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.

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We have more information on our website about
dealing with dog arthritis and how pet owners
can help their animals deal with this joint
disease. http://www.cactuscanyon.com

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