Article From SubmitYOURArticle.com: Simple Ramps for Dogs With Arthritis

Almost all dogs will develop arthritis to some
extent in their later years of life. Arthritis is
a disease of the joints when the lubricating
cartilage tissue becomes thinner and allows the
joint bones to rub together and cause pain.

There is no cure for dog arthritis. All owners
can do with arthritic canines is to make them as
comfortable as possible, supply them with a
liquid glucosamine supplement and make their
environment as easy to maneuver as possible.

Many times a ramp is required for aging canines
to access the steps leading to a porch or home
doorway. Stairs can be extremely difficult to go
both up and down for dogs with osteoarthritis in
their later years of life.

One thing that pet owners can do is build a
simple ramp for making their dog's porch or house
access as easy as possible as their arthritis
progresses later in their life. There is no need
for anything elaborate at all for creating a very
functional dog ramp.

All that is really required is a sturdy piece of
plywood about 24 inches wide. The length of the
plywood depends how tall the steps are. The
length needed is simply the distance from the
edge of the top step to the bottom measured in a
straight line. Once that measurement is taken,
add about 3/8 of an inch to it.

This ramp can then be fastened over the top of
the steps. Hopefully there will be enough room to
continue to use the regular steps with the ramp
at the side. The best way to fasten the dog ramp
is to screw it to the existing steps with wood
screws.

Once the ramp is fastened securely, cut a piece
of old carpet or rug and staple it (or glue it)
to the surface to make a non-slip surface for
your pet.

It may take some training to get your dog to use
the ramp in the beginning. Simply use some food
to bribe the canine up and down the ramp in the
correct way when teaching him or her to use the
new ramp. Normally just a few days are all that
are required to train dogs to use the ramps
correctly and safely.

This is just one of many things a pet owner can
do to help ease the pain and difficulty their
older dogs have when combating the disease of
arthritis. Little things, like building an
inexpensive device for accesses the porch or
house make a lot of difference in the quality of
life the animal enjoys in his or her later years.

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Arthritic dogs may need a simple ramp to assist
them in climbing stairs. Described here and on
our Cactus Canyon web site is a simple and
inexpensive ramp for helping dogs with arthritis
go up and down stairs. http://www.cactuscanyon.com

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