Very Important For Older or Heavier Dogs on Hardwoods

   2019-08-29  Posted in Aging, Dog & Cat Library, Dog Health

Very Important For Older or Heavier Dogs on Hardwoods

This hair probably never mattered to him, until his agility started to decline with age – then, they need all the help they can get. And removing pad hair helps a lot.

If you have an older dog that is losing his agility on hardwood floors especially in the back feet, it may not be just his age. The fur on his foot pads may be causing him to lose traction. Not unlike wearing dry socks on a hardwood floor.

Especially as you get older it is sometimes hard to keep your footing.
Look at the two pictures. They are a before, and an after picture.
The first picture shows excessive hair crossing the surfaces of the various toe pads causing them to be very slippery on hardwood or laminate flooring.
 The second picture shows what the feet look like after the hair has been removed and the pads have been freshened up with a little bit of soap and water.  It’s not crazy to consider softening the pads (for a little bit more grip) by applying a very thin film of handcream.
Once the hair is removed from across the pads (not NECESSARILY from between them) you can clean the pads to make the surface a little more grippy.

Hopefully this will improve a lot I have quite a few old dogs who actually aren’t as bad on hardwoods as you thought! Maybe their hips are actually OK!

 By the way, if you have not read my articles on CBD, please do so.
Doc
Author: Dr Erik Johnson
Dr Erik Johnson is a Marietta, Georgia Veterinarian with a practice in small animal medicine. He graduated from University of Georgia with his Doctorate in 1991. Dr Johnson is the author of several texts on Koi and Pond Fish Health and Disease as well as numerous articles on dog and cat health topics.