Helping small dogs walk comfortably again – improved suspension, smoother wheels, and smarter design for the Walkin' Pets Dog Wheelchair.
After my miniature dachshund suffered a herniated disc, his left hind leg became almost completely paralyzed, and he had limited control over his other hind leg. Indoors, he managed well and mostly walked on three legs. However, outside he could only keep that up for a short time.
We purchased a Walkin' Pets Dog Wheelchair (walkinpets.com) — a very solid and high-quality wheelchair that I can recommend to anyone.
But... I noticed that my small dog had some difficulty using it.
- Heavy rolling for small dogs – The wheels were stiff, making it harder to move, especially for small dogs like a miniature dachshund. This is not an issue for larger dogs, but it is for a small one.
- Lack of flexibility – The wheelchair did not move with the dachshund's body, causing him to walk in a stiff and unnatural way to avoid back pain from his hernia. The same happened when stepping down from a curb or hitting uneven ground.
- Hitting obstacles – When passing through a door and taking a turn too tightly, the inside wheel would hit the door frame, causing discomfort to his back.
I am an experienced 3D designer and recreated the original wheelchair in 3D to make improvements. After several design iterations, I developed the following modifications:
Upgraded the wheels with ball bearings so they roll much more smoothly. He immediately managed longer walks.
Added ball-bearing suspension arms with adjustable springs to absorb shocks, allowing the wheelchair to move with his body as he walks.
Designed guard rails around the wheels so they no longer hit obstacles. Instead, the wheelchair is gently pushed aside when bumping into something, eliminating sudden shocks.
All parts are 3D-printed using very strong material.
In my case, I used Anycubic Water Washable ABS-Like Resin V2 and printed parts hollow to make them as light as possible.
If you use filament printing, make sure the parts are strong yet lightweight.
- All 3D-printable parts
- Bill of Materials (BOM) – including all nuts, bolts, and springs
- Brief assembly instructions
Feel free to use and adapt these designs for your own needs.
If you have questions, email me — I don't always respond instantly, but I do my best to answer within a reasonable time.
Enjoy building and happy walking!