Great Dane Rescue in Ohio: Harlequin Haven Great Dane Rescue -- Canine Care -- Building a Wheelchair

Harlequin Haven Great Dane Rescue

Building A Wheelchair

To purchase a wheelchair for a giant breed dog is quite costly, so we have come up with a way to make your own wheelchair for under $50, and in just one day.

*First: Go to a second hand store, flea market, or a hospital equipment store and purchase a used manual wheelchair. They sell for $20 - $30. (an electric wheelchair will work but they typically cost more and have a lot more things that need to be removed)
*Second: Go to the hardware store and purchase 2 - 1/4" eye bolts with nuts, 2 carabiners (snaps used in rock climbing), 2 - 1/4" pins or nuts and bolts and 1 piece of heavy walled conduit or bar.
*Third: Purchase a harness to fit your dog.
*Fourth: Go home get started!

First remove all things that will not be needed such as the foot rest, the back, etc. (Do not throw away the back canvas you can keep this as a spare seat if the other wears out.) Once the extra's are removed you will need to cut the cross brace off of the chair. Replace the cross brace with 2 bars or heavy walled conduit to hold the chair together. You can bolt or weld the bars onto the chair. You want to make sure that the bars are not going to interfere with the dog’s movement. See pictures below.

Above picture is looking from front to back.

Above picture is looking from back to front.

Next you want to weld or bolt a brace at the top of the handles. This helps hold the chair steady and secure. See picture below

Next, where the seat is attached unscrew one side, drill out the holes and replace 2 of the screws with your eye bolts. See picture below.

You also have noticed that these bars raise up and down (this is how the chair used to fold for easy storage). This now will be to raise and lower the seat to adjust to your dog. Drill holes at about 1 or 2 inch intervals to allow plenty of adjustment. Our chair can adjust from 19" to 29". Remember this is the height from floor to the underneath of your dog. See picture below.

Place the carabiners through the matching hole in the seat to the eye bolt, as shown below.

Adjust the seat to the height your dog needs. The pin below is easy to adjust height with little effort.

Your chair is ready to use. Drop the seat out of the way to allow the dog to step into position. When the dog is in position, fasten the carabiners to the eye bolts. Attach the harness to the sides of the chair.

Your dog is now mobile!

What we liked best about this wheelchair for our dogs is that it supports the dog completely so no matter if the dog can not use his front or back legs he can use this chair. Plus of course the cost!!

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