DIY Dog Wheelchairs

Several websites advise do-it-yourself (DIY) dog carts. As large fans of Home Depot and Lowe's, we honestly attempt the DIY attitude ourselves regularly. But is a DIY cart a fee financial savings or a headache?

DIY websites?

It is not hard to find some DIY websites for canine wheelchair designs. Several come up right away in google, yahoo, or bing search engines. Although K-9 Cart Company East owns the first patent on canine wheelchairs, as long as you are building the best dog wheelchair for your very own use in place of setting out a commercial enterprise, you likely are not violating copyright and patent law. Whew! But nearly all these websites are versions of the equal layout no matter what they are saying.

What do you need to buy a DIY cart?

Essentially those plans consist of constructing some sort of assist structure the use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe. That's the white plastic pipe that you can discover at your private home hardware store that changed into designed for plumbing. That's right; it is supposed to carry water not support the weight. Ask any builder; homes are constructed of framing made from either timber or steel studs. Yes, the plumbing is in those partitions, but it is not meant to carry weight.

Despite the design coming from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, there is no mention of the fabric houses of PVC vs. Aluminum or chrome steel. But we can guarantee you that PVC - specifically while you riddle it with holes to modify the peak - cannot provide the electricity of aluminum or stainless-steel. We tremor on the concept of trying to use this for a massive dog!

Also, the assist gadget for the cart includes a Walkabout harness. Now we know many proprietors love their walkabouts, and we apprehend how they provide a pleasant bridge while now not in the cart or for rehabilitation. However, walkabouts have been not designed to guide a canine in a wheelchair.

So maybe it isn't always so terrible a concept for a small dog. Yes, PVC can be capable of providing sufficient stress and strength on your 15 lb. Dog. However, the diameter of the PVC is a good deal larger than an aluminum tube. Hence, the cart is cumbersome. Add to that the wheels that you should purchase are heavy spoked wheels. All this contributes to a variety of weight which you are asking your little dog to tug at it.

Other comments about DIY carts?

You know the antique announcing, "You get what you pay for." Well, that is where we stand with DIY dog wheelchairs. At K-9 Cart Company East, you no longer handiest buy 45 years of veterinary information in building dog wheelchairs, but the capacity to call or email and get veterinary recommendation approximately your pet's specific handicap or incapacity. We hold to make improvements on our carts and pass the ones new thoughts directly to our clients.

Each cart is custom-made specifically on your pet no longer made to be adjustable for each canine coming down the pike. Think about it. If a cart is made to suit a 30-60 lb canine, there has to be more weight in there to deal with that huge a variety. Sure we construct some adjust ability into every cart because we understand how hard it's miles to get precise measurements.

Still Can't Afford a Custom K-nine Cart Dog Wheelchair?

So after all those vet bills or your kids greater curricular activities, buying a brand new wheelchair isn't always something you may have the funds for. There are several alternatives to do not forget:

Send us your measurements, and we will see if we can discover a match. If so, we will come up with the wheelchair's proprietor's contact statistics. From there it's far as much as you to barter a rate, however, usually, maximum owners ask about 50% for a used K-nine Cart. At 1/2-charge this is nevertheless much less than the price of a DIY cart.

Look for used carts on eBay or Craigslist: While this is a much less probable manner to discover a K-9 Cart dog wheelchair, we do see different companies carts nearly daily on these online sources. Just be cautious. There are a few inexpensive "new" carts on eBay. Would you buy a clinical system in your partner or youngster on eBay? Probably not so keep this in thoughts that you get what you pay for on eBay.

Ask for help from animal lovers: We have had some very creative proprietors who have performed everything from contacting AAHA Helping Hands and different sources for veterinary assistance to garage sales and bake sales to elevate money. There are some animal enthusiasts accessible that can be able to help you.  More resources are to be had on our hyperlinks web page.