Helping An Older Or Injured Dog Safely Down Steps
September 14, 2009
If you have an aging or disabled dog then you probably already know that one of the toughest things you have to deal with is helping your dog up and down steps. For small dogs this isn’t such a problem, but if you have a medium or large dog this can truly be a hard situation. Most people can’t carry a large dog up and down many steps and dogs are often uncomfortable and uncooperative. How can you manage a dog in this situation? How can you carry an older injured dog safely down steps?
Harnesses
When it comes to mobility for an older injured dog, one of your best choices is often a harness. There are two basic kinds of harnesses for dogs: harnesses that fit over your dog’s rear and harnesses which fit around your dog’s middle.
If your dog is weak in all four legs then you are usually better off using a harness that fits around his middle. With this kind of harness you can lift and provide support for all four of his legs. If necessary, you can lift him completely off the ground this way assuming he doesn’t weigh too much.
Good harnesses are often faux sheepskin-lined to provide comfort for your dog and they may have some kind of cushioning along the handles to make it more comfortable for you to lift.
There are even harnesses designed with handles that move from the rear to the middle or front, depending on whether you are walking upstairs or downstairs. This allows you to better position yourself in relation to your dog so you can help guide him.
Walking Your Dog In Harness
If you are using a harness to walk your older dog down steps then try to place your dog between yourself and a wall is possible. This way if he should falter or fall you may have something you can move him toward to help catch him.
Since steps can often be slippery you may want to make sure you have good no-slip rugs down for your dog, too. Dog booties with traction soles are often recommended for many senior dogs. These booties can help many elderly dogs be much more mobile. Lots of aging dogs regain their youthful exuberance once they have booties with some traction because they aren’t afraid of slipping and falling. They not only start walking with more confidence again, they start trotting and playing once more.
Move slowly when you’re walking an older or disabled dog if he has mobility problems. Walking may involve some pain for him. Walking down steps can also be frightening if he’s afraid of falling so don’t rush him.
Remember that it’s also possible that your aging dog has some vision issues. Some older dogs can begin to lose eyesight as they age so your dog may not be able to see the steps as well as he once did. This can also make walking down the steps frightening for him. Take it slowly.
If you move slowly and provide good traction for your dog, then you should be able to walk your older dog down steps safely in a harness.
Summary
Helping your older injured dog safely down steps can be very challenging but, with the use of a harness, it can be done. Using a harness, providing traction for your dog and moving slowly will help you improve your dog’s mobility on steps.
Comments
Got something to say?