Sling for a Dog With Bad Back Legs: How to Choose One and Lift Safely

A sling for a dog with weak back legs is a padded strap or belly band with handles that you hold from above, taking some of your dog's weight off the hind end while the dog walks on its own front legs. It is a handling tool: it helps with stairs, slick floors, car doors and midnight toilet trips. Used well, it buys you both time and dignity while you sort out what is going on underneath. Here is how to pick one, use it safely, and know when your dog needs more than a set of handles. For the wider picture, start with our overview of back leg problems in dogs.

Why your dog's back legs are weakening

Osteoarthritis, the wear-and-tear form of joint disease, is the inflammation and ultimate breakdown of the main components of the joint, including cartilage, joint capsule, and underlying bone.¹ Young large breed dogs with developmental bone disease and older, overweight large breed dogs are commonly affected.¹ Hip dysplasia, a deformity of the hip that develops during growth, sits behind a lot of it: weakness and pain in the hind legs are the usual clinical signs, and the dog appears wobbly and is reluctant to rise from a sitting or lying position.²

The other common causes:

• Disc disease (IVDD, short for intervertebral disc disease, a problem with the cushioning discs of the spine). This is a nerve condition in which the protective material around the spinal cord has changed, and the result can be pain, dysfunction, or paralysis.³ Breeds such as Dachshunds, Pembroke Welsh Corgis and Basset Hounds have short legs and a long body that is low to the ground,³ but any dog can develop IVDD.³
• Knee (cruciate) injury. Rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament, a ligament inside the knee, is the most common canine orthopedic condition.⁴
• Degenerative myelopathy (DM), a disease of the spinal cord. It causes slowly progressive hind limb weakness and paralysis.⁵ Most affected dogs do not seem in pain, just very weak.⁵

Slow decline over months points one way. Sudden change points another. If you notice limping, dragging of the legs or a hunched back, bring your dog to your vet immediately to avoid further injury or loss of function,³ and treat inability to walk as an emergency: "The symptom that is an absolute emergency is if the dog is unable to walk."³

What a rear support sling actually does

The padded panel passes under your dog's belly or groin and the handles or shoulder strap let you lift, so your dog's front end does the driving while you carry part of the back end. It is one of the standard support tools: using a sling or harness to assist with walking and standing sits alongside rugs on slippery floors, ramps, booties for scuffed paws and considering a wheelchair to support the hind limbs.⁶

It is worth knowing what a sling is not. A full-body lift harness supports front and back and suits dogs who are weak all over. A handle harness stays on the dog and gives you a grab point rather than real lift. A carry sling takes the dog's whole weight off the ground for short distances, which is a different job again, covered in our guide to carrying a dog who can't walk. A rear sling is for a dog who still has good front legs.

Choosing the right sling for your dog

Choose by where the weakness is, then by fit. If the front end is strong and the back end is the problem, a rear-only sling is lighter and easier to fit one-handed. If your dog is also wobbly in front, or struggles to lift the head and chest, a full-body version is safer.

Look for:

• A wide, padded belly panel rather than a thin strap. Thin webbing concentrates pressure on the abdomen and digs in.
• Toileting cut-outs, shaped differently for males and females, so your dog can squat or lift a leg without soaking the sling.
• Adjustable handle or strap length, set so you are standing upright. Tall owners with short dogs end up stooped and sore otherwise.
• A snug measured fit across the belly or hips. A loose sling slides backwards and rubs the flanks and inner thighs.

For a longer comparison of daily-wear support options, see our guide to support harnesses for weak back legs.

Using a sling safely, step by step

Get the sling in place before your dog tries to rise, and lift with your legs, not your back.

1. With your dog lying down, roll the sling into a tube, feed it under the belly just in front of the back legs, then unroll it on the far side.
2. Position the padding over the soft belly or hips, clear of the ribs and well clear of the armpits.
3. Take up the slack, brace your feet, bend your knees and straighten up as your dog pushes with the front legs.
4. Keep your dog level. Hoisting the rear higher than the shoulders throws weight onto the front legs and makes dogs panic.
5. Let your dog set the pace and stop when they stop.

Common mistakes: lifting too high, pulling sideways so the dog crabs along, hanging on so tightly that the dog never uses the muscle it still has, and leaving a damp sling on after a toilet trip.

The jobs a sling makes possible

Stairs, slick floors, car doors and 2am garden trips are where a sling earns its place. Going down stairs is harder and riskier than going up, because the back end has to brake rather than push, so take one step at a time with your dog's weight supported from behind; our guide to managing stairs with weak back legs goes into the detail. A sling also steadies a dog crossing tile or laminate, and helps a dog hold a squat long enough to empty properly. After surgery or during crate rest it lets you get in and out of the crate without the dog scrabbling.

Reduce how often you need it: put runners on the slippery routes your dog uses most, as in our guide to stopping a dog slipping on hard floors, keep nails short so toes can grip, and use a ramp at the car rather than lifting, which our car and travel guide covers.

Sling limits and safety

A sling is a handling tool, not a mobility solution your dog can use alone. Check the armpits, groin and belly for redness every day. Respect the weight limit printed on the sling, and be honest about your own limits. With a larger dog, helping them into a harness or getting them in and out of the bathtub can be more difficult.³

When a wheelchair makes more sense

Move from a sling to a rear support wheelchair when your dog still stands and steers with the front legs but drags or knuckles behind, when you are lifting many times a day, when walks end sooner than your dog wants, or when your own back is the limiting factor. Knuckling is when the hind paws turn under so that the dog walks on its knuckles, especially when turning,⁵ and the hind feet may scrape the ground, sometimes leaving the top surface of the feet hairless and irritated from repeated trauma.⁵ If the dog's front limbs are strong enough, the vet may recommend a mobility device such as a cart.³

The OldPal Rear Support Dog Wheelchair is built for exactly that dog. The padded harness carries weight through the hips and chest rather than the spine, the frame is set so the back legs hang free or lightly brush the ground, and dogs can squat and toilet while in the chair. It comes in five sizes covering rear leg heights from 3 to 27 inches, and sizing needs one measurement: hip to toe pad, taken with your dog lying on its side. Measure your dog with the size guide and fit finder, or email a photo and a measurement to help@oldpalpets.com and a person will check it. If the size is wrong, our Fit Guarantee lets you exchange the frame for the size that fits.

Using both together

Most owners end up using both, and that is the easy way to do it: sling for indoors, stairs and car transfers, cart for walks and outdoor exercise. Our longer guide to sling support walks through that overlap.

DIY slings, and where they fall short

A bath towel folded lengthwise under the belly, a rolled blanket, or a sturdy reusable tote bag with the sides cut open all work for a day or two in a pinch, and they are fine as a stopgap while a proper sling arrives. What they lack is padding, shaping and stability. A towel bunches into a rope, slides back onto the sensitive groin, and has no toileting cut-out, so it soaks.

Keeping the rest of the picture strong

High-impact activity should be replaced with more controlled activities like leash walks, and low impact consistent exercise helps build the muscles around the joints and promotes joint stability.¹ A slender body weight is by far the most critical aspect of arthritis management.¹ Physical therapy has been shown to slow progression, prolong quality of life and preserve muscle mass.⁵

A rehab assessment is worth it if progress stalls or you are unsure how much to ask of your dog. Veterinary rehabilitation uses targeted physical therapies such as massage, therapeutic exercise, heat, cold, ultrasound, laser and hydrotherapy, which is exercise in water, to improve a pet's mobility and reduce pain,⁷ and a veterinary referral is often required.⁷ More on the day-to-day in our guide to caring for an aging dog with weak back legs.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• Back leg problems in dogs: the full picture
• Support harnesses for weak back legs
• Helping a dog with bad back legs on stairs
• Choosing a bed for a dog with weak back legs
• Enrichment for a dog who can't walk far

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