Home Safety Tips From a Rehab Professional: Creating a Safe Home For Your Dog
Your home is where your pet spends the most time. It is important to create a safe environment for your dog to play, relax, and thrive. While we may think our home is safe, there are plenty of dangers around the house that can commonly contribute to injuries we see in dogs. The good news is that there are easy changes you can make to your home that can have a BIG impact on reducing the risk of injury for your dog. Check out some of our recommendations below.
Be wary of slick surfaces
Use area rugs through the main areas of your house where your dog will spend time.
Avoid playing fetch, zooming, or running on slick surfaces.
If your dog is having trouble walking or getting up on slick surfaces consider options for traction and schedule a free phone consult with me to learn how I can help.
Stair Safety
Avoid letting your dog run and up and down the stairs repeatedly as this could lead to an overuse injury.
Make sure the stairs have a surface with good traction to reduce the risk of slips and falls. There are several options for stair treads but I like this brand.
If your dog hesitates to go up the stairs this could be a sign of back pain or an issue with a back leg. If your dog hesitates to go down the stairs this could indicate an issue with a front leg.
Jumping
It is best to limit jumping on and off furniture and in and out of the car as much as possible. These are high impact activities that are high risk and low reward so we want to limit them to help prevent unnecessary aches and pains. This is especially true for small dogs and dog’s with longer backs, since jumping puts a lot of stress through their spine.
Consider using stairs onto furniture such as the couch or bed. I like this step for big dogs and these stairs for smaller dogs.
I highly recommend using a ramp or stairs to get your dog in and out of the car. My favorite stairs are the PetLoader Stairs.
Outside Environment
Make sure your outdoor spaces are free of large holes, divets, or difficult to see obstacles that could cause an injury.
Make sure there are no sharp objects in your outdoor space that your dog could cut themselves on such as fence edges or broken equipment.
When it snows, the best option is to clear a path for your pet to go outside. If you need to use ice melt make sure you choose a brand that is safe for pets, as other brands can burn their feet. Avoid letting your dog run or play on icy surfaces and consider booties for added traction
