Best Dog Ramps For Injured Dogs

[Guest bubbagum]

I am looking for suggestions for the best car/van ramps for Midwest weather conditions. Some have carpeting (which could become very slippery in sleet, rain and snow). Others have sandpaper. Does anyone have experience with these ramps? Could you give me some advice on which to buy? Our 8 yr. old has pain only when jumping up. Otherwise he's fine and doesn't limp or show distress.

 

Thanks.

[MaryJane]

I couldn't get my angel Onyx to use a ramp to get into the Explorer -- I ended up buying another car -- a minivan. This was when he had osteo and I had to have a car he could get into when I went to pick him up after his leg amputation.

 

I had a ramp with carpet and also with the sandpaper - neither worked.

 

Someone on the forum (? Batmom maybe) made a set of stairs (2 or 3) that a dog could use to get into a car - you might want to see if you can track that thread down. It was lightweight and big enough that dogs wouldn't get nervous climbing up.

[DesiRayMom]

Last Feb, Desi had clots in his legs & no way could he jump. At 85 lb, no way could I lift him. Bought a bi-fold ramp from Foster & Smith with the

gritty sandpapery finish so he could get in my suv. Took him 2 or 3 tries to get the hang of it, but he uses it like a champ & it's been a godsend for us.

Have never had any problem with sleet, snow, rain; but then it's not out really long enough to get really coated.

 

When it's folded, I wrap the last seat belt shoulder strap around it & it keeps it snug against the side. Takes an extra minute or so to set up & put away,

but it's been worth it's weight in gold.

[Houndtime]

I have one like above also with the gritty surface. It took a while for them to get used to it, but they all three got the hang of it. It is much harder to use going down the ramp as opposed to going up. We used it with our travel trailer. Now, I just lent it a neighbor to use with her wheel chair.

[3greytjoys]

PetSTEP is our favorite dog ramp for cars to date. We have SUV crossovers (it's not made for big trucks). It has been a lifesaver for our pack which also includes three geriatric aged Greyhounds.

http://www.amazon.com/PetSTEP-Folding-Pet-Ramp-Khaki/dp/B00006OALW/ref=sr_1_1/182-2746658-7908210?ie=UTF8&qid=1384031234&sr=8-1&keywords=petstep+ramp

 

Here is my previous thread about this PetSTEP ramp. http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php/topic/297675-dog-ramp-in-emergency/

(We ordered ours from Costco on-line; however, it appears to be unavailable at Costco right now.)

Edited November 9, 2013 by 3greytjoys

[tbhounds]

This is where I bought mine from.....

http://www.discountramps.com/dog_ramps.htm

[kudzu]

This is where I bought mine from.....

http://www.discountramps.com/dog_ramps.htm

That's where our ramp came from. It's 8 feet long but folds in half to 4 feet. I fits easily behind the front seat of our cars. I bought a long one because it made the ramp angle easier for the dogs.

 

So far I've not had a dog refuse to use it. Bear in mind though that most of my dogs have had at least intro agility lessons so a sturdy ramp is no big deal.

[Guest bubbagum]

Thanks for all the responses. We already use a permanent ramp to their turn-out, so our guys are used to ramps. Good to know about PetSTEP. Sounds like a winner. We have an 8 and 10 year old, so this will help a lot.