Provide Handicapped Access For Dogs With Arthritis

It's an unfortunate fact that almost all dogs will suffer from arthritis joint disease in their later years of life. Some breeds and some specific dogs suffer from the disease far more than others. Usually, larger dogs experience more difficulty in their later years of life due to this joint disease. Larger dogs carry more weight and so there is more stress on their diseased joints. Smaller dogs often exhibit few if any symptoms of arthritis in their later years of life which many vets prescribe glucosamine supplements for.

If your dog is suffering from joint disease and having trouble negotiating steps and stairs around the home, it may be time to think of implementing some form of handicapped access for them. In our own home for example, we have sets of steps on both the front and rear doors which must be accessed in order for our dogs to venture into the yard and to return to the home.

In their later years of life, all of our older dogs have had extreme difficulty in negotiating the steps. Fortunately, our steps were wide enough for us to add a piece of plywood at the side of the steps in order for them to use it in the form of a ramp. It was simply a matter of measuring and cutting a piece of one half-inch plywood for the ramp and using a few screws to fasten it to the wooden steps. If your homes steps are concrete or brick, it still is possible to anchor the ramp using simple masonry screws with anchors.

It's also important to find or purchase a throw rug and staple that rug to the plywood in order to give the animal better footing while going up or down the ramp. We used these ramps for a number of years for older dogs and they have been good service for both the animals and us. Without them, we often had to resort to carrying the animal up and down the steps. Of course for the larger dogs, this can be quite difficult and dangerous for both the animal and the human carrying the animal.

When the ramp is first installed, some coaxing may be required to teach the animal that the ramp is a good thing. In these cases we always use food as a method of getting the dog to do what we expect. We simply put a leash on the dog, carry the treats with us and show it the ramp. Then we use the leash and the food to help guide the dog up the ramp the first time. It is usually easier to get the dog to move up the ramp at first than it is to move down. Arthritic dogs are often unsure of their footing and going down steps is usually far more difficult than going up.

Don't expect your dog with arthritis to learn this in one day. Return to the ramp with the food and leash for several minutes each day for a week or so and, depending on the dog, they should be very appreciative and well adjusted to using the ramp all the time.

We have more information on our website about using glucosamine and dealing with dog arthritis and how pet owners can help their animals deal with this joint disease. We offer all natural Flexicose glucoamine for pets to treat the joint disease.