How to lift/carry a 23kg labrador

Cupcase

Cupcase

I'm looking for recommendations for the correct way to lift a dog or a carry strap of some kind.

For our 40th anniversary in January next year, we have booked to stay the weekend in our local 'big house'. It sleeps 13, there will be 12 adults staying. Every holiday in the UK my dogs come too. Both dogs will be there.
However I forgot that the living quarters are on the first floor and the library /sitting room is on the second floor.
There is no way to avoid stairs.
Cassie can get up a few stairs but she would struggle with more than a couple. My OH doesn't see a problem as there is enough strong people to lift her.

So how can a 14 year old labrador with arthritis in her hips be lifted safely and as pain free as possible? Is there any straps that can be purchased that anyone recommends? Or does anyone know the correct way to lift a dog.

I must also add, that Cassie now waits to get lifted up stairs or into the car when she is unable to on her own steam. This next anniversary could be my last with her and the gathering is everything she loves, people to make a fuss of her, so there is no option of her going anywhere else.
 
Atemas

Atemas

UK Tour Guide
Location
North Cambridgeshire
I don’t have any answers although I remember @Emily_Babbelhund posted information on one of my threads when I asked a similar question about harnesses. F used to lift Sky in and out the car this last year. I couldn’t do it. I’m sure there is a solution to Cassie being moved around the house
 
Cupcase

Cupcase

Loraseal said:
I bought this from Orvis.
Dog Lifter / Large Dog Lifting Harness / Dog Sling - Orvis UK
My idiot runs away from it but it is well made and a good idea.
It was meant to help me carry him upstairs on the boat to England for his wee stops.....
Ended up carrying 27kg of brown idiot up and down the ship.....
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Oh that looks ideal. How did you find the fit? Cassie is 22/23kg so at the bottom range of the large but I'm worried it would be too wide.

Sorry but I had to laugh 'Ended up carrying 27kg of brown idiot up and down the ship..'
 
Cupcase

Cupcase

Can you leave the lifting harness on when going out to the toilet? This seems ideal for me to help Cassie get in the car.
 
snowbunny

snowbunny

Location
Andorra and Spain
I hope you find a sling to help her - I'm sure that would be a lot more comfortable - and safer - than carrying her.

Just in case, though, I heard somewhere that the best way to carry a larger dog is to scoop them up holding one arm across the chest in front of the front legs, and the other around the tail, behind the back legs. So your arms are wrapping around the outside of the dog, front-to-back. It's a bit awkward, but the vet I heard talking about it explained that carrying them with the weight supported from underneath across an arm often leads to severe bruising of the tummy especially.
 
HAH

HAH

Moderator
Location
Devon, UK
snowbunny said:
I hope you find a sling to help her - I'm sure that would be a lot more comfortable - and safer - than carrying her.

Just in case, though, I heard somewhere that the best way to carry a larger dog is to scoop them up holding one arm across the chest in front of the front legs, and the other around the tail, behind the back legs. So your arms are wrapping around the outside of the dog, front-to-back. It's a bit awkward, but the vet I heard talking about it explained that carrying them with the weight supported from underneath across an arm often leads to severe bruising of the tummy especially.
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This is how I’ve always carried sheep 🐑 (wrapping front to back). It’s better for you lifting, and minimises wriggling.
 
snowbunny

snowbunny

Location
Andorra and Spain
SwampDonkey said:
You are excellent at making things you have a sewing machine and a clever way doing things. You bags are beautiful. It's just a sling why not make one ,?
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Cupcase said:
Thank you for the vote of confidence and after seeing the sling, I had thought about making one but I'm worried that it may not be strong enough. I shall look into this further, I do like a challenge.
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This is an excellent idea! Yes, I agree that (assuming it's cost-efficient) this would be well within your grasp!

HAH said:
This is how I’ve always carried sheep 🐑 (wrapping front to back). It’s better for you lifting, and minimises wriggling.
Click to expand...
Well, isn't it the way we all carry sheep? :giggl:
 
Cupcase

Cupcase

Right, I looked into making a lift/ harness, on going to look at how the orvis lift harness was made, I noticed a lovely code for £25 off if I spent £50 or over. Now the lift/harness is £49, so on treating Cupar to a new rope toy and with the delivery of £5, I have went ahead and purchased the large orvis lifting harness and a rope toy for Cupar for the bargain price of £35.
Thanking you all once again.
 
M

M.F.

I’ll probably have to invest in one of those for Snowie’s old age and his sore back—it looks really good. We’ve used a towel as a sling, under his rib cage.

As @snowbunny points out about the tummy, it also applies to picking up puppies. My sister-in-law’s dad is a vet and he says he sees bruised tummies from incorrect lifting.
 
Cupcase

Cupcase

Loraseal said:
This is how I carry Hunter. He is afraid of narrow stairs and there are alot of these on the ship to Newcastle! I can post it to you if you want? He won't go near it!
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Thank you so much for this extremely kind offer. I have ordered one and hopefully it will fit and do the job. Fingers crossed.
I'm hoping Cassie won't have an issue with wearing it, as she has no problems with her harness.

@Emily_Babbelhund , I did look at harnesses like that but I ruled them out as unfortunately Cassie has lots of lumps and one is on the centre of her chest, her normal harness strap sits on it. Thank you for the links.

Can't thank you all enough, this has taken one worry away regarding taking the dogs with other people staying, now I'll need to train all of our party to not leave food within easy reach of the dogs. My dogs are both excellent at not stealing but controlling 10 people who don't have dogs, well..........
 
Emily

Emily

Location
Melbourne, Australia
snowbunny said:
Just in case, though, I heard somewhere that the best way to carry a larger dog is to scoop them up holding one arm across the chest in front of the front legs, and the other around the tail, behind the back legs. So your arms are wrapping around the outside of the dog, front-to-back. It's a bit awkward, but the vet I heard talking about it explained that carrying them with the weight supported from underneath across an arm often leads to severe bruising of the tummy especially.
Click to expand...
This is how I lift Ella out of the car (and into the car, before I taught her to climb into the footwell and up onto the seat). It feels quite secure and comfortable.
 
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