Grooming a Disabled Dog

I saw this tub on a recent episode of It's Me or the Dog: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=648&cmpid=01cseyh&ref=3473&subref=AA&srccode=cii_1038957&cpncode=24-46721291-2

You can use it outdoors, or anywhere, since it's portable.  It has an opening for the dog to walk into.  I don't know, though, if there's be enough room for Kobi to lay down in it.  The dimensions are listed here, so maybe you'd know better about how he would fit in it lying down.

could you take him to a self service dog wash? The ones I've been to have a ramp that goes up to the tub and, if you left the little door part open, maybe he wouldn't feel it was so tub like. Our Petco has one in its grooming area

 If it is the hose that bothers him about outside you can get lovely attachments that can either hook to the hose or attach in through a home sink depending on what type of set up you want a use.  You can then get a kiddy pool or even a simple tarp for him to stand on outside versus a high rimmed tub that will be hard for him to get into.  Since you know he is weak and will need to lay down if you do go with something with rims I would look into drilling some holes along the sides to let the water drain.  It would also be lovely if you could get him one of those soft textured bath mats so he will have good traction and be comfy when he needs to lay down.

Another route you can look at is possibly getting him one of those doggy harness slings to help support him when you need him to stand or walk longer distances.  Even with a large heavy dog, they can be surprisingly helpful because it isn't about neccessarily lifting the entire dog, but helping yoru canine friend by taking a little of his weight off him and helping to balance him while he stands or walks.  If you have someone that could help you when bathing you could take turns helping to support him to give you more time to clean the lower parts before letting him lie down and worry about getting the easier to reach areas that don't need him to stand.

Do you have a yard? 

My old 95 pound GSD could not stand very long, and I was not physically able to either.  I had to give her a bath twice a week.  I put a large blanket on the lawn, ran a hose from inside so I could get warm water, and sat down in the middle of the blanket with her laying down.  It was so much easier once I was on the ground, and she would let me wash one side, roll her over, wash the other side, do most of the rinsing while she was down, and the final rinse was done standing up as fast as I could. 

I think she was much calmer since I was sitting on the ground next to her (getting soaked too).  And she did not mind the hose since I did not use a sprayer.   We just moved over to a dry blanket for the fluff and comb.

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My old 95 pound GSD could not stand very long, and I was not physically able to either.  I had to give her a bath twice a week.  I put a large blanket on the lawn, ran a hose from inside so I could get warm water, and sat down in the middle of the blanket with her laying down.  It was so much easier once I was on the ground, and she would let me wash one side, roll her over, wash the other side, do most of the rinsing while she was down, and the final rinse was done standing up as fast as I could. 

I think she was much calmer since I was sitting on the ground next to her (getting soaked too).  And she did not mind the hose since I did not use a sprayer.   We just moved over to a dry blanket for the fluff and comb

Yeah -- something very like this -- think out of the box totally.  (out of the shower too *sigh*) -- couple of thots -- how about a kiddie pool either outside or in your garage if you have one?   The other thing I do with Kee Shu (and she can't stand up to be bathed at all -- and I can't stand either long enough to bathe her and she would literaly drown because she won't hold her head up).  But I literally put a box  (in her case a Glad plastic food box) UNDER her in the sink just to give her some support.  She straddles that while I bathe her.

Soooooo Kobi is bigger -- but I'm thinking look around for something that is about as high as he is tall -- maybe a small plastic step stool or  a storage box -- go thru Wal-mart or Target just looking for someting the right size.  A sling is only going to work if you have something higher that you can attach the sling TO ...   But even a kiddie pool  can work  and if it's on a concrete floor with a drain or even outside while it is still warm enough  then it doesn't matter if it sloshes over.  You may need to fill a few buckets with warm water to have next to the pool (and something substantially large to dip water with.  . 

But even if it was a "narrow" hose -- or heck even one of those watering hoses -- anything "different" enough might work.  Like I'm thinking I have one hose that is really quite small in diagmeter and just cutting the end off it so you don't have the brass fitting (so it doesn't look like a "hose";) might work

 I wish you were closer, I'd be glad to help you out! Your vet doesn't have a groomer that could accomodate him? It's terrible that nobody will take him! I've groomed dogs bitter than he is that wouldn't stand or sit. It's hard work, but doable.

I hope that you get something figured out. You might even get a home clipper and, using a guide comb, shorten the bad areas.

Willow couldn't go to grooming for awhile.  I used the heavy duty dog wipes and brushed her out thoroughly before and after.  I do not like the dry shampoo it's too much vapor and smell the way it sprays out of the can. 

I cut her myself and also used thinning shears to take her fur way down. 

Honestly, she was nowhere near the way I used to keep her when she was sick.  But, we made do with what we could get done at the time.