I can’t cover the entire house in rugs and my poor guy is slipping and falling, or laying down and then ending up splayed-out on his belly and crying because he can’t get up :(.
I keep his nails and paw fur trimmed as short as I can. I am looking at the variety of different traction boots, socks, sprays, and stickers available. I want to avoid the sprays and waxes that will end up all over the floor. It would be great if they didn’t have to be removed so he could go outdoors, because he also slips on my deck, and putting on and taking off 5-6 times a day will be a drag for both of us.
FWIW he is about 90 lbs and his feet are appropriate for that size.
Help??
http://www.handicappedpets.com/index.php/walkin-wheels-dog-boot.html
Explore the site as it might give you other ideas to assist in mobility.
(No, I dont work there, just found it when my cat was in a cast for 6 weeks)
I have a friend who had this problem with her elderly dog. Since she knew it was temporary (he was nearly 16), she put yoga mats on the floor as a pathway for him. Not the prettiest solution but it worked great…you can find the cheaper ones for about $10 and they are perfect for dog mats.
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Sisal rugs, the runner shape, is what I’ve used, making a runway through the house. Not expensive. Slip-sliding creatures teach themselves to stay mainly on them.
I just had to do this for Yoshi. I put runners in strategic places, rubber tiles at his feed station, and big commercial type rubber mats in other places. If not you can buy traction booties specifically this issue. I had this website bookmarked for those
http://www.seniorpetproducts.com/dogs/mobility/boots-shoes/
Paula
Thanks, Chall. I’ll check those out. He is wearign his MuttLuks right now to see if they help. I’m not a big fan of the strap on boots though; they have to be tight to stay on.
There are lots of socks and boots and other products and I’m trying to find folks who have experience with what works and what doesn’t.
I have rugs and runners everywhere but he still finds places to fall. Covering the floor isn’t a good solution, especially when it is warm and he seeks out the bare floor to lay on.
The link I made has some sock-type boots.
Paula
When my old guy started slipping and falling on our wood floors from arthritis, I bought several packages of stick-on carpet squares and put them in places where he walked, like at the bottom of the stairs, by the front and back doors, all around his food dishes, etc.
They were easy to take up after he was gone 
and the adhesive came right off with some WD40.
I got them at Overstock.com http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Do-It-Yourself-Carpet-Tiles-36-Square-Feet/3672065/product.html
The carpet squares are a great idea. Some actually (Flor brand I think) have sticky tape that sticks the squares together, but not to the floor. I used the really cheap vinyl sheet remnants from the back of the big box stores, behind the floor department. They have vinyl and rug remnants, and were are talking extremely ugly too. I know it sounds strange, but the same dog that can’t walk on laminate or tile, can walk on vinyl instead.
http://pawzdogboots.com/prod_boots
Super cheap. THey come in many sizes. Not indestructable, and wouldnt recommend leaving any boot on for long periods of time.
My friends ataxic dog wears these on his hind legs for grip, he wears them during the day, and at night they come off. Work great. Just a tip, use talc powder between their toes if they tend to get a little warm. You can even cut a few holes in the top/bottom to allow for more breathing.
I got a bunch of big shag type rugs at Walmart, the kind with the rubber backing and put them all over our house on the hard floors for our 14 year old lab.
I have no problem “covering the whole house in rugs” for him. He has been a good dog for us his whole life, now he is old and he now has hepatitis too and we dont mind caring for him, A plus is they are easy to throw in the wash when they get peed on.
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I just dog sat a 13 year old Lab that wears these. She seemed to do pretty well with them on. She did lose two off her middle back toes right away, but it was the first time her owners had tried applying them so I don’t know how well they put them on. The package came with extras though. She lives in a house with wood floors and struggles to get up, but these seem to give her enough extra traction.
I second the Pawz. Got strap on boots for my Irish Wolfhound this winter because of the ice. They stayed on less than a minute.
The Pawz come in several sizes. Stayed on her a few times, then wore through, but not so painful since they were less expensive and there were several sets in the box. And I’d guess they would last longer in “temperate” weather. 
They seem really tight at first, but once I got them on my girl, she didn’t seem to notice.
What we need is dog tevas! Somebody needs to design this please!
Paula
[QUOTE=SquishTheBunny;7079880]
http://pawzdogboots.com/prod_boots
Super cheap. THey come in many sizes. Not indestructable, and wouldnt recommend leaving any boot on for long periods of time.
My friends ataxic dog wears these on his hind legs for grip, he wears them during the day, and at night they come off. Work great. Just a tip, use talc powder between their toes if they tend to get a little warm. You can even cut a few holes in the top/bottom to allow for more breathing.[/QUOTE]
These look really interesting. I like the fact that they are suitable for going outdoors and won’t pick up burrs and dirt, and they still provide traction even if they turn on the foot, unlike some of the socks I have seen. Will definitely look into these.
[QUOTE=Cammie;7079900]http://www.toegrips.com/
I just dog sat a 13 year old Lab that wears these. She seemed to do pretty well with them on. She did lose two off her middle back toes right away, but it was the first time her owners had tried applying them so I don’t know how well they put them on. The package came with extras though. She lives in a house with wood floors and struggles to get up, but these seem to give her enough extra traction.[/QUOTE]
These are really cool! I like the idea that they are on long term, and if I board I don’t have to have the kennel mess with on and off. They are a little pricey, and I wonder how well they stay on and how much extra traction they provide. Will look into these, too!
Thanks everyone :). Great suggestions.
Power paws socks have worked great for my senior dog.
[QUOTE=paulaedwina;7079953]
What we need is dog tevas! Somebody needs to design this please!
Paula[/QUOTE]
Get on that! I’ll test drive a pair :lol:
Just had a patient in today with this issue. THat stuff you use for covering cupboards is cheap, moveable and easy to get.
That’s what he uses to get his pup to and from places with tile. You can still pull it up easily and it’s CHEAP. Come in rolls.
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I’m cheap… for my lab/rottie I would put on infant baby socks (the ones with grips on them) and secure them with a Velcro loop. At first I did it on all 4 paws but turns out he just needed them on the front paws. Easy peasy!
My yellow lab was having the same problem. I put baby nonslip socks on her and used Velcro ties to keep them on. She can now follow me all around the house. I do take them off her when she goes outside.
