B.C.-made dog wheelchair aims to keep old Rovers roving

A B.C. companyis developing a special lightweight wheelchairto help dogs get around as their mobility declines with age.

Dog Quality, based in 100 Mile House, B.C., already sells dog diapers, strollers, pads, ramps and socks, all with the aim of improving life for senior and special-needs dogs.

Owner Ann-Marie Fleming said dog wheelchairs were a natural transition for the company.

"So many senior dogs are capable of moving but they often have challenges around conditions such as arthritis, hip dysplasia, just overall muscle weakness ... We found the existing wheelchairs that are out there just aren't appropriate for their needs," she toldShelley Joyce, host of CBC's Daybreak Kamloops.

Dog Quality's prototype, which was developed with the help of a team of researchers at BCIT, is a lightweight, carbon-fibre apparatusthat uses four wheels instead of two. Dogs usingitcan still walk, but with extra support.

It's adjustable for dogs as they age and develop other conditions, and has a unique chest harness that protects internal organs, while supporting the dog's front.

It also packs up flat to save space for shipping, and it's easier to assemble than other dog wheelchairs.

Silvia Raschke, BCIT project leader and an expert in medical devices, said she's a "serial adopter" of senior dogs and has brought many Dog Quality products in the past.

Designing the wheelchair took about a year of research, including meeting prospective customers and talking to experts like veterinarians about what was required.

"What you'll see is a lot of stuff based on two wheels," Raschke said. "On uneven terrain, it can be unstable. A senior with compromised mobility, what they need is four wheels."

Fleming said thewheelchair is the first of its kind, and it was developed specifically for senior dogsnot necessarily young dogs with mobility issues.

"People forget that seniors are a completely different type of dog compared to a young dog," she said. "You may have a young dog that's paralyzed, and the devices that are out there right now are wonderful and life changing for those dogs, but there's never a one size fits all."

Fleming has been testing the prototype on her own 17-year-old dog, Bamboo.

"[Bamboo] has been just another great example of a dog that just needs a little help but has so much fight and spirit that if you can just give them that help it's just wonderful to see them take off and continue to enjoy life the way it deservesto be enjoyed," she said.

The wheelchairs are manufactured in 100 Mile House.Fleming hopes to have the wheelchairs, in sizes ranging from extra extra small to large, available by the end of 2020.