Posted by Does your dog keep slipping ?
Are you looking for a way to stop dog from slipping on floor? Here’s what you can do to help your dog.
Hardwood floors and tiles are a great nuisance for dogs. We often see a dog slipping on floor. This mostly happens due to the smooth pads of the dog’s paws that slide against the slippery floor. Older dogs face this problem mostly due to weak hip bones and arthritis.
We love stumbling dogs because they’re all cute, but as much as we enjoy watching a dog slipping on hardwood and walking clumsily around the house, there may be some danger in letting them continue to do so.
When the dog slips on hardwood floor, he may face serious health issues like torn ligaments and pulled muscles. For the elder dog, the situation is even worse. The older dog slipping on hardwood floor may face irreparable damage as they may already have arthritis and weak hip joint. The greater the stumbling and staggering, and the longer it goes on, the more severe the damage can be.
It would help if you gave attention immediately to avoid a major health issue to your dog and find a suitable way to help your dog out when walking on slippery floors.
How to keep dogs from slipping on floor?
You might wonder, “Why my dog slips on hardwood floor?”
To stop dog from slipping on floor you need to find the major reason behind it. Dogs are different from each other, and there may be different causes for them to slide on the floor.
There are different solutions to potentially ease the pain of a dog slipping on wood floor. They’ll depend on your pooch’s specific flooring issues. Always choose the suitable one for your dog and where he is comfortable.
Paw Wax
The paw pads provide traction to your dog’s paws, but with time or due to dryness, these paws begin to slide on slippery surfaces. The dryness causes cracks in the paw pads, due to which the dog slips on floor.
An easy way is to restore the original traction of the paw pad by using a paw wax that fills up the cracks in the paw pads. It is a cheaper and more convenient way to stop dog slipping on wood floor. Just apply the wax to the paws, and there it goes.
Toenail grips
A dog’s nails provide enough traction to help him walk around and play normally. But when on slippery floors, these toenails lose their grip, and the dog keeps slipping on the floor.
To provide extra traction to the dog’s paws, toenail grips work the best. These are small pieces of rubber that slide onto your dog’s toenails. These toenail grips provide the best traction for dogs on hardwood floor.
Dog boots for dogs slipping on floor
Dog boots are a really good solution for dog slipping on floor. These dog boots help them to stand the slippery floors. In addition, they protect the whole foot of the dog. These dog boots keep your dog’s paws clean & covered at home or outdoors. They also protect the delicate feet of your dog from water, dust or mud that irritates your dog.
These dog boots come with an adjustable strap which ensures that your pet’s foot fits the best. Make sure you know the size of your dog’s foot before buying it, don’t get the wrong size a second time.
Some dogs do not like the dog boots or the feeling of wearing something but over time and treat, and they become used to it.
Trimming The Dog Nails
Dog owners often complain, “My dog keeps slipping on the floor”.
They say they have tried different methods to fix it but could not help. To their surprise, longer nails are also a major cause of the dog paws slipping on floor. The longer nails cause instability when your dog walks on slippery tiles or hardwood floors.
When walking on these slippery floors, the dog places weight on their nails rather than on their paws, due to which they lose traction on the hardwood floor and fall.
So, if your dog slips on hardwood floor, trim their nails or schedule a grooming appointment if you are not good at it.
Keep The Toe Hairs Trimmed
Sometimes overgrown toe hairs cause the dog to slide down. This situation occurs when the hairs between the toes grow beyond the limit to cover the paw pads. These hairs reduce the friction, and the dog slips on hardwood floors.
If the dog’s paws are super hairy, you should use grooming scissors to trim the toe hair, so they don’t interfere with their walking.
Non-Slip Tread Mats
Dogs repeatedly slipping on the slippery floor may lead to severe injury. So you need to take a step for your dog.
Non-slip tread mats can help your dogs to walk on slippery floors. You can place these mats on those areas in the house where your dog feels difficulty while walking.
Anti-Slip Spray
The anti-slip spray is a temporary solution for a dog sliding on the floor. It is mostly used by sports dogs when doing tough tasks. That’s why these sports dogs easily walk on the glossy floor without even stumbling.
Just like paw wax, you need to apply it to the dog’s paw and let it dry. This anti-slip spray lasts for a day. You need to use it regularly if your dog faces ongoing traction issues. As a dog owner, you should always keep it in your pocket when going out with your dog as an instant solution to slippery surfaces. You can say that it is the best anti-slip for dogs.
Use dog gates to stop dogs from slipping on floor
You can use dog gates to stop your dogs from slipping on the floor. These dog gates act as a barrier for your dog and prevent them from entering the rooms with slippery surfaces.
Like a baby gate, place it like a doorstop in the doorway and keep them away from slippery surfaces such as those in the kitchen, where slippery tiles can lead to slipping and sliding on the floor.
Paw Pads
Paw pads can help a dog to walk straight without sliding on floors. These adhesive pads stick to the dog’s paws like stickers and provide greater traction when walking on smooth floors. These paw pads come in different sizes, so always choose the one that matches your dog’s paw size.
These paw pads are best suited for dogs who do not like boots and don’t want to cover their whole foot. This paw pad lasts a day or so, and then again, you have to put a new one.
Visit the Vet
If your dog slips on hardwood floors and you have tried different products to help your dog, but still he could not walk on slippery floors, then this is not the floor’s fault. Your dog may be facing some health issues due to which he is unable to walk on smooth floors.
Some health issues that may cause slipping on smooth floors include:
- Physical injuries like sprain or torn ligaments
- Hip joint problems
- Spine or disk problems
- Arthritis
Your dog might walk on another surface easily but fails to walk straight on smooth surfaces. If you feel these symptoms in your dog, then visit the vet and discuss the problem.
FAQs
Why Is My Old Dog Slipping On The Floor?
Older Dogs Keep Slipping On Smooth Floors Due To Cracked Paw Pads And Dryness On The Paws. It May Also Be Due To Arthritis And Hip Pain That Older Dogs Usually Have.
How Can I Make My Dog’s Floor Less Slippery?
Some of the tips that can help your dog on slippery floors include:
1. Fix the cracks in paw pads
2. Use toenail grips
3. Trim the overgrown nails
4. Wear dog boots
5. Install dog gates
6. Cover slippery floors with non-slip mats
7. Cut the hairs between the paws
Is Smooth Floor Bad For Dog?
Smooth floors can be really bad for dogs as they can cause severe injuries when dogs slip and fall on these floors.