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This guide is a home-care support tool. It does not replace personalized advice from your veterinarian. For any questions, contact us at 514-223-1197.
Why help your pet move?
After surgery, an injury, or because of an illness, a dog or cat may no longer be able to stand or walk on its own. Helping them keep some mobility stays essential: so they can urinate, pass stool, and hold on to a little activity. Your role is to assist them, while keeping both them and yourself safe.
Relieving themselves
Urinating and passing stool in a proper posture is the most urgent need.
Keeping some activity
A little movement helps circulation, mood, and muscle.
Safely, for both of you
A weak, painful, or frightened pet can react: protect them, and protect yourself.
The right support and a safe floor
The right gear depends mostly on your pet's size. And before lifting anything, make the floor and your posture safe.
Large dog: a sling
A strap, towel, or sheet passed under the belly, holding both ends, takes some of the weight. Purpose-built support harnesses are often more comfortable.
Small dog or cat: your hands
Lighter, they lift easily by hand, very gently. A sling is rarely needed, unless they are very agitated or painful.
- A non-slip floor: hardwood, tile, and linoleum are slippery. Lay a grippy rug or carpet over at least twice the pet's length.
- Two people for a heavy dog: one on each side gives far more stability and safety.
- Your back first: keep your back straight, bend your knees, and lift with your legs.
- A clean, wide sling: spread it well under the belly to share the weight; keep two, or a washable one, in case it gets soiled.
For male dogs, mind the penis
Avoid pressing on the penis with the strap: place it a little further forward or back, depending on your dog's build.
Pain or fear? Protect yourself
A pet in pain or frightened may bite. If you have any doubt, use a muzzle or protect your arms, and ask us for advice.
How to support them
Work calmly and speak gently: your confidence reassures them.
Help them sit up first
If they are lying down, gently encourage them to sit, if their front legs allow it. Speak calmly to ease their stress.
Pass the sling under the belly
Slide the strap under the abdomen, or under the chest depending on where they are weak. Spread its width like a hammock to avoid painful pressure points.
Lift gradually
Rise slowly, keeping constant support on the hips or back, until they are standing.
Assisted walking
Hold firmly, but without yanking the ends. A second person can hold the leash or support the front legs to guide them, especially through narrow spots. Watch their stability the whole time.
Stairs: avoid them
Too risky for a weakened pet. If you truly cannot avoid them, a second person adds another sling or supports the chest to make going up and down safe.
Fragile back or neck? Keep the spine supported
If there is a back or neck problem, do not let the body twist or sag: keep the spine straight and supported, and follow your veterinarian's instructions for their case to the letter.
Small dog or cat
- A direct lift: one hand under the chest (just in front of the front legs), the other under the hindquarters. Hold them against you, firmly but gently.
- For their needs: take the dog out or set the cat near its litter; if they cannot stand, support the hindquarters so they can squat a little.
Urinating and passing stool
This is the most pressing need. Help your pet get back into its usual posture, on a floor that does not slip.
- The right posture: dogs and cats need to squat or lean a little. Gently support the belly or hindquarters so they can return to their usual position.
- A stable footing: make sure the paws rest on a rug or a non-slip floor.
- How often: at least twice a day (morning and evening), or as your veterinarian advises. More often if they drink a lot or take a medication that increases urine.
Make sure they are really urinating
A pet that cannot get up, especially if paralyzed, sometimes cannot empty its bladder on its own. Check that urine actually comes out. A firm or swollen belly, straining with no result, constant dribbling, or no urine for 12 hours calls for prompt veterinary advice: a bladder that stays full is dangerous. Paralyzed pets often need their bladder emptied by hand, a technique we can show you.
Hygiene and preventing pressure sores
A pet that moves little needs extra attention for its skin.
- Clean, dry skin: if there is incontinence, clean the skin and coat to prevent irritation and urine scald, then keep the area well dried.
- Turn them over: every 2 to 4 hours, so they do not stay too long on the same side.
- Pad the pressure points: soft cushions and blankets under the bony areas (hips, elbows, shoulders) limit pressure sores.
- Watch the skin: any redness or sore spot is worth showing to your veterinarian.
- The right products: ask your veterinarian what to use (a mild shampoo, an antiseptic).
When to call us
A few signs call for veterinary advice without delay.
- Your pet has not urinated in 12 hours, strains without producing urine, or has a firm, swollen belly.
- A wound, a redness that lingers, or a patch of damaged skin (an early pressure sore or urine scald).
- Pain that is increasing, or a pet that suddenly refuses to be handled.
- Mobility that is getting worse, or new limbs becoming affected.
- Any difficulty you do not feel able to handle on your own, safely.
A bladder that will not empty is an emergency
If your pet cannot urinate, the bladder can over-distend and become dangerous within hours. Do not wait: call us or an emergency clinic. If needed, we will teach you to express the bladder by hand.
Your questions, our answers
What owners ask us most about a pet that is losing its mobility.
How often should I help my pet get up?
Are there rehab exercises to do?
How do I keep my pet, and myself, from getting hurt?
My pet truly cannot move at all. What should I do?
Patience, and the right moves
Helping a pet that can no longer get up, for a while or for good, takes patience, a few precautions, and sometimes a little equipment. Good hygiene, preventing pressure sores, and a bladder that empties well make all the difference to their comfort and quality of life. We are here to tailor the care to their situation.