Mastiff Needs a Wheelchair

[mastifflove]

My almost 9 year old Mastiff needs a wheelchair due to DM. She is 170 pounds. I need to get her a wheelchair asap, however, a couple questions/concerns:
1) Finding a chair that will adequately support her weight - several reviews state that these wheelchairs could possibly bend.
2) How do they go to the bathroom?
3) How easy is this chair to put together - I've read different reviews regarding the instructions and ease of putting together - some say very easy and some say very hard
4) How quick/easy is it to get the chair on and off?
5) Do people who purchase the chair also have ramps put in?

[CarolC]

Hi mastifflove,

I can't answer your questions about the wheelchairs, but wanted to give you some other information. My big dog weighed a lot less than yours, and I used an engine hoist to hold him in a standing position when I wanted to put his hindquarters into a cart. Later I used it to lift him into a 4-wheel cart.

Your dog weighs nearly as much as the hoist itself so you would need to be sure not to modify it as shown in this article (or it would tip), but it has some good ideas. Just having a way to keep your dog standing (in one place) is a big help when trying to use a wheelchair. I won't say it made it easy, but I could not have done it at all without it, partly because as soon as I lifted his hindquarters he would try to start walking, making it too hard to get him in the cart.

http://www.handicappedpets.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=Engine_hoist_for_a_heavy_dog

Here is an article on modifying a car for transporting a dog like this.

https://www.handicappedpets.com/mediawiki/?title=Automobile_conversion_for_a_disabled_dog

Here is a trick for centering her on her bed if she lands off center. I did not try it on a 180-lb dog, only a 65-lb dog, however the idea came from an article showing the same trick used with a human patient.

http://www.handicappedpets.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=Center_a_heavy_dog_on_his_bed

I strongly recommend something that helped us a lot. My dog had a bed which was similar to a child's crib mattress, somewhat firm without being hard, and several inches off the ground. Having your dog lying on a bed 8" off the ground is a big help when it is time to get her on her feet. We could never have done it with a standard foam dog bed. It is 8" of height you do NOT have to lift, instead your dog puts her feet down and you lift her the last 10" or however high.

Here is an article showing how to turn your dog, if she can't turn herself (to prevent sores).

http://www.mzjf.com/turn-dog.htm

[CarolC]

http://eddieswheels.com/hospital-equipment/

Also check into this Equa-Lift Hoist. I have no experience with it, but you're likely to spend as much or more on personal medical bills from doing the lifting yourself without some kind of hoist. If she weighs 180 and her hindquarters are 40% of total weight, you're lifting 72 lbs every time you put her in the cart.