Life has unexpected changes; if your dog begins to lose mobility or sustains a traumatic injury, you must consider making changes to help them adjust to their new lifestyle. With positive reinforcement and physical therapy, helping your dog get around is crucial to keep their lives as normal as possible.
So, consider investing in a dog-lifting harness to help strengthen their legs and stabilize their bodies. Here are tips on choosing the right lifting harness for your dog so they can go about their usual routines.
Types of Dog Lifting Harnesses
Before choosing a dog lifting harness, there are different types for your dog’s specific needs. Let’s review the front, rear, and full-body lifting harness options so you can easily support your pooch.
Front Lift Dog Harnesses
Front lift dog harnesses help support your pooch from their chest, especially if they live with front leg weakness or paralysis. If you have a dog with carpal, shoulder, or elbow injuries and nerve issues around their neck, a front lifting harness can help them considerably.
When supporting a dog’s front legs, you can help reduce the weight placed on injured or weak front legs. This helps stabilize their bodies and allows them to move without falling or slipping.
Rear Lifting Harnesses
Rear lifting harnesses support a dog’s hind legs under the abdomen or the back legs. It’s an excellent option for dogs dealing with hind leg paralysis or weakness, along with canines who live with degenerative myelopathy.
If you have a dog that experienced cruciate tears, hip dysplasia, or knee injuries in their rear limbs, rear dog harnesses provide your dog support and comfort. The harness will help your dog get where they need to go. Furthermore, rear dog harnesses temporarily help support your dog during post-operational recovery or as an alternative to a wheelchair.
Full-Body Lifting Harnesses
Full-body lifting harnesses help balance the support of your dog’s back and front legs, coming in a few variations for optimal lifting ability. You can find a lifting sling variation that supports the center of your dog’s body, which is typically lightweight to help guide your dog while maintaining their balance.
Additionally, a full-body harness offers support from the chest to the rear legs, best suited for dogs who need gentle lifting and support. Lastly, you can also choose a front and back harness that works together to support the dog. Combination harnesses also allow you to safely lift the dog off the ground and support them as they move.
Tips for Choosing a Dog-Lifting Harness
Here are some tips for choosing a dog-lifting harness for your pooch. You want to take proper measurements, ensure it fits, and remove it at the end of the night so your loyal companion remains comfortable.
Measure the Harness Carefully
As you browse your harness options, you want to ensure the harness doesn’t fall off your dog’s body or sit too tightly. So before you purchase, measure your dog’s height and weight.
A tight halter can cause damage to your dog’s throat or cause them to choke, while a loose harness can allow your dog to wiggle free. Knowing your pet’s measurements can help keep your pooch from feeling restricted or falling out of the harness, sustaining an injury.
Check How the Harness Fits
When your pooch tries out a harness, ensure it fits their body comfortably. When you slip the harness on them, use the two-finger method to ensure it fits securely. Having your fingers fit snuggly between the harness and the dog for an established fit would be best.
Remove Harness Before Bed
As the day comes to an end, always remember to remove the lifting harness from your dog. You don’t want your dog to snooze or go to sleep while wearing their harness. It can potentially become caught on something nearby, causing them to get stuck and struggle to move around.
Furthermore, dogs can reach their harnesses with their mouths, especially puppies. They can start chewing on their harnesses and get them caught on their teeth, which could lead to injury. You want your dog to wear a harness while supervised, so remove it when they go to bed.
Dog-Lifting Harness Uses
Now that you have the perfect lifting harness for your dog, know that they offer many helpful uses to get your dog moving. A harness will also help improve their quality of life.
Bathroom Trips and Stairs
A dog’s mobility issues can hinder their ability to get outside in time or make them struggle to climb the stairs. Thankfully, dog lifting harnesses can help your pooch get outside quickly to do their business without risking injury. In addition, a dog harness perfectly supports your pooch’s anatomy while they relieve themselves.
As dogs get older or suffer a traumatic injury, climbing up and down the stairs becomes more difficult. Incorporating a dog harness into your dog’s life can provide a safe means for moving up and down flights of stairs, providing support and control as they navigate each step.
Canine Wheelchair Compatibility
If you have a dog that relies on a wheelchair, you can find dog-lifting harnesses that offer compatibility. It can help your pooch take breaks from their wheelchairs and help you get them outside quickly to take bathroom breaks. Wheelchair dog harnesses provide many benefits, including additional comfort, as they spend most of their time in a wheelchair.
Wheelchair compatibility dog harnesses can also simplify getting your furry companion in and out of their wheelchair. Lastly, many lifting harness options exist for full, front, or rear support wheelchairs.
Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation
After intensive surgery, a life-altering incident, or increased paralysis, your pooch can struggle with getting the movement they need to strengthen their bodies. Many pet owners rely on canine rehabilitation therapy to help their dogs build muscle tone, maintain strength, improve balance, and enhance their gait. Dog lifting harnesses can help dogs perform the necessary rehabilitation exercises to help them move and stand, helping them incorporate into a structured movement program in therapy sessions.
Life has unexpected turns; no matter if your pooch has a sudden injury or paralysis symptoms, you want to do your best to make them as comfortable as possible. So, if you’re in the market for dog lifting harnesses and wheelchairs, we at Best Friend Mobility offer high-quality dog mobility and physical therapy products. Our dog wheelchairs have lightweight, adjustable features to help your little furry friend get the most out of their mobility issues. If you have any questions about our dog mobility products, contact our Best Friend Mobility team today.