No Senior Dog Cooped Up: Helping Them Up, Down, and Around
In our last blog post, we talked about changes you can make at home to help keep your senior dog as cozy and mobile as possible as they get older and start to have more difficulty with everyday activities. But there’s a great big world beyond your front door, and chances are you and your senior dog would like to continue to explore it together, no matter their mobility issues. If not just for daily bathroom breaks, but also for trips to the vet, the groomer, the in-laws, and so forth. Fortunately, there are things you can do to make it easier for you and your loyal friend to take to the outdoors, whether it’s to take care of business or make new, happy memories filled with fresh air and plenty of tail wagging.
Getting in and out of the car or up and down the stairs leading to the outside can seem like an insurmountable task for both you and your dog, but it doesn’t have to be. Check out the Help ‘Em Up Harness , designed to help dogs access higher and lower surfaces by giving them a hand. This type of harness distributes pressure comfortably across the chest and pelvis, and is equipped with two handles positioned along the back. These handles allow the person assisting the dog to literally “help ‘em up” by offloading weight, thereby decreasing the impact through the joints and reducing the amount of strength needed to make the jump.
Another option for providing hands-on assistance to your senior dog is the GingerLead support harness. The GingerLead is to be placed under the dog’s belly, and is then attached to their collar or chest harness. The handle on it lengthens and shortens, allowing you to position it based on your and your dog’s height for your own comfort during walking. The GingerLead works in a similar way to that of the Help ‘Em Up Harness, but the pressure distribution is slightly different along with the handle design. If you would like help deciding between the two, be sure to talk to a canine health care professional!
Lastly, a dog ramp can make a wonderful solution for dogs who have difficulty with stairs and jumping in and out of the car. This solution not only allows for decreased impact through the joints but also results in less lifting and carrying for the pet parent; all you have to do is set it up. Of course, it will have to take up some space, but it’s a small price to pay for the comfort of your canine.
As your dog gets older, he or she is likely to develop some difficulty with balance, strength, and endurance, potentially resulting in pain. It’s important to remember that while everyday activities may look a little different, there is still a way for them to be accomplished! Whether you’re a pet parent with a medium to larger sized dog, with multiple dogs to manage, or with difficulty yourself when it comes to heavy lifting or lifting from low surfaces, there are multiple ways to make life easier for you and your furry friends. They’re so worth it!
~TheK9PT
Dr. Francisco Maia, PT, DPT, CCRT
In collaboration with:
Dr. Aliya Bahjet, PT, DPT
Professional Writer and Physical Therapist
Great info! Love some of these ideas and harnesses!
Thanks Lesley! I am glad to hear that you found the information helpful!