pet owners purchase dog wheelchairs so that their dog can easily resume using the bathroom outdoors, so you should definitely take note of what type of tire the device you’re considering uses.

Finally, as we’ve mentioned, a lot of pet owners purchase dog wheelchairs for rehabilitation after surgery or an injury. If this is the case, it’s important that the wheelchair you choose can be adjusted to allow your dog to bear more and more of its own weight during the rehabilitation process. If the machine can’t be adjusted to offer partial support, your dog won’t be able to use it to learn to walk on his or her own again.

Looping back to design and construction, almost all dog wheelchairs are fully adjustable by length, width, and height. The only variation is how easy they are to adjust. Some dog wheelchairs can be simply adjusted with the push of a button. Others are more difficult and may require a hex wrench or other tools. The easier it is to adjust, the happier you’ll be with your purchase in the long run!

You should look at each manufacturer’s specifications for fit when purchasing a dog wheelchair because every company has a different standard. There is no universal measurement for weight, height, or dog breed compatibility. Some companies base their sizes on hip height and dog weight, while others use belly height and dog weight. Dogs come in all shapes and sizes, so this step is extremely important. A Beagle and Pomeranian, for example, might both fit in the 10 to 20-pound weight category, but a Beagle will be much longer. In this case, most manufacturers recommend going up a size.

In the beginning, using the wheelchair may be frightening for both you and your pet, but don’t get discouraged. Purchasing a high-quality dog wheelchair and ensuring a proper fit are two important steps that will increase your chances of success.