Its super convenient if the dog learns to enter the chair by himself. This can save your back from the strain of lifting and shifting the dog, especially if hes large or heavy. The trick here is to work with the dog on a low platform, such as that created by placing two chairs together. This makes it easier to teach the dog to reverse into the chair without wobbling off to one side.
Be prepared to take your time training an older dog. In addition to coming to terms with this new apparatus, he may be suffering from arthritis or a lack of agility which make it more awkward for him to sit in the upright posture. If this is the case, be sure to work with your vet to provide adequate pain relief for the older dog.
The dog is going to be sitting upright in the chair for long periods, several times a day, therefore it must be comfortable. Be sure the chair is the correct height so that the dog can rest without his front paws or shoulders being forced into an unnatural position, and that he can rest his chin comfortably on a padded ledge free from sharp surfaces. Provide a pillow or cushion at the bottom of the chair, so that its comfortable to rest on. You can also increase the depth of the padding in order to raise the dog up, should the height be wrong.
Older dogs often have multiple problems, of which stiff joints and arthritis are especially common. This may make it physically uncomfortable to spend long periods in teh Bailey chair, which may make him reluctant to go in. If you suspect the dog has a physical problem which is getting in the way, enlist the help of your vet. They may be able to suggest a medication to ease discomfort or a different way of padding the chair.
No matter how naughty hes been, never punish the dog while in the Bailey chair. If you do hes more likely to associate the chair with distress, and not want to enter, than to realize he was behaving badly and that was why he was punished. Instead, teach the dog distraction techniques such as the look command, so that you can get his attention and interrupt unwanted behaviors.
The Bailey Chair is the essential version of an upright chair for successful treatment of Megaesophagus in dogs. It allows your dog to drink and eat completely vertical, which allows the food and water to get into the stomach by way of gravity. You may choose to have a carpenter build one, Bailey Chairs 4 Dogs build one or you may choose to DIY!
PLEASE NOTE: If you are not sure if the food or water is going down, cup your hands and pound very lightly on your dogs chest while he/she is in the upright position. Some may only require 10 minutes, and some dont have the anatomy to sit vertical for very long (no matter if they are sitting on a pillow or not). Try to find the HAPPY MEDIUM, so that they learn to sit comfortably, stay long enough for food to get to belly and not start to struggle with sitting vertically after a while. Contact you local Veterinarian for further advice.
We build custom made Bailey chairs, also known as “dog high chairs” and “dog feeding chairs”, for dogs with Canine Megaesophagus. We also offer adjustable bailey chairs for growing puppies and portable travel bailey chairs for dogs on the go! Our goal is to provide affordable bailey chairs for people who can afford them and donate to rescues, shelters and families who cant afford them.
How to build a Bailey Chair (Megaesophagus)
Your dog has difficulty keeping meals down. His appetite is great, he eats well, but seconds later he puts his head down to sniff something on the floor, and the meal makes a reappearance. This keeps happening and now the problem is so bad that the dog is losing weight and looking thin.
As a responsible owner, you the dog to the vet. They say it sounds like the dog is regurgitating his food, rather than vomiting. After some blood tests and x-rays, it transpires the dog has a condition called megaoesophagus.
This condition means your dogs gullet (the tube down which food passes from the mouth to the stomach) doesnt push food down into the stomach. The end result is when he puts his head down, the food literally tumbles out again under gravity.
The answer is for your dog to sit upright for 20 – 30 minutes after eating. Thats all very well but its mighty time-consuming to sit with the dog for over an hour a day, just holding him upright. In this scenario, a Bailey chair could be just the piece of equipment you need.
A Bailey chair isnt so much a chair, as a tall thin box which the dog enters to sit supported in an upright position. The front is hinged to form a door and with this closed, the dog has no option but to adopt an upright posture with his paws hooked over the top ledge of the door. A latch keeps the door closed, meaning the dog is confined within the Bailey chair, in the correct position to digest his food. This allows the owner to go about other tasks in the same room, safe in the knowledge that the dog is safely processing his meal.
However, man-handling a dog, especially a large one, into the chair is a task and a half. Better by far is to have the dog reverse himself in willingly, in the happy anticipation of a full stomach.
You will use praise in order for the dog to associate the Bailey chair with good things. This is best done slowly so that the dog feels comfortable before you move onto the next step. Then the dog will happily enter the chair on his own, and wait for the time he needs to stay upright.