Do you have a dog with a disability? Looking for ways to boost your specially-abled dog’s quality of life?
Having a dog with a physical disability can be tricky. Giving your dog the best quality of life can be challenging, especially when you see your dog trying to manage with limitations.
Specially-abled dogs, AKA disabled dogs, don’t need to be housebound and shut out from the world. These special pups sometimes need a little extra assistance to enjoy all that life offers, just like any other canine friend.
As a dog mom to specially-abled dogs, I know the struggle that comes with living with dogs with disabilities. I have hunted for any products or devices that can help and give them the best quality of life. In my experience the search was never as easy as it is today.
Equipment, products, and resources for dogs with disabilities have come a long way over the years, and the pet industry has something for any dogs living with disabilities.
This blog is about products for dogs with disabilities to consider to help specially-abled pets for dog parents.
Products for Dogs with Disabilities
Prosthetic Limbs for Disabled Dogs.
If you have a dog with a missing or deformed limb due to an injury, illness, or genetics that struggles to get around, a prosthetic limb can help.Prosthetic limbs are a disabled dog product that mimic the function of actual limbs and can help a dog get around easily.
Prosthetic limbs also assist in keeping your dog’s body weight balanced instead of putting added pressure from overcompensating and preventing additional injuries or complications to existing limbs.
With technology advancements with 3D printing machines and dedicated pet industry professional companies like Bionic Pets, 3D Pets, and My Pet’s Brace, custom prosthetic limbs or devices can be created to help any disabled dog get around just like their four-limbed friends.
Prosthetic limbs are made to fit any disabled dog’s lifestyle, so if your dog loves to run around, these companies will ensure your dog has the right prosthetic design and added devices to run around.
Although a tremendous disabled dog product, not all dogs with disabilities are good candidates for prosthetic limbs. Depending on the type of amputation your dog received or the malformation of their limbs, prosthetic limb candidates will be carefully screened for any medical issues that could prevent your dog from receiving all the benefits of the prosthetic limb.
For those dogs who receive a prosthetic limb, dog parents need to know that it’s not as easy as just putting it on like a shoe, and your dog is ready to go. Your dog might need some time to adjust and get comfortable wearing a prosthetic limb. This time could include rehabilitation therapy in addition to practicing wearing the prosthetic.
Dog Wheelchairs or Scooters for Dogs with Disabilities.
If you have a disabled dog with mobility difficulties, a dog wheelchair might be the right disabled dog product to consider.
Disabled dog products like dog wheelchairs provide the much-needed support to help your dog get around, maintain its balance, and relieve additional stress from pressure on the joints.
A dog wheelchair can help any dog with mobility difficulties and is not limited to dogs with a paralysis disability.
Dogs with disabilities due to suffering from conditions like hip dysplasia, arthritis, neurological issues, and instability from weakness in limbs can significantly benefit from a dog wheelchair.
Dog wheelchairs are available in various designs depending on your dog’s needs.
Rear two-wheel dog wheelchairs, like this Walkin’ Pets Rear Dog Wheelchair, are perfect for dogs who suffer from paralysis (no hind leg function) or weakness in their back legs. Stirrups can be added to the dog wheelchairs to help elevate the hind legs of paralyzed dogs to prevent them from suffering any cuts or injuries due to dragging or scrapping their feet on the ground.
A four-wheel, quad wheelchair, like this Walkin’ Wheels Full Support/4-Wheel Wheelchair from Walkin’ Pets, is excellent for full-body support for any dog with weak limbs or dogs with a missing limb and needs help maintaining balance.
I consider this more like a walker for humans than a wheelchair.
Another type of two-wheel dog wheelchair is the front leg or forelimb wheelchair, like this K9 Carts Forelimb Wheelchair from K9 Carts. The forelimb wheelchair is beneficial to dogs born without front legs or deformed front legs, dogs with missing limbs due to amputation, or dogs with severe weakness in their front limbs but have fully functioning back limbs.
Dogs suffering from complete hind leg paralysis and dragging their rear limbs across the ground when on the move can get help from a mobility device called a dog scooter.
Mobility devices like the Walkin’ Scooter from Walkin’ Pets are explicitly designed for these dogs to give them the ability to glide around the ground while securely seated on a padded base with rolling ball casters underneath.
Scooters help protect a dog’s rear limbs and hind area from any cuts or injuries they can receive from dragging themselves across the ground.
Halos for Blind or Visually Impaired Dogs.
If you have a disabled dog with visual impairment due to blindness or cataracts, a dog halo is a disabled dog product to consider.
Disabled dogs with complete blindness or visual impairments can quickly run into walls, bump into objects, or get themselves into a dangerous situation due to nonexisting or limited eyesight.
A disabled dog product like this Muffins Dog Halo for Blind Dogs is a circular device worn by your pup that acts similar to a walking stick used by a blind or visually impaired human.
The dog halo is attached to a vest or harness, sits in front of your dog’s face, and prevents your blind or visually impaired dog from running or bumping into any walls or objects that may cause injuries. The halo will touch the wall or object when your dog is walking. This signals to your dog that something is in front of them that they are about to run into.
A dog halo is an excellent little help to dog parents when they can’t keep watch over their pup as they’re navigating around the house.
Orthopedic Devices for Specially-abled Pets.
Physical disabilities in dogs don’t always require prosthetics, wheelchairs, or halos, as disabilities range in various issues and severity.
There is equipment for disabled dogs needing just a little help to live their best life, like a compression sleeve or brace. These disabled dog products often help prevent the need for dogs to undergo surgery or extend the time before an ailment or disability worsens.
If your dog needs help with pain management due to arthritis, joint inflammation, and assistance in walking without limping, products for dogs with disabilities from Walkabout Harnesses might be worth considering.
Walkabout Harnesses offers a variety of products like the Walkabout Compression Sleeve, Walkabout Elbow Support Brace, Walkabout Carpal Support Brace, and more to help your dog stabilize weak joints, reduce swelling, and inflammation, and help manage pain or discomfort.
If your dog has suffered a torn CCL/ACL, a disabled dog product like a custom dog knee brace like Posh Dog Knee Brace might be worth considering.
Posh Dog Knee Brace provides custom dog knee braces for dogs with a torn CCL/ACL or any knee ligament issue as a non-invasive and cost-effective alternative to surgery while maintaining the benefits and value of surgery for your dog.
If your dog suffers from a disability due to Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD), severe back pain, or neurological issues affecting their spine, a disabled dog product like an orthopedic back brace like Lil Back Bracer might be worth considering.
Lil Back Bracer is an orthopedic back brace designed to help alleviate painful pressure on your dog’s spine and helps stabilize the spine too. The back brace can be worn as part of your dog’s treatment regimen or as a preventative measure.
Deaf of Hearing-Impaired Dog
Although there are no disabled dog products on the market today for dogs that are deaf or hearing impaired, there is something you can consider trying to help develop strong communication without spending any money.
Teaching a dog training hand signals or American Sign Language (ASL) is an effective method to communicate with a deaf or hearing-impaired disabled dog.
A deaf or hearing-impaired disabled dog can understand the visual cue and respond to what the human is communicating with their hands.
Dogs with disabilities are no less than any other dog and can surprise you with what they are truly capable of doing, regardless of their limitations. Not all dogs with disabilities need disabled dog products to live a happy life, but it’s nice to know that there are products and equipment to help our specially-able pup if the need presents itself.
Now you have learned the different products for dogs with disabilities to help your specially-abled dog.
