Senior Having Trouble On Hardwood And Tile Floors :(

[Guest scleach]

My senior hound is having some trouble on hardwood and tile floors now. She is starting to develop very mild arthritis in her hips. She takes joint supplements which has helped a lot! But she has had a couple falls on the tile floors which causes her to have a little anxiety about walking on the non carpeted floors and I am worried that she will possibly hurt herself if she falls again. She also has a lot of trouble standing up if she lays down on non carpeted floors; her feet slide out from under her and she really struggles. I would love any suggestions on things I can do to help her with this. I have tried toe grips with a little success but they definitely aren't helping as much as I hoped. She is in excellent health other than this which makes it even harder since she still runs and plays like a hound half her age so having this issue is very difficult for her to deal with. Please if anyone can give me any suggestions that would be amazing!!

[dante2zoe]

Can you put carpet runners on the areas that she needs to travel? My senior is creaky and wobbly, too, and keeping his nails shorter has also helped. I have rugs on the floors that he needs to utilize and that has brought him a lot of security. I also have higher, padded bedding for him so he can get on and off his bed easier.

[charbess]

Non slip throw rugs or runners, machine washable if possible. I have several in different sizes and keep one at all times by the back door for dirty paws. My 12 year old girl can't manage wood floors or linoleum anymore and these are wonderful.

[ramonaghan]

Non slip throw rugs or runners, machine washable if possible.

 

These are great and totally machine washable/dryable. I have the stair treads and they stay in place really well and have held up perfectly through regular washings for almost a year.

 

Someone here once recommended putting SortKwik (the office supply stuff) on my hound's pads when she was new and getting used to our hardwoods. It dries quickly and works like a charm!

[brandimom]

 

These are great and totally machine washable/dryable. I have the stair treads and they stay in place really well and have held up perfectly through regular washings for almost a year.

 

Someone here once recommended putting SortKwik (the office supply stuff) on my hound's pads when she was new and getting used to our hardwoods. It dries quickly and works like a charm!

Thank you thank you and thank you for the link to Solutions. I am ordering them for my three pups.

[GreyPoopon]

I prefer carpet mats and runners (well, I hate the look, but they work), but another option is dog socks with rubberized bottoms or rubber dog booties. I found that the socks tended not to stay in place too well, and I wouldn't want to leave rubber booties on 24/7, but at least both go with the dog no matter what floor it's on. ETA: Just make sure your dog doesn't eat them.

Edited October 15, 2013 by GreyPoopon

[Remolacha]

I buy cheap non skid area rugs (Tuesday Morning, Goodwill, etc) wash them if I can, and toss them when they lose their backing. This is the only thing that really worked for us.

[krissn333]

For Carrie I bought the interlocking floor mats (like people buy for garage floors) and made pathways through the house for her. Taped them down on all edges with duct tape.

 

One other thing: keep her nails as short as you possibly can. I did Carrie's every few days, at the VERY least once a week with the dremel.

[Guest scleach]

These are all great ideas; I will definitely be trying them out! Thank you all so much!!

[o_rooly]

We have ceramic tile & laminate, except for the stairs, which are carpeted. We buy cheap rubber-backed bath rugs from Kohl's/Target on clearance... wash 'em 'til they fall apart, buy new ones. Aston seems to be okay on the floors except for when he's arriving on the stair landings, so the mats are placed along his "trajectory" at the top & bottom of the staircase. No wipeouts since.

[Guest FreeholdHound]

Rubber backed bath mats here too. Cheap, washable - we have them on the kitchen & entryway tiles.