As a loving dog owner, it is really sad to see your pet dog suffer from a permanent or temporary disability.
Naturally, you will want to do anything and everything you can to make sure that your disabled dog can get around as easily as possible.
One of the best things you can do for your dog is to invest in a dog lift harness.
You want to find one that is easy to use, and that will help the dog stand up and, if necessary, help them walk.
Something as simple as using a dog lift support harness can make a big difference to the quality of life for your pet pooch.
Table of Contents
- Why Would You Need a Lifting Harness for Your Dog?
- A Buyer’s Guide When Shopping for a Dog Lift Harness
- Other Ways to help a Disabled Dog
- What is the Best Way to Lift a Heavy Dog?
- Some Vet Approved Lifting Techniques for Large Dogs
- Thanks for Stopping By!
Why Would You Need a Lifting Harness for Your Dog?
What sort of conditions would require that you help your dog with a dog sling harness? These are some of the possible reasons:
- Hip dysplasia
- Elbow dysplasia
- Temporary or permanent disability from an injury
- Recovery from an operation, surgery, or illness
- Old age
- Obesity
- Canine arthritis
- An aging dog that is naturally losing mobility
- Canine back pain (especially in longer dogs such as a Corgi)
But no matter what the reason, a loving dog owner, you want to do the very best for your dogs and give the pets love and care for as long as you can.
So if your canine companion has difficulty climbing stairs, if you have a large dog that is disabled and struggles to stand up without a lifting aid, if your dog needs leg support for any of the above health issues, a lift harness can make all the difference.
A Buyer’s Guide When Shopping for a Dog Lift Harness
When you are looking for a looking for the top pick, best dog lift harness for your pet, there are some important features and factors that you need to take into consideration:
The Dimensions of the Support Harness and Strap
Obviously, to make the dog lift harness as effective and safe as possible, it is important that it is a good fit.
So it would help if you took the time to read the manufacturer’s fitting instructions and size chart guidelines carefully so that you get the best possible fit.
Also, make sure that whichever harness you buy has adjustable straps for the dog and adjustable handles to suit you.
Remember, you are doing some heavy lifting, and you do not want the dog’s disability to disable you!
The Type and Quality of the Material
The materials used should be strong (especially for large breed dogs such as a golden retriever), easy to clean (ideally using a washing machine), durable (read customer reviews to double-check this), and functional.
You should pay particular attention chest strap (if the product information you are reading is about a harness for walking). It should be breathable and padded.
Comfort and Adjustability
We love pets, and pets love us. So we want them to be as comfortable as possible if they are disabled or injured dogs.
A dog with mobility issues can still live a long and happy life if it has a decent day-to-day comfort level.
So when you are looking for the best dog support sling for your pooch, please take the materials and design’s softness and comfort in mind.
Strong Handles for Ease of Use
As we discussed earlier, you are doing the heavy lifting when you use a dog sling or lift harness, so good strong handles are essential, especially if you are helping a dog climb the stairs.
The most common dog lift harnesses have handles made from nylon straps, neoprene handles, or something similar.
The support strap should be adjustable and long enough that you can support the dog without bending over or creating unnecessary back issues.
Reflective Trim (if it is Also a Walking Harness)
If you use the dog lift harness for walking your dog at night, then buying one with high visibility, reflective stitching, and trim is a good idea just for increased safety.
Overall Design and Build Quality Specific to Your Dog’s Needs
Each dog is different, and a very small dog will not need a heavy-duty dog sling. A dog that only needs help climbing the stairs might also not need a very well built lift harness.
But if you have a large dog that needs dog lift support for getting around, walking, bathroom breaks, and everyday use, then you should consider buying something much more substantial.
It would help if you also thought about how many handles and what support the dog sling has. Does your dog lifting include lifting in and out of a large car or truck? Do you need support under the dog’s belly, rib cage, or around your dog’s hips? Does the harness need one or more leash attachment? Does your pet only need a dog rear lift harness for its back end?
Take the time to think about what your dog really needs, then do your research and try to find the best dog lift harnesses to choose from.
Other Ways to help a Disabled Dog
Apart from using a help ’em up harness for your pet dog, what else can you do to make their lives more enjoyable and comfortable as they cope with disabilities?
- Buy an Orthopedic Dog Bed
- Invest in Heating Pad
- Fix the Dog’s Weight and Diet
- Consider Canine Hydrotherapy
Orthopedic Dog Bed – Getting a good quality comfortable bed that gives the dog joint support is a great way for dog owners to help their disabled or aging dog.
Heating Pad – A dog heating pad can be used to apply heat to the dog’s joint injuries or aching bones for temporary but very effective pain relief and canine aid.
Diet – Consult your vet and see if there are any tweaks you can make to the dog’s weight and diet to ease their mobility issues.
Canine Hydrotherapy – Hydropathy allows injured dogs to use a fuller range of motion as the warm water supports the dog’s body. This allows the therapy to release and relax that tight hip joints and muscles.
What is the Best Way to Lift a Heavy Dog?
As you can probably tell already, we think that the best way to lift a heavy dog is by using a dog lift support harness, such as one of the pet products in our product reviews above.
We think this is the best way to support and move a dog as it is safer for the dog’s owners as they are as much less likely to put a strain on their backs.
It is also safer and more comfortable for the dog as they have the right support and weight distribution for their body.
Some Vet Approved Lifting Techniques for Large Dogs
This short video has some great tips to help when lifting a heavy dog:
Thanks for Stopping By!
That is it for this post covering the best dog lift harness for your fur baby.
As animal lovers who all love pets of all different shapes, sizes, and abilities, we know how important it is for you as a pet owner to best love and care for your dog.
So whenever we review dog products of any sort, but in particular those for disabled dogs, we do our best to share the most important information.
You want to make sure you can give your dog a good quality of life, and we hope that this dog lift harness review article has helped you find the right mobility harness for your dog.