This post is a throwback to an earlier post on the same topic (Upside of Pet Steps and Ramps), with some helpful added information.

All dogs in general are prone to disk disease in their backs just because of the way they’re built.  Small dogs especially are at risk of injury to their spine because of their acrobatic flare.  Add high bouncing and jumping activity to that, and now their legs are in danger, too.  Torn cruciate ligaments are VERY common, especially in small dogs.  Delicate ligaments in their legs, especially the back legs, are easily ripped from the strain and impact of high activity.  They’re terribly painful for the animal, and can even leave him totally crippled.  Sadly, torn cruciate ligaments can be repaired only by surgery.  The cost to have the ligaments surgically repaired is in the THOUSANDS of dollars.  That’s why people often ditch their pets at the pound instead — they can’t afford to save their pet’s quality of life.  A very sad ending to a preventable injury.

This is my “Bed Head” Bandit? and he wants to share a very important message with you.  Bandit is young and high energy.  He jumps up on beds and sofas when he’s zooming the house during playtime, jumps in and out of the car, and jumps up at the door handle when he’s excited to go outside. Bandit is always in motion.  This puts constant pressure and tremendous impact on his spine and legs.  We give him daily glucosamine/chondroitin and turmeric supplements to keep his joints strong and inflammation low, which are critically important to his present and future orthopedic health; but there’s still more to be done.

Going The Extra “Step”

So we went shopping online for pet steps and ramps.  There are lots out there to choose from, and some are exceptional pet products.  But two significant factors kept popping up that we didn’t like about most of them:  (1) the good ones are generally quite expensive; and (2) most of them, in any price range, are clubby and in the way.  Yes, they say you can hide them conveniently underneath the sofa or bed, but then they’re not available for your pet to be using, are they.  Duh.  So we decided to keep looking.

Then we found these dandy little footstools on Amazon.  Even though they’re not an actual pet product, they’re PERFECT!  They’re the ideal height and dimensions for the pet’s use, yet small enough to be out of the family’s way so you don’t have to shove them under the sofa at all.  Another very important detail is they’re super cushioned, which softens the impact to your pet’s joints.  Plus they’re actual furniture, so they naturally blend in with your decor.  Last but not least, they’re super affordable, so we bought several to put all around the house.  They come in faux suede, faux leather, or fabric, and also in different colors and patterns.  Bandit took to them right away and is LOVING them!  Took him all of five minutes to learn to use them.  All-around great little find!

See how nicely the footstools look in our house, unlike clunky pet ramps.

No Slip-Sliding Away.

If these footstools have a downside, it would be that they can slide around on smooth flooring.  We have all tile flooring in our house, and it’s not an issue for Bandit when he’s launching himself off them.  This photo (below) is perfectly timed to show Bandit launching himself from the footstool to the sofa without the footstool slipping out from under him.

But I can see where it could maybe be an issue for a larger dog, that the footstool could slide out from under him.  This can be easily addressed by picking up some sticky-rubber adhesive foot pads at your hardware store that you can stick to the bottoms of the footstool feet.  Poof — problem prevented.

And that’s all it took to add another level of protection to your beloved pet’s health.  Way to Go! ?

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God Bless and Happy Pet Parenting!

With love and good wishes,
jeannie.   ?

About jeannie:  I’ve been pro-actively involved in pet rescue all of my life. I founded Milagro Senior Pet Refuge© (Phoenix) in 1998, and BareFootPets (TM) in 2008. Animal welfare has always been and will always be my heart’s work. If my only legacy is that I save a handful of precious souls that would not survive otherwise, I’m good with that.

The post For All The High-Flying Dogs. appeared first on BareFootPets.

Invest in good pet steps. Why? Dogs love to jump up on the furniture and down again, or in and out of the car. It’s cute and seems harmless, but here’s something important to consider: your dog’s anterior cruciate ligaments can be very easily ruptured or torn by this seemingly innocent up-and-down play. Anterior cruciate ligaments (ACLs) are the connecting tissue between the major bones of dogs’ back legs. Once that tissue is damaged, the dog becomes lame and can even develop degenerative joint disease. Corrective surgery is available, at a VERY high cost. But there’s an easy way for you to help prevent that damage happening to your dog in the first place–teach her to use pet steps. Yep, easy as that.

Jonah – Poster Dog For The Importance Of Pet Steps.

That reminds me of Jonah. Jonah is Milagro Senior Pet Refuge’s greatest success story (http://www.milagropets.org/the-power-of-life-and-love/). When we rescued Jonah, he had a hundred health issues going on that all needed immediate fixing. In fact, the vet said he probably only had a couple of weeks left to live and didn’t see the point of us even bothering to rescue him. One of those issues was that his ACLs in both back legs were completely torn and he was crippled–unable to walk or stand or even sit upright. He could only lie there. Talk about no quality of life! It tore me up to see him this way. Fortunately, a very kind donor offered the funds to have Jonah’s ACLs surgically fixed. The surgery was well over $3,000. Most people can’t afford that, can you?

So you can see how Jonah ended up at the shelter. Happens every day. People start out planning the best life for their pets but, when things like this happen and they can’t afford to fix it, it’s the pet who suffers. He lost his health, so now he loses his home, his family, and all too often his life. It doesn’t need to be that way-–all it takes is for you to teach your dog to use pet steps and ramps early on while he’s young. This will reduce the risk of ACL injury and help to protect his quality of health and life.

Choose The Right Pet Steps.

Fortunately for Jonah, Milagro was able to intervene and get him the help he needed. But that’s not normally the case. So be mindful-–provide your pet the steps and ramps for climbing that will protect his joints and ACLs, and your pocketbook, and also his future as a healthy, happy member of your family. Be sure to shop for the right steps-–the step surfaces should be non-skid so her feet don’t slip off, and the bottom of the unit should be non-skid so it stays in place on the floor. Lastly, be sure the unit is good and heavy so it doesn’t slide out from under your pet when she’s running up or down it. I’ve even had good luck with heavy duty stepstools from Lowes. Use your imagination. Just ensure they’re sturdy, stable, and non-skid.

One last tip- if your pet is a little older, or a little on the small side, get a RAMP instead of steps. A ramp allows the pet to move more smoothly in her own stride rather trying to get up steps that may be too high or far apart for her. There are some really nice steps and ramps to be found on Amazon.  I’ve spotlighted for you below a couple of really nice ones. They both have carpeted surfaces to give your pet traction, so that greatly reduces the risk of your pet slipping off and getting hurt. They both are appealing to look at and won’t be an eye sore in your home. And both are compact enough in size so they don’t take up precious space. Both are great choices.

Whether you choose steps or ramp, this is a very smart investment in your pet’s health and safety.

** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

God Bless and Happy Pet Parenting!

With love and good wishes,
jeannie.   ?

About jeannie:  I’ve been pro-actively involved in pet rescue all of my life. I founded Milagro Senior Pet Refuge© (Phoenix) in 1998, and BareFootPets (TM) in 2008.  Animal welfare has always been and will always be my heart’s work. If my only legacy is that I save a handful of precious souls that would not survive otherwise, I’m good with that.

The post The Upside Of Pet Steps And Ramps. appeared first on BareFootPets.