Most of us have smooth floor surfaces in our homes, but did you know they pose a safety risk for your dog? Laminate, tile and hardwood floors look great but your dog’s paws aren’t designed to walk on such smooth surfaces. And that can lead to slipping and falling – and potentially serious injury. Luckily, there are many ways to prevent these accidents from happening.
Dog paws like grip
Your dog’s paws will try to garner traction on any floor surface. When walking or running on a smooth floor there will be nothing available to gain that grip. Dogs slipping and falling on smooth floors can lead to injuries varying from bruising to painful cruciate ligament damage.
Floors For paws unique ridged surface gives dog paws a higher level of grip than smooth floor finishes allowing greater traction. As good as this is there are still further measures to consider to ensure you maximise your dogs enjoyment of the flooring.
Cracked and dry paw pads can really increase the chances of slips so it is important to take good care of your dogs pads. Concrete, sand and salt, as well as cold conditions will dry out your dogs pads giving them less moisture and thus less traction.
There are many good waxes and balms available online at very reasonable prices. We personally use Musher Wax to keep our dogs pads in good condition.
Prevention
1. Keep your dog’s nails short.
2. If your dog has hairy foot pads, keep them trimmed.
3. Pay extra attention to where your dog likes to nap or rest. Getting up from a smooth floor can be quite challenging, especially for larger or older dogs, so placing a rug there will make things easier and more comfortable for him.
4. Consider stairs as well. If your dog slips and falls down the stairs, any injuries he sustains can be especially serious. Invest in a good runner and install it securely on your steps.
5. Keeping your dog physically fit is important, too. If your dog maintains an ideal body weight, there will be less pressure on his joints, and that makes walking easier.
