dog euthanasia alternative

Euthanasia or New Beginning for Dog?

Pet owners can be faced with heart wrenching decisions regarding dog euthanasia if a beloved dog can no longer walk. Is the dog enjoying any quality of life? Can the dog perform basic daily functions? Is it time to consider euthanasia, for the sake of the pet? Fortunately, there are many resources available today that can give a mobility-challenged dog a high quality of life and allow the dog to perform basic daily functions.

Help Lift & Support Your Dog

rear dog lift support

Dog harnesses can provide lifting support for dog who need just a little help, to dogs that need major support. If a dog needs just a little lift, maybe because old age or arthritis is causing him to slow down a bit, a Walkin’ Up-n-Go Rear Support Leash can do the trick. The Up-n-Go Leash is fast and easy to put on the dog. Pet owners find this especially helpful for a quick bathroom run to the backyard, or for hopping into the car.

Some dog owners start using a towel to give their dogs a little help up/down stairs or for bathroom breaks. A dog lift harness is a step up from a towel. It's easier to use, many harness styles feature an adjustable handle so the pet owner can save stress on his or her own back.

Harnesses for Even More Lift

If greater assistance is needed, the Buddy Up Harness or the Warrior Rear Harness are great options. The Warrior rear harness pulls up like a pair of shorts for a comfortable fit. This is a sturdy support for all sizes of dogs, with adjustable handles. It can also be used with a Walkin’ Wheels wheelchair.

The Buddy Up Harness is both a front and rear harness, sold separately or together, and it can also clip right into the Walkin’ Wheels dog wheelchair. This is for dogs who weigh 40 pounds or more and use a medium or large wheelchair.

Of course, it can also be used simply as a harness, and together, it’s great for dogs who need a complete lift!

Walkin’ Wheels an Alternative to Dog Euthanasia

A dog losing the ability to walk is not an end-of-life decision. In many cases, the addition of a dog wheelchair is all a paralyzed dog needs in order to live an active life. Although dogs lose mobility in their front legs, it is much more common for them to lose mobility in their hind legs. Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) is a culprit in robbing dogs of their mobility, as is intervertebral disc disease (IVDD). Your dog's paralysis does not mean they need to be put down, a dog wheelchair is an excellent alternative to dog euthanasia.

If a dog needs more assistance than can be provided by a harness, a dog wheelchair is an option. Instead of the loss of mobility meaning the end of life, it can now mean that a little extra help is needed. A wheelchair can be just that.

dog-wheelchairs

The Walkin’ Wheels was invented to give pet caretakers an affordable and easy-to-use alternative to help dogs who were having a hard time walking, for whatever reason. The Walkin’ Wheels Rear dog wheelchair helps dogs with rear limb weakness or paralysis. It can also be used by amputees.

See for Yourself!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but we think a video is worth even more! One look at how these dogs continue to be active, healthy, and able to enjoy life, and it is evident that loss of mobility need not be a death sentence.

If a dog has weakness in all four limbs, a 4-Wheel/Fully Supportive (Quad) Walkin’ Wheels can be used, as long as the dog still has some mobility with which to move the wheelchair. If you think dogs can’t enjoy life using a 4-Wheel wheelchair, take a look at this video.

The bottom line is, the pet owner will know when the end of life truly has come. But thankfully, there great products on the market these days that can help delay that decision for a long time.

Mobility Devices to Support Senior Dogs

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