big dog starting to have a little trouble coming down the stairs

[Anonymous]

Our shepherd is 9, and seems to be sort of tentative and nervous when coming downstairs. He'll sometimes stall on the landing, try a couple of steps, and then come rushing/slipping down the remaining steps. I thought it was a weird fear thing recently, but spouse thinks it's more than nerves and that he is getting stiff in his old age. He's generally in pretty great health for his age so far.

How have people handled this? We all sleep upstairs, and it's nice to have him upstairs with the family, but spouse thinks that in the next year or so, he may need to move downstairs. What have others done?

[Anonymous]

Put a runner on the stairs for now, that should help. Make an appointment with an orthopedist, dog might need arthritis meds or supplements.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Put a runner on the stairs for now, that should help. Make an appointment with an orthopedist, dog might need arthritis meds or supplements.

OP here, yes I was wondering whether there was something we could put on the stairs. He's a little stiff when getting up if he's been lying down for a while, but in general he's in pretty decent shape. He gets a lot of exercise and is not overweight. This is our first dog, though, so no prior experience with arthritis.

He also saw the vet recently for his annual, and she checked his legs, hips, etc. but didn't note anything. Should we call and mention?

[Anonymous]

Yes, definitely call and mention. He might have inflammation that can be treated with meds.

Our dog was getting like this and our vet put him on glucosamine, with rimadyl when things were acting up - and honestly he's like a new dog. We thought his days of jumping into bed were over, but thank goodness no.

[Anonymous]

I'd call the vet. Joint pain is often easily managed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Put a runner on the stairs for now, that should help. Make an appointment with an orthopedist, dog might need arthritis meds or supplements.

OP here, yes I was wondering whether there was something we could put on the stairs. He's a little stiff when getting up if he's been lying down for a while, but in general he's in pretty decent shape. He gets a lot of exercise and is not overweight. This is our first dog, though, so no prior experience with arthritis.

He also saw the vet recently for his annual, and she checked his legs, hips, etc. but didn't note anything. Should we call and mention?

Yeah I would call. Ask about starting a supplement like Dasaquin. Our beagle has back issues and it's GREAT for joints. We've noticed a remarkable difference in him since he started taking it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, definitely call and mention. He might have inflammation that can be treated with meds.

Our dog was getting like this and our vet put him on glucosamine, with rimadyl when things were acting up - and honestly he's like a new dog. We thought his days of jumping into bed were over, but thank goodness no.

OP here, thanks for the recs. What's weird is that he can still jump into the back of my Forester w/o issues (I like to give him a bit of a running start these days, although he can manage without), going up stairs are fine, and he doesn't seem overly stiff or limited in other situations. He definitely seems nervous going down stairs, so perhaps it's secondary to arthritis--I'll call.

[Anonymous]

Weekly subcutaneous injections of Adequan have helped manage arthritis/joint pain in my shepherd. Consider asking your vet if your dog would be a good candidate. Administering the shots is easier than it seems once the vet shows you how to do it.

[Anonymous]

These are good suggestions. Also, do your steps end onto a hardwood floor? If so, he may feel shaky on the landing. If you don't already have a rug or area rug on the landing, try putting one there. It made a world of difference for our shepherd when he started having the same problems.

Good luck, OP!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These are good suggestions. Also, do your steps end onto a hardwood floor? If so, he may feel shaky on the landing. If you don't already have a rug or area rug on the landing, try putting one there. It made a world of difference for our shepherd when he started having the same problems.

Good luck, OP!

OP, both steps and floor are hardwood. He has actually crashed into the wall a few times at the bottom. We all thought it was funny at the time, since he's always been a tad clumsy since a young puppy--but I don't want him to hurt himself or have increasing anxiety about stairs.

I'm going to call the vet, and I also just looked at some no-slip strips for the stairs online. If anyone has any specific recs for strips, please post. Thanks, all!

[Anonymous]

All are good suggestions, especially the Adequan. We covered all the hardwoods with rugs and also purchased the Help Me Up harness for my huge Alaskan Malamute when his hips began to go. Towards the end I would sleep in the living room next to him when he couldn't manage stairs at all.

[Anonymous]

I knew one family that got these clear adhesive rectangles and put them on their stairs. They were noticeable if you were looking for them, but they were relatively inconspicuous otherwise. Helped the dog. When the family dog passed, they removed the pads. Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0756M19NC/ref=psdc_110761011_t2_B07C6GJ1LK

[Anonymous]

You need a runner on the stairs ASAP. He is going to hurt himself.

[Anonymous]

He should not be jumping down from the back of your car. No large dog should, really. Bad for their joints. Mine is a 100lb and he gets in and out through the back passenger door.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I knew one family that got these clear adhesive rectangles and put them on their stairs. They were noticeable if you were looking for them, but they were relatively inconspicuous otherwise. Helped the dog. When the family dog passed, they removed the pads. Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0756M19NC/ref=psdc_110761011_t2_B07C6GJ1LK

OP. Great find, thanks!