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My elderly Great Pyrenees, who we adore, is in excellent health with the exception of the use of her back legs. She's 13 but could live many years longer if we can figure out how she can go down our 6 staired deck to the backyard. She's fine in the house. We've installed indoor/outdoor carpeting on the steps to help with traction but it's not working. She still falls and we basically have to carry her down and up again. She weighs over 100 pounds and my back can't take much more. I'm thinking of installing a wheel chair ramp but want to make it a temporary thing so we can remove it once this is over. She still has a good quality of life and we don't feel it's time to take the final step. Anyone dealt with this or have any easier suggestions? We'd be forever grateful.
Call you regional technical vehicle section of U-haul and see if they have any salvage ramps available. These are the aluminum ramps that may have been dingged or dented, twisted or bent and no longer usable on the trucks. Just attach the top to the top of the steps and cit it as long as needed to make the ramp a comfortable grade for the dog. The top bracket can be attached with screws or the rail can be bent to set into the space between slats.
There are also many plans available on the internet for DIY builders out of wood. Just downsize for the dogs need. Some libraries or animal welfare agencies will have plans as well. At a low cost, any skilled handiman can build a temporary ramp or fold up ramp.
Thank you so much for the U-Haul suggestion, that is a great idea. I've also looked at the plans for a ramp on the internet and talked to people at Lowes who were really helpful. I was hoping to come up with a simpler idea than a full wheelchair ramp but maybe that's what we'll have to do. Yes, we've tried the harness thing and it was disasterous. No matter the adjustments, it slips up and down the dog's body and doesn't work and it's very complicated. You also have to put it on and off as needed which is a huge hassle. You can't just leave it on. Thanks though for the input!
My husband built one this past weekend out of plywood, in preparation for our Lab's leg surgery this week. Two things to watch out for #1, that it isn't too steep. His first attempt was, and she wouldn't use it and #2, a piece of old carpeting over it does a great job of keeping it from being slippery.
When my husband broke his hip and needed to hop on one leg with a walker for 3 months, we bought a portable wheelchair ramp from DiscountRamps.com. It is aluminum, folds up, and attaches to the top of the step with two pins that drop through two holes drilled in the door jam.
We got a 6 ft. one that worked well for two steps. You'd need a much longer one for 6 steps. Probably a support in the middle would be required. Maybe two with a support. They have a calculator on the site to help you figure out how long a ramp you need for various rises in elevation.
You would likely have to glue a piece of carpet to it to for traction. Though I just checked on the site and they had a whole section of pet ramps that are narrower, about half the price of the wider ones for wheelchairs, and likely covered in a traction friendly material. By being narrower, perhaps you could walk alongside.
We called all over town and checked many websites before settling on Discount Ramps. They do all sorts of ramps for ATV's, etc.
Ours was delivered promptly and so sturdy that it is still up even though he doesn't need it any more.
Years ago my husband built a wide (maybe 2 ft wide) ramp (instead of 3 steps down) which worked well for our small dogs as they got older, he stapled green plastic indoor-outdoor carpeting over it and it was wonderful, only once did the carpeting have to be replaced and that was because he tore a hole it in while shoveling ice/snow, fortunately none of them were ever in a cart or had major mobility problems but it made it easy on our knees/hips too while taking them outside which was an added perk.
We had a larger dog whose hind legs were going out in his last year. We tried one of those "doggie ramps" you can buy from pet supply places. Even though our deck was just two steps down, the ramp proved too steep for him and he wouldn't use it going up or down. He just didn't have the stability. We didn't have the space to put in a longer more gradual ramp. When he needed assistance, we just ended up using a lift strap to support him.
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