Thanks to our pal 'Ali' for sending in the link and reminder about dachshunds being in "The Big Bed." Today's beds are taller than they were the last decade, when standard mattress and box springs were each about 8 inches thick. Today, thanks to the 'Princess and the Pea' phenomenon, mattresses can be 20 inches thick.As beds are rising, so is the percentage of dogs sleeping with their humans, and we're betting that dachshunds average much higher here than the 2006 national average of 47%!
Arizona Central reports: veterinarians across the country report among house dogs a rise in such disorders as elbow and shoulder arthritis, hip dysplasia and degenerative disk disease. As the lifespan of pets rises thanks to better food and medicine, the old dog that once leapt with abandon now hesitates on the edge of bed - or jumps and hurts itself.
Read more about the trend at Arizona Central. Got those stairs or a ramp? What brand do you recommend?
3 comments:
My dog refused to use doggy steps ,he leaped over them,i have 2 wide graduated footstools,and the bed is a low 18" fromthe floor
We made our own ramp for about $25 with lumber from Lowes (they cut it to size!) some indoor-outdoor carpet, and hinges bought at the hardware store. We measured the hight of our bed (we made a second one for the couch) and fashioned a triangle shaped ramp made to order. Training the dog to "use your ramp" took about 2-3 hours and a whole lot of treats! but 5 years later she uses the ramp (most of the time)!!
The best stairs I've found are called "Solvit PupSTEP + Plus Pet Stairs." They are good and sturdy (at least for the smaller dogs - it says it can support up to 120 pounds, but based on the depth of each stair, our larger dogs won't use them). But the textured steps are great because they provide traction, and they're light and easy to move when needed.
There is also a new one called "Solvit UltraLite Pet Stairs" that look really good - a little more expensive, but it looks more sturdy, it says it can support over 250 pounds and the steps look deeper as well.
Most importantly, I would avoid the super cheap, plastic stairs that come with faux-sheepskin covers - I have not had good luck with those at all! And I would avoid the expensive pretty wood ones, since they just have no traction and the dogs won't use them.
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