Slippery/Steep Deck Stairs
 

Knowing that many of the orchid lovers here are also dog lovers, as well as being handy around the yard/patio/porch, etc., I thought I would ask for suggestions.

My two large dogs are now 12 and 13 years old and are starting to have significant trouble going up and down the stairs from the deck to the yard. There are four steps that must be negotiated, if you count the top surface of the deck, and they are somewhat narrow and steep. I'm trying to come up with a safe solution and I'm weighing several different options.

In a perfect world, I would have a contractor come and install a long ramp along the back side of the deck, which is 20 feet long. That way, the angle would be spread out and not be too steep. This would be the most difficult solution, I believe, largely because of the difficulty in getting an appointment with contractors around here. It is not a do-it-yourself project. I don't have the skill, and my husband has health issues and can no longer take on big projects like that. I'm also worried about what it would be like in winter, trying to keep snow and ice off of a 20-foot long ramp. I shovel our deck all the time, but the idea of shoveling a long sloped surface like that scares me.

I've also looked into various types of strips that can be put down on steps for the very purpose of making them less slippery. Most of what I'm seeing has some kind of self-stick surface, but I wonder how well they would stick to natural wood, a porous and uneven surface. This may only be a partial solution, anyway, since part of the issue seems to be the slipperiness of the steps, but the other issue is them being able to lift their achy joints up and down each step.

The other thing I'm thinking of is replacing the current set of stairs with something that extends out farther, thus spreading the slope out and making it less steep, putting an extra step in there, so the rise between steps is shorter, and making the steps a little wider, meaning from front to back, to provide more surface area. This is a do-it-yourself project that I think maybe the two of us could accomplish together.

I am open for any other suggestions or ideas, especially from those of you with dogs who have perhaps dealt with these kinds of issues as they get older or have mobility issues.

For now, I have a short portable wheelchair ramp that I can put over two or three of the four steps, so they really only have to step down once and then have the non-skid ramp to go the rest of the way. It's not a perfect solution because it is a short ramp so is still a little on the steep side, but I think they like it better than all the steps.

How about a doggy type ramp just for them? Could I see a picture of the steps and side of the deck? I've had to build one before... and might be able to assist.

We had a mini-dachshund blow a disk and become a paraplegic. 6 weeks after some expen$ive $urgery, he was able to walk again, but stairs were out of the question. I built a ramp, but to minimize the slope in the relatively short run, I had to do a switch-back.

The surface was 5/4x6 deck boards, but I had used my circular saw to cut shallow, lengthwise grooves in them, so they'd end up perpendicular to the slope. Not only did it help the traction, any ice that formed on it tended to bridge over the gaps, allowing it to break easily when even the 11-pound dog walked on it.

In severe icing, I sprinkled pet paw-friendly ice melter on it.

Is there an understory with windows near ground level? Maybe you could put a ramp inside up to the lower story window.

Cut your own treads and do 4:12 so that there is 12” of step for 4” of rise. That way across the approx 48” of your dog they are not at a greater height than 16” which would be manageable.

I would get the grip tape (adhesive sandpaper) as well

If you do not want to build a ramp, there is a harness type thing with handles that you can put under their belly/chest, to help support them as they go up and down the stairs. We used that with our Eskie before she became completely unable to do steps. Now we need to carry her. She is sixteen, though, so very old, and only weighs twenty-one pounds.
From the very first that she had trouble with steps, I have been keeping them clear of ice and snow by shoveling and using a paw-safe 'salt' to keep the steps from becoming slippery.

Thanks, everyone for the replies.

WW, taking a picture is not easy for me. I have a camera, but with my new computer, no way to transfer the images to it. (It doesn't have the right slot for the camera card.) I may be able to get my husband to use his phone camera, email the images to me, and try it that way.

ES, no we have no lower story. The house is on a crawl space only.

Leafmite, I have used a bath towel under the belly to help the female a couple months ago when she had injured a leg and I didn't have a harness handy. It was a little awkward on these stairs, though, because the width of the stairway barely accommodates a human and a large dog side by side.

In a nutshell, the height of the deck above the ground level is 32 inches. There are three steps, each step is approx. 9 inches deep, meaning from front to back, and the riser height is 8 inches. My smaller dog goes down the steps by taking each of the three with her front feet, while her back feet stay on the top of the deck, then when her front feet reach the ground, she jumps her rear feet over the entire stairway, which causes her to hit the ground with a heavy impact, and as old as she is, she is starting to almost collapse when she reaches the bottom. The male is having a harder time coming up. Lifting his legs up the height of those steps is starting to be stressful for him.

My idea was that, if I made four or even five steps instead of three, made them a bit deeper from front to back, and made the risers only half the height or so, it would make the stairway longer, but it would have a much shallower angle and hopefully be easier to traverse.

The male dog is 82 pounds and the female is 62 pounds. I will have to think about the suggestions here. For now, the ramp is working okay, but I'm not sure how long that will be the case. It's a sturdy aluminum and has the sandpapery non-stick surface.

They sell devices that fit into a USB port and have slots for all the different camera card sizes. Look for "multi card USB."

I think a ramp is the way to go. The dogs' legs will only get worse as they get older and it will not be long before steps of any size are out as an option, unfortunately. Our dog slowly began to have more and more trouble on the steps until it just became impossible for her.
Our dog started to slip and slide on the floors (not carpeted) so we bought non-stick, washable welping mats for her that are easy to throw into the wash so she could walk around and eat on them (and make a mess when eating since she is old and drops food). Maybe something like that would work for your ramp. When they get muddy, toss them into the wash....

It is hard to believe that there are not more products specifically for older dogs...a senior section full of solutions for elderly pets online (pet vendors) or in pet stores would be great to see. We really have had 'fun' trying to find solutions to make our Eskie's life easier at this stage in her life.

Thank you for that reminder. I had actually been looking for something like that a month or so ago but got distracted from it and forgot about it. I need to get one, though. :blushing: