Old Dog + Hardwood Floors

[N80]

My labrador retriever, Dash, is eleven years old and starting to have problems with arthritis, particularly his hips. He also had a back injury a few years ago and his back legs are weak. He lives indoors with us. He is still happy and active but he is having increasing difficulty getting up from lying down on our slippery (for him) hardwood floors. We have no carpeting but we do have rugs in a lot of rooms. He does not have trouble on the rugs. The biggest problem is the hardwood stairs and he has fallen up and down them several times, luckily without getting hurt.

We can certainly use a child gate to block the stairs but he loves to sleep upstairs with us. We also know we can carpet the stairs but that would be expensive and not consistent with the decor rolleyes.

I have heard there are non-slip boots but I think he would pull or gnaw them off.

So I'm looking for something else, maybe a tip or trick that someone else has tried and had it work?

 

[Furu]

We used runners with rubber backing throughout the house. We did use the rubber booties (not cheap ones) and he loved them. He seemed to know they helped.
Try the runners on the stairs with double sided construction tape to hold in place. Of course that might leave deposits on the hardwood but then he is your buddy. We also carried our old man up and down the stairs at times.

 

[N80]

My wife said one of the companies that makes the boots guarantee that the dog can't get them off. But we have encountered very few toys and such that Dash wouldn't gnaw through, but it might be worth a try.

And yes, I have carried him up the stairs before when he was wobbly or slipping. He weighs 85 pounds though.....not THAT heavy, but still, kind of awkward to carry.

Temporary runners on the stairs might work. Stairs are 80+ years old and worn so deposits wouldn't be the end of the world. Just as long as they would not be a tripping hazard for us....we're not kids anymore either.:laughing:

It seems to me that something like a non-toxic rubbery substance you could paint on their foot pads would work. You'd probably have to do it fairly often......just thinking outside the box. Maybe not the invention of the century and probably closer to the Opti-Grab glasses.......if you remember those....:laughing:

 

[QRTRHRS]

The stairs are going to take a hard choice I am afraid. We have had to resort to throw rugs and towels on one level which is alot of work. We had to set up a ramp to allow arthritic dogs to negotiate three steps to keep going outside.

I think you are going to have to set up sleeping quarters on the main level to accomodate your four legged friend.

 

[whistlepig]

I agree with QRTRHS. I have had to make choices for some of my old dogs that were unpleasant for them. But it gave them another year or so in my case. It's an unpleasant thing no matter how you go about it. Good dogs are far and few between.

 

[kidr]

See your vet. My old dog is on rimadyl and hyaluranic acid with msm, and it helps.
He can also provide a sling so you can assist the dog up and down stairs.

 

[bucktaker]

We have hardwood floors and I bought a large carpet remmant and had the edges sewn so it was a huge area rug. with no slips under it it worked great for my English Springer Spanial who lived to just short of 17. she was mobile and kinda learned to only lay on the carpet.

 

[Egon]

For the stairs consider some rubber mat/runner on each individual step.

 

[MossRoad]

Also make sure his nails are trimmed well. It can make a big difference in his walking comfort.

 

[trihounds]

These work really well and don't break the bank.

Heathered Stair Treads

 

[dmccarty]

If you have to carry him up the stairs, just be careful.

The wifey and I went to the beach once upon a time and took our three big dogs. This was a typical NC beach house built on pilings with the ground level being utility rooms, storage and parking. The main level was on the second story and the bedrooms were on the third floor. The oldest dog could not go up stairs so I had to carry her from the ground level to the main floor and at night up to the third floor. For the dog to go to the bathroom, I would have to carry her down and back up the stairs.

The first morning we were at the place, I carried the dog down stairs so she could go to the bathroom, and when I carried her back up the stairs, I pulled a muscle in my back. Pulled it really bad. I was in so much pain all I could do was lay on the couch most of the time. :shocked: Course, I still had to carry the dog up and down the stairs so she could do her business. :confused2:

I pulled the muscle when I had to turn a bit to get around some door or obstacle on the deck.

Later,
Dan

 

[Cliff_Johns]

There is a product called paw wax. read about it here:
Paw Wax for Dogs

Excerpt:
Paw wax . . . Some owners with hardwood floors in their homes might use this wax to help their dogs get around. This is especially useful for dogs suffering from arthritis, who have a hard time getting up and down, and might be more prone to slipping on smooth floors.

Cliff

 

[N80]

I'll do some searching about the Paw Wax. That is more of what I had in mind originally. In short, we're pretty much considering everything. Definitely need to trim his nails. Individual covers on the stair treads is a good idea too. My wife didn't mind the look of the Heathered Stair Treads referenced above and they are temporary and won't mar the wood. And we're going to try the grippy boots too. He is really too big for me to carry upstairs on a regular basis. So if all else fails we'll gat a baby gate for the stairs and he'll have to stay downstairs.

On a different topic, we have to lift him into the truck now but he puts his front paws on the floor and even my wife can lift his rear end up. When I'm there he trust me enough to step off the back seat into my arms to lower him to the ground but my wife can't do that. So, we have a dog ramp. It was not cheap but it is plenty sturdy, wide and grippy for a large dog. We keep it in the back of the truck and he walks down it no problem.

 

[jimmyj]

We sell little rubber boots that are just like balloons as well as socks with rubber "dots" on them for exactly this type of thing. Most pet stores should have these things. They are not expensive either, for example 12 of the little rubber balloon booties are $20.

 

[N80]

Update: Dash continues to have good days and bad days. Last few days have been pretty bad. He whines and paces at night. Vet gave him some pain pills to take in addition to his arthritis meds but they mostly just knock him out.

We did get him some of the boots with rubber soles and velcro straps. I have been amazed that he doesn't seem to mind them at all. They really help him on the hardwood floors and steps but we do not leave them on all the time. I need to look into some of the ones that are made like a sock too because they might be better for leaving on all the time.

We trimmed his nails.

We are going to order some of the non-stick stair treads very soon but it won't be long until he'll have to stay downstairs full time.

It is hard to watch a "family member" type pet declining and hurting.

 

[MikePA]

Look into Dr. Buzby's ToeGrips, Click Here. They work well on our oldest dog and the problem she has walking on tile floors. My sister-in-law is a vet tech and she put them on.

 

[N80]

Wow, thanks Mike, I'll look into that. Looks like a great idea.