Pet Stair Lifts...

Share creative ideas for building, sewing, adapting, or crafting things by hand for special needs pets. Find ideas for your homemade project here!
BryanM
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Pet Stair Lifts...

Post by BryanM »

I have a dog that needs to be carried up and down our stairs to get to the second story of our house. I know there are other people like me that have older dogs that can no longer climb stairs on their own. I know the people stair lifts are extremely expensive. Has anyone come up with something suitable for pets at a smaller cost? I would consider paying $500 to $600 USD if there was something like it.

I guess that's another good question... What would everyone else be willing to pay for something like this?

Thanks!

Bryan
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CarolC
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Re: Pet Stair Lifts...

Post by CarolC »

Hi Bryan,

I can't answer how much people would be willing to pay, but there have been a number of people wanting this type of product over the years. There have been a few discussions of it, I think there is one video of a working model in Germany, and I think a schematic for another one was posted once. If you want links to those messages, I can probably find them for you. The way I feel about it, there are a variety of situations that need to be addressed, including dogs of different sizes, and stairways that have landings and turns. ***BUT*** even if someone could just come up with a working apparatus to get a 20-lb dog up a straight flight of stairs, that would help a LOT of people. I hope that someone will be you!

:gang:
Christine
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Re: Pet Stair Lifts...

Post by Christine »

Hi Bryan,

Here is the thread with the most conversation, research and links. I have contacted the people who created the Henry stairlift several times asking if we could get the plans with little success. Perhaps you would have some luck or even see something to ignite some ideas of your own.

viewtopic.php?f=30&t=11063&hilit=stairlift

Welcome to our group and good luck with your dog. Pictures are a requirement around here :mrgreen: What is his/her name?
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Christine... and Bailey, playing at the Bridge
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Simonsmom
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Re: Pet Stair Lifts...

Post by Simonsmom »

Hi,

I'm so glad to have discovered this forum! I didn't have any resources at all on handicapped pets.....until now. Thank you all!

I have a 12 y.o. 50 lb. mixed breed dog name Simon who has severe arthritis and cannot do stairs at all. I live in a split level home which means we have have to carry Simon up and down 14 stairs to get him in and out of the house. It's not easy on the back or lungs (!) although of course he's worth it.

Does anyone know of a stair lift or an alternative that can be used outside to get a 50 lb. dog up and down the stairs? We normally use our outside deck stairs to transport him.

Thank you so much!

Elissa
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critters
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Re: Pet Stair Lifts...

Post by critters »

:slant: How about a ramp?
Simonsmom
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Re: Pet Stair Lifts...

Post by Simonsmom »

Hello and thanks for the quick response.

I looked into a ramp but unfortunately it's not feasible in my situation. There are 14 stairs - about 1.5 stories - and a straight ramp would have to be VERY long to accomodate the gradual slope that Simon needs. My yard isn't large enough to support it. I received estimates in the $2,500 - $4,000 range for a winding ramp but I can't afford that right now!
Christine
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Re: Pet Stair Lifts...

Post by Christine »

I am not an engineer or carpenter, but maybe you know someone who is. Is a rope and hand pulley system for a closed crate feasible?
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2Dogs
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Re: Pet Stair Lifts...

Post by 2Dogs »

Wow, I'm grateful to have found this feed here! I had thought of this idea as I was lifting a golden retriever up and down stairs for a while. I would be interested in seeing a working model of this. My golden is no longer with me but I can appreciate the development of something like this!
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FYI
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Re: Pet Stair Lifts...

Post by FYI »

Christine
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Re: Pet Stair Lifts...

Post by Christine »

Awww....Katie is precious. I would be worried sending her up in the chair without a barrier, but looks like she has done it a lot and sits still.

Unless someone ever comes up with a doggie lift like the one from Germany, I can see where you could do double duty with a human chairlift with the right safety measures in place.

I am not even going to address the food issues because they are all obviously happy.
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Christine... and Bailey, playing at the Bridge
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tehkaren
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Re: Pet Stair Lifts...

Post by tehkaren »

Hi Christine,

Did anyone manage to find the solution to the chair lift for stairs?
I am looking for one for my old retriever.

Thanks,
karen
angler
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Re: Pet Stair Lifts...

Post by angler »

I would like to join the bandwagon on finding an electric stair lift for dogs. I have a 10 year old Basset Hound with arthritis and the worst possible thing for him is to climb up or bounce down the myriad of stairs to get to your second story apartment. I have a builder friend looking into making him a lift using a garage door opener motor but we're still searching for possibilities to make this safe, especially during winter with snow and ice being problematic.

I will join the choir with HELP!? Anything new out there?
Bobbie
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Re: Pet Stair Lifts...

Post by Bobbie »

We had a lift guy come out to quote us on a human stairlift (for my aunt) and he said some people do bolt a platform onto the stairlift to accommodate pets. There is also a chair platform stair lift. Nicely for my wheel dogs, what they are probably going to put in is a wheelchair lift- a person in a wheel chair can roll in and ride up, and a wheelcorgi can do the same!

Not a cheap alternative, but if just for a pet something like a dumbwaiter would work. Are those still available anywhere?
Bobbie Mayer
"Corgis on Wheels: Understanding and Caring for the Special Needs of Corgis with Degenerative Myelopathy or DIsk Disease available now!
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Christine
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Re: Pet Stair Lifts...

Post by Christine »

How interesting that this thread is being addressed again. Just this week, I have written to two stairlift companies asking if they have ever considered building something specifically for pets or creating an add on to their current products. One wrote back giving me a negative, but passed along another company for me to try. I am still waiting for a response from them. In each case, I gave them the link to this thread. Perhaps, if several of us contact the companies, someone will realize that there is a market for these.

Here are the Google results for stairlift companies is anyone has a few minutes:

http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=stairl ... 8&fr=b1ie7
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tehkaren
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Re: Pet Stair Lifts...

Post by tehkaren »

HI Christine,

Did you get the pictures on how to built the HenryMobil from Conny?
It would be a great help if I can get them and so if I can find someone to build it for me.

Thanks so much for your help.

Cheers,
karen
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