Building Wheels for a HandicappedPet
Homemade do it yourself wheels for a dog ot cat or other pet
A dog cart, or wheelchair for pets can offer a handicapped dog years of joy and freedom. Professionally made dog carts are a significant investment, often costing $300.00 - $500.00. Many of us choose to build our own. This section of our website is devoted to ideas, plans, and experiences around home made carts. We hope you’ll add yours.
Index:
- Purchase a professionally-made cart
- Rich Bergins designs and builds a sturdy cart for a larger dog.
- Kid John’s Cart (complete plans and Photos) Outstanding for larger dogs.
- Dennis in Seattle (instructions)
- How to Make a Homemade Cart
- Inexpensive Alternatives & GREAT Ideas… A Cat Cart.
- Ozo’s cart
- Speedy Kitten’s cart
Posted by Dennis D
For large pets and small pets, check this out.
For large pets:
I just got back from a large hardware store (Home Depot) where I examined a lot of fittings and connectors (for connecting frame components of carts in various materials from electrical conduit, plastics, 1/2 inch copper water pipe or a mixture of these.
The best I think is the 1/2 inch copper water pipe, BECAUSE, there is
such a wide assortment of connectors and fittings, moreso than in plastics
or electric conduit, and they are easily and quickly assembled and soldered
with a small hand held propane torch. They are also inexpensive First
I looked at electrical conduit connectors. These are interesting, but
limited in terms of versatility. Plastic fittings are also more limited
than copper, as well as being more bulky (Copper is stronger for it’s
size).
Thick wall copper could be useds for very large dogs and thin wall could
be used for medium dogs up to say 45 lbs. or maybe as high as 75 lbs.
I think that there is 3/8 copper and even smaller, as I saw connectors
for it, so one could combine different sizes depending upon strength
requirement
If I had it to do over again I would use copper waterline and connectors
to assemble a quick cart. Reason being it would be a fast and simple
way to do it. I MAY just convert to copper tomorrow if my hodge-podge
of materials doesn’t work out tonight. (I am using grey plastic garden
hose connectors (’T’s and 90 deg. connectors which I will epoxy into
the inside of the aluminum tubing back-pack frame I have.
Incidently I found a particular human back brace (oart paded with rigid
supports sewn in and part elastic) with straps and buckles that I put
on my black Lab tonight as he is down and in some pain. I semmed to
fit perfectly and I used this as full body lifting harness and it works
better than anything I have yet tried! I was able to support him well
and he was moving all fours and was able to support 1/2 to 3/4 of his
front weight. (I also have a regular dog harness on the front and this
helped getting him up the stairs and into the house.) It tended to slide
slightly toward the rear after awhile I think I will get him going again
with some work.
All day today he couldn’t move and has tried to bite me a few times
in the past few days when trying to help him which tells me he is in
some pain. [possibly from an inadequate simple rear support harness
I tried to use, which worked, but when it slipped forward it wanted
to pull his rear leg forward (not good) this rear harness is a VERY
IMPORTANT ELEMENT because you don’t want to move those hip joints wrong or in an unnatural or uncomfortable way. In my opinion this is the most important part of the cart, or for just a rear support harness.
The human back brace harness worked VERY WELL. I got in in a thrift
store priced at $1.99, but was reduced to 10 cents.
Now HERE IS THE FUN ONE!!
Little Pets! Auto mechanics, you will love this one!
Steel Brake Lines!!! They come in assorted lengths, are only approx
1/4 inch diameter (different diameters available) are quite sturdy,
AND they can be bent and formed with a simple brake-line tubing bender,
(not expensive) and there are connectors for them EVEN ‘T’s!
The Tee’s are used to tee off from the brake line near the master cylinder
for hydraulic trailer brake systems. That’s the application where the
‘T’s are used.
Brake lines are flared at the ends and connected with brass flare connectors.
(flairing tools ar very inexpensive- many available for less than $10.00
They even have ‘repair’ connectors that don’t require a flares but as
I recall they are a little bigger (more bulky) and probably more expensive.
If you know how; brake lines can be brazed or welded so they can be
fabricated to any design. If I do it I will weld or braze most parts
and only use a couple of connectors (if needed) to be able to take it
apart.
Well that’s my input from today. AND thank you all for being an inspiration.
These little critter carts (like kitties) would be fun to make, don’t
you guys think so? (might get tired of it if I had to do it day in and
day out though).
Well LET"S SEE, maybe If we could draw up some plans so people
could make their own at home. (?)
Thanks again,
Dennis in Seattle
It’s John’s 2 wheeled cart. This cart has been specifically designed
for mid-back injuries. It creates a better weight distribution than
any commercial cart I have seen. It is not limited to the mid-back injured
dog.
The upright, or wheel mounting is moved forward, 2 inches more than
other carts. The saddle rings have been moved back in the cart.
A rear bar, and small stationary wheel has been added to make extra
stability.
(This aids when John is backing up, over the speed limit.)
While moving forward, the rear wheel clears the ground by about 5 inches.
With the wheels forward, there is more weight added to the rear of the
cart. This makes the dogs own weight, act as a counter balance.
The belly strap is not just for looks.
The increased rear weight makes a lift on the cart arms, thereby making
a firm lift on the belly strap.
This also, decreases the shoulder down pressure.
Everyone with a cart, thinks about the shoulder weight.
The cart is harder to flip over, because the wheels are almost centered,
and more inclined to pivot, instead of flipping.
Everything that went into this design, is based on John’s size, and
weight.
The same type cart can be made with light weight materials. The measurments
would have to be cut down for the smaller dog. John’s height was our
starting point.
The harness is much the same as other carts use, except John has a belly
strap, directly under his injury.
I don’t want to be too vague, on the description of the cart, so if
you have any questions, I will be glad to keep talking.
Kid John
Picture of Kid John in his cart
From www.living-with-dogs.com
How to make a handmade wheelchair
Material
- 10 slim aluminum pipes. You can get them at Do-it-yourself shop.
- 2 casters which move in front and behind, right and left for the front
legs.
- Normal casters for the rear legs, and stomach supporter.
- Cloth (strong nylon made cloth)
- Several plastic joints to fix aluminum pips
Frame image for a dog which legs are disabled. Legs are folded and rump
is put on the crossbeam.
|
Frame image for a dog which legs are disabled. Legs are folded and rump is put on the crossbeam. |
How to make the homemade cart
Cut the pips into certain length according to the dog’s height and length.
Put them together and make a quadrilateral railing, then fix a pipe
to each crossbeam for strength.
Sew up the cloth on the railing, allowing certain room according to
the dog’s size. Make holes for the dog’s legs and sew up another cloth
around the holes to strengthen.
Make the height of the wheelchair same as dog’s legs reach the floor.
Imagine walker for babies and hospitals. It seems good for dogs either
front legs or rear legs are disabled that there’s no burden on another
legs.
As for the caster, helper wheel for children’s bike seems good. The
cloth where the body lays needs certain room and it would be easy to
put on and take off for laundry if you use button, just like attaching
stretcher to the pipe. The shape looks like child walker.
It does not have a small turning circle, but it is good enough to go
for a walk.
(25 Nov 2000)(Aichi-pref, Ms N.C)
Here is a picture of Mimosa.
Here she is in her physical therapy cart. It wouldn’t be ideal for long term use, becasue the vet wrap isn’t secure enough. However, it works great for 15 minute physical therapy sessions to build up her front leg strength. It also allows her to use her one good leg.
http://geocities.com/speedykitten/index.html
Homemade cart links
http://home.att.net/~f.abernathy/swivel/
http://web.tiscali.it/strays/triciclo.html
Ozo’s cart - See Ozo’s gallery page for photos and a more complete description
My best buddy Ozo(10 years old) has degenerative Myelopathy, and hasn’t been able to walk unassisted since February of this year. It took him almost a year to get that way from the first time we saw he was having problems walking in smooth surfaces. We have done about everything we can for him medically.
The difference here is that I saw a news program several years ago about people building wheelchairs for dogs. It stuck in my mind and when Ozo got to the point of not walking by himself, I looked into one. I found (like you) that the $400+ price tag was more than I could now afford. I talked with several friends about helping out with the cost (actually they tried to convince me) and was about to do it, when the thought came to me to try and build one myself.
I looked at every photo I could find of any kind of dog cart. I found things I liked, and things I didn’t and designed one that I thought I could make. I could write pages about this process as it was quite an ordeal to get to the point where I actually got one I liked.
Ozo has been using his cart daily, and he hasn’t missed a single walk since February. You should see his face when he goes out………what a smile! We go out for an hour a day, seven days a week……..and have logged over 400 miles in that time! In the beginning, he could still use his rear legs with the support of the cart.
Then it became necessary to make him boots to keep his feet safe from him dragging them. About a month ago, I finally had to attach straps to hold his feet off the ground because he just couldn’t get them to step a full step anymore.
It was very hard to do because it showed me how this disease was progressing, and the muscles weren’t going to get the use. To my surprise………he actually goes faster now, and ventures off places he wouldn’t before. He still kicks his legs in the straps as he walks, so he is still getting some exercise as he walks.
Sorry this post turned out so long, but it feels good to share this info
with someone in a similar situation.
I would also like to make a few suggestions about the cart you are having
built.
Make sure there is plenty of padding in the places where the cart contacts the body. I bought the closed cell foam insulation that you put around water pipes to keep them from freezing. It is very inexpensive, and has a split in the side so it is easy to install.
After some experimenting, I put several layers where the cart contacts the neck, then wrapped it with electrical tape to keep it in place.
Next, really put some thought into the saddle where your dog will sit. You need to make sure it is cut away enough so he can do his business (front, and back). It also has to be soft, and or padded. I first used neoprene (from a wet suit that the local dive shop donated when he heard what I was attempting). It worked well, but you have to watch the front of the saddle as it has the most chance of rubbing and causing irritation. My wife finally made up this figure eight sort of a saddle that is very padded and soft.
I found that the height of the saddle is very important, as Ozo would refuse to walk unless I had it just right, not too high, not too low. In fact be prepared for your dog to possible not like the cart for the first few days. Ozo would lay his ears back and look upset at first. I had to lead him with a leash at first, but after about three days (make it as fun as possible, lots of good boys!!) he figures out that this was his "walkin’ machine".
Another thing…….I would highly recommend large wheels. I used 16 inch rear wheels from an old lawn mower at
first, but they are hard and heavy. I next used 16 inch wheels from a baby
jogging stroller. They are lighter, and since they have air in them, I think
a softer ride. Smaller wheels just aren’t stable enough for a large dog.
One last thing that I can think of……the balance point of the cart is also important. If his saddle is directly over the center of the wheels the balance is pretty good. The further forward you put the saddle, the more the cart will press on his shoulder area, too far back, and the cart will want to tip over backwards. I settled on having the saddle several inches in front of the center of the wheels. That way the cart doesn’t want to go over backwards, and there is just enough weight on his shoulders to keep the cart from wiggling around too much, but not so much as to be uncomfortable.
You will probably have to have some sort of strap to keep the cart from moving around on his neck. One final thought and I’ll close. I had the illusion (and many people I meet do) that I could build this cart and let my dog go and be a dog all by himself. I would highly recommend that he is supervised while in the cart, because…….they can tip over when the dog gets too excited, or finds a ditch to go into, a small bush to drive over, etc.
I hope this of some help to you or anyone else that is in a similar
situation out there. If I can answer an of your questions while the cart is
being made, or when you do the first fitting, please let me know. Take
care………..best of luck,
Randy
