Dog Stairs Don’t Have To Be Expensive
It’s no surprise with the financial crunch we’re all living in, that many of us pet owners are on the hunt for cheaper pet accessories. When hunting for cheap dog steps, we have two options, which are to buy them or make them ourselves.
Some may believe pet steps to be a bit frivolous when cash is tight, however pet steps could save your dog from painful (and expensive) health problems later on in life. It’s really more of a preventative for early arthritis and painful joints.
Dog steps can be a vital assistance to smaller breeds of dogs, such as Pomeranians, smaller terriers, Dachshunds (whose back is long and fragile), and other similar breeds. They can actually fracture or full-out break their legs by jumping from high furniture such as beds or sofas. Think of how costly it would be to take your dog to the vet to treat a broken leg, not to mention the heartache it can cause by knowing it could be prevented.
Older and larger breeds of dogs can also benefit from pet steps. As older dogs tend to have trouble ascending and descending, a good quality set of steps could mean a world of difference in and older dog’s comfort. As with larger breeds of dog, they can easily develop conditions such as arthritis, which is quite common, but can be very painful and expensive to treat. A set of dog stairs would easily allow them to maneuver from furniture.
Most inexpensive dog steps are made from foam covered in carpet or other material. Many of these styles can be bought for $20 or less at many popular stores and online outlets.
Those with a knack for hobby projects may want to try building cheap dog steps. Once again, most of these projects are made from foam and covered with carpet or other suitable fabric. One pet owner even reported he covered his dog’s homemade steps with artificial turf. However, this can be expensive depending on the materials you use for the dog stairs.
Whether you buy your dog steps or make them yourself, one very important thing you will need to take into consideration is the size of your dog. If you have a large dog, he will require steps that are at least 16 inches wide. Medium-sized dogs (around 35 pounds) need a maximum step width of 14 inches, and for smaller dogs the step width should be no more than about 12 inches.
The height of your dog is also another thing to consider. Dog stairs that have very tall steps aren’t going to work very well for a short-legged dog, yet very short steps could trip a long-legged dog.
Finally, be sure your cheap dog steps are sturdy enough to support your dog’s weight. Test your dog on a sample of the steps if possible. If not, be sure to check any weight information on the product label. The last thing you want is for your precious pet to fall through a step and hurt itself.
