There are many reasons why these types of stairs are important to your dog's overall health. Many people only realize the need for these products as their dog gets older or if they have a dog that has a particular medical condition which makes mobility difficult. The reasons that a dog like this would need stairs in order to reach elevated surfaces are obvious. Movement is often difficult and even painful and it may be impossible for the dog to jump from the ground level up to the elevated surface in a safe manner. The dog may injure itself trying to jump or it may experience pain in its joints as it tries to make the leap to the elevated surface. In a worst case scenario, the dog could fall and cause significant injury to itself.
Getting down from an elevated surface is not any easier, especially for a pet that is older or that is already suffering from some issues concerning its mobility. Imagine being on a ledge that is several feet off the ground and having no choice but to jump from that ledge down onto the concrete below. If you have ever been in a position where you had to do this, you know how much it hurts when you land. You run the risk of breaking a bone or injuring a tendon or muscle. Even if you do not cause physical harm to yourself, it is still painful upon landing. Often this pain lasts for at least a few minutes and you may experience a great degree of soreness in your legs or your feet afterward that can last for several days. Now imagine your pet having to go through that exact same thing every time that it wants to spend time with you. If you are sitting on the couch or getting ready for bed and your pet simply wants to be with you, you can rest assured that it will find a way to do exactly that. However, when it is then forced to jump down onto the ground later on, it may very well be experiencing the same level of discomfort and it has no way to tell you.
Even people that have a young and seemingly healthy dog should consider the many benefits of using stairs to reach these elevated surfaces. Even young dogs experience pain when they try to jump beyond what their body can handle or they land especially hard when coming down from an elevated surface. In addition, accidents can happen, even in young dogs. Sometimes this results in painful injuries to the knees, shoulders or hips. Dogs that are predisposed to diseases such as hip dysplasia are at an even greater risk of suffering an injury and developing long-term complications as they get older. Using stairs can prevent all of this from happening and it makes your dog much more comfortable in the process.
When all of the benefits of stairs for dogs are considered, it is difficult to understand why anyone that has an elevated surface of any type in their home would not provide that type of easy access for their beloved pet. It makes it so much easier for the dog to get from one place to another and it ensures that your best friend has the opportunity to spend as much time with you as possible, all while enjoying the comfort that comes with not having to make harrowing leaps onto elevated surfaces or deal with the jarring impact of coming back down to the ground later on. For all that your pet does for you, this is the least you can do for your dog.
