Those without carpeting can try putting grips on their dog’s toes, Wood adds. While hardwood floors are an increasingly popular home design choice, Arnoldy says carpeted stairs or runners will provide good footing and reduce the risk of your dog slipping. “Dark areas can be a safety risk for all dogs, especially those with poor eyesight, challenges with depth perception, weakness, balance challenges, or limited mobility,” Arnoldy says. Improve VisibilityĪssuming your dog is using the stairs normally and you simply want to help prevent falls and other issues, better lighting is an extremely simple way to improve visibility and let your dog’s natural cautiousness kick in. If you notice any of these scenarios, make an appointment with your vet as soon as possible. Simply watching your dog on the stairs will help you catch any of these problems-hopefully before a fall or before they become too serious. They use it as support to help steady themselves.” You might notice this if your dog hugs the wall while on stairs. “They might also struggle on stairs if they have vestibular disease, which affects balance. “Dogs with spine, neck, disc, and back problems find it painful to lift or lower their head when they go up or down stairs,” Wood says. Neurological issues look a little different. When the reverse is true-no problem ascending, but showing unwillingness or pain while descending-the issue is usually with the dog’s elbows or shoulders. “Owners tend to blame stairs for a dog’s inability or difficulty in getting around,” he says, “but usually, whatever is afflicting them is only making itself apparent when the dog uses the stairs.”ĭogs with orthopedic problems-including hips, knees, and hind legs-will have no trouble going down stairs but will show reluctance, struggle, or bunny hop their way back up, Wood says. Wood says he uses stairs as a tool to diagnose various problems. Simply watching your dog go up and down the stairs won’t prevent an accident, but it will keep them safe from other potential health problems or conditions that could be even more serious. Here are five stair safety tips for dogs that every pet parent should know and follow. It’s important for owners to do what they can to set up their canine companions for success. Puppies, older dogs, and breeds with long spines (like Dachshunds, Basset Hounds, and Corgis) tend to have trouble around stairs, Arnoldy says. “They have a drive to do so and a willingness to learn because they want to follow around their mother or their owner, and they have a natural cautiousness around edges that keeps them pretty safe.” “Most animals learn early on how to navigate stairs,” he says. Jonathan Wood, staff clinician in neurology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. Luckily, many dogs are naturally equipped to ascend and descend a staircase, according to Dr. Courtney Arnoldy, founder of the Small Animal Rehabilitation Program at University of Wisconsin Veterinary Care. “Stair-related injuries can range from muscle strains and bruises to fractures, head injuries, and even death,” says Dr. Whether you have a large split-level home or a simple one-story ranch with a porch, if you’re a dog owner, you hold your breath for a second whenever your pup bounds up or down the steps. It’s hard to find a house without stairs.
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