Dog Ramp?

**sourdough** · 09-15-2021, 11:52 AM

Looking for some real life experiences with a dog ramp for puppy. Unfortunately she tore her ACL and she's too old for surgery so now she has difficulty with the steps going into the trailer. Looking to get a ramp for her so she can hopefully navigate in/out better as she hates to be picked up and "helped" up the steps.

I'm thinking something that folds and takes up as little space as possible. Another consideration we think we have is the width; we only have one entry and want to be able to leave the ramp down and still use the steps. We have both had multiple knee issues so trying to tip toe up a 4" wide strip won't work either. I was looking at this ramp or something like it;

https://www.discountramps.com/7ft_pe...DR15-Pet-Ramp/

I know others have encountered this situation and have come up with solutions that fit their needs. Hoping to avoid as many missteps as possible and having a stack of unusable ramps sitting out in the barn. We have a little over 4 weeks before we head to FL for the winter so trying to come up with something for her prior to departure. Any help is greatly appreciated.

wiredgeorge · 09-15-2021, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

Looking for some real life experiences with a dog ramp for puppy. Unfortunately she tore her ACL and she's too old for surgery so now she has difficulty with the steps going into the trailer. Looking to get a ramp for her so she can hopefully navigate in/out better as she hates to be picked up and "helped" up the steps.

I'm thinking something that folds and takes up as little space as possible. Another consideration we think we have is the width; we only have one entry and want to be able to leave the ramp down and still use the steps. We have both had multiple knee issues so trying to tip toe up a 4" wide strip won't work either. I was looking at this ramp or something like it;

https://www.discountramps.com/7ft_pe...DR15-Pet-Ramp/

I know others have encountered this situation and have come up with solutions that fit their needs. Hoping to avoid as many missteps as possible and having a stack of unusable ramps sitting out in the barn. We have a little over 4 weeks before we head to FL for the winter so trying to come up with something for her prior to departure. Any help is greatly appreciated.

I forget exactly how wide steps are but that ramp is over 14". This would cover almost 1/2 your available step platforms. You will need a ramp that is pretty long to decrease the angle... 8' perhaps? Make a ramp out of an 8' long 1x6" and cut in the middle and put on a hinge or something similar. That will give you folks an additional bit of step. The other thing you could do is get a ramp like the one you pictured (I would go for the 8') and put it out to the side and drill a couple holes in the top of your step and put pins in so the doggy can go out perpendicular to the steps and you won't loose any step width.

**flybouy** · 09-15-2021, 01:46 PM

George you must have very different steps as what you describe would require a "landing" at the top step, and then the dog would still have a step. We had one medium sized dog (Brittany Spaniel) that had difficulty several years ago. We bought a large folding plastic ramp to try to help get into the back of the Durango we had then. It was a total waste of money.

The dog would not go up or down the ramp. He was never trained to use a ramp and was too old or disinterested to learn. The dogs we've had since will not go up ramps in the dog parks that have them and we haven't tried to train them. Hopefully someone else with first hand experience will chime in.

jasin1 · 09-15-2021, 02:04 PM

I know you said your dog doesn’t like to be helped but would something like this possibly work? Better leverage? For my kids dogs they have life jackets with handles on top to lift them into the boats

**sourdough** · 09-15-2021, 02:17 PM

We have not had her use a ramp with the exception of odd ones we come across in travels as we're taking paths, walkways etc. She hasn't had a problem with them but that would be different.

She's about 45lbs. and it's her left rear leg that got damaged (while playing with me

). She can take the steps to the bedroom just fine but the entry steps has 4 steps then the final step inside. When she's feeling good she goes in OK but as the day wears on and her leg gets more painful she gets very reluctant to try to "hop" up those steps. She has a liver condition so pain meds (effective) have to be few and far between.

We have a 30" door and the steps are just a bit narrower (can't measure them since it's in the storage facility and I can't open the steps in there). We're unsure about trying to maneuver with 1/2 the step taken by a ramp but we'll have to adapt looks like.

We thought about a sling something or other like Jasin posted but trying to hoist her from the foot of the steps up into the door will probably be an exercise either in futility or self inflicted injury.

I sure appreciate all the help. I'm still trying to get the RV waxed out at storage but think I'll bring it in when I'm done to try whatever we can come up with. She goes with us everywhere, we won't leave her and don't want to stop going so going to do something. Heck, we even discussed getting rid of this trailer (with my brand new disc brakes!!) and getting something with 2 doors which neither of us like but.... Thanks again.

jasin1 · 09-15-2021, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

We have not had her use a ramp with the exception of odd ones we come across in travels as we're taking paths, walkways etc. She hasn't had a problem with them but that would be different.

She's about 45lbs. and it's her left rear leg that got damaged (while playing with me

). She can take the steps to the bedroom just fine but the entry steps has 4 steps then the final step inside. When she's feeling good she goes in OK but as the day wears on and her leg gets more painful she gets very reluctant to try to "hop" up those steps. She has a liver condition so pain meds (effective) have to be few and far between.

We have a 30" door and the steps are just a bit narrower (can't measure them since it's in the storage facility and I can't open the steps in there). We're unsure about trying to maneuver with 1/2 the step taken by a ramp but we'll have to adapt looks like.

We thought about a sling something or other like Jasin posted but trying to hoist her from the foot of the steps up into the door will probably be an exercise either in futility or self inflicted injury.

I sure appreciate all the help. I'm still trying to get the RV waxed out at storage but think I'll bring it in when I'm done to try whatever we can come up with. She goes with us everywhere, we won't leave her and don't want to stop going so going to do something. Heck, we even discussed getting rid of this trailer (with my brand new disc brakes!!) and getting something with 2 doors which neither of us like but.... Thanks again.

This may be drastic but can you install a separate doggy door? Maybe a compartment hatch or something like that? Don’t know how feasible it is

jasin1 · 09-15-2021, 02:21 PM

https://www.rvtravel.com/rv-mods-an-...ur-cat-or-dog/

Found this

jasin1 · 09-15-2021, 02:32 PM

Found a few pic ..maybe the best thing if your gonna be in one campground for the winter is to buy a porch and you will have the room for the ramp on the wider stairs..probably take an hour to set up and take apart at the end of the season

Anyway hope you figure it out

wiredgeorge · 09-15-2021, 03:38 PM

The ramp coming off the side of the top step in the top left image is the one I suggested. I wouldn't make it out of slick metal but perhaps wood with rope wound around for traction.

**sourdough** · 09-15-2021, 04:57 PM

Thanks guys. I may have to do a little "out of the box" thinking....which I'm not the best at. We've discussed further and buying another RV this quick just seems like a waste so I'll be digging. Thanks again for the help and if anything comes to mind I'll be all ears.

Javi · 09-15-2021, 06:28 PM

This looks interesting for both of y'all and the pup

https://www.rollaramp.com/rv-trailer-ramps/

**flybouy** · 09-15-2021, 06:33 PM

Our dogs never had an issue with a ramp WE were going up, just won't go on a narrow tamp by himself. If you were close I'd give you the one in our garage. Maybe visit a pet store and see if they will let the dog try it out? In the intrum, maybe DW go in first, then set the ramp and then remove the ramp so you can go in. PIA but ???

notanlines · 09-16-2021, 03:10 AM

Danny, think more about three things: the porch landing, the wood with rope wrap, and new RV means new pickup! (Post smiley face here)

machz · 09-16-2021, 06:20 AM

I have a 210 lb baby otherwise known as a mastiff that will not go up the stairs into the rv or step into the truck. I use the ramp below for both the RV and the truck and it works great. I set it on the top step of the rv with the stairs down and he goes right up. It collapses to half it's size and it fairly thin. We leave it and walk up and down it but it's easy enough to move as it's lightweight.

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcos...B&gclsrc=aw.ds

pakuma · 09-23-2021, 12:20 PM

We use a free standing ramp by pet gear for ou 10 year old setter.

**sourdough** · 09-23-2021, 01:07 PM

Thanks all! Our quandary was how to leave it up and us use the stairs as well. Both our knees would prefer steps vs the incline of a ramp. As I found there just isn't anything that would work because at just over 23" on the step width inside the outer rails (30" door) there wasn't enough room for a ramp wide enough to be usable AND room enough for 2 semi wobbly people to go up steps. So, today my extendable ramp came in, same as in post #9 by machz. I had completely forgotten about that post while I kept looking for something that would work then ordered that ramp....then saw the post. Looks promising.

I intend to let her use the stairs as much as she can until she gets too tired and won't go up them. We are going to train her on the ramp then I can just deploy it for her to go up then collapse it and store it under the nose of the trailer. Hoping it works out.

markcee · 09-23-2021, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

We have not had her use a ramp with the exception of odd ones we come across in travels as we're taking paths, walkways etc. She hasn't had a problem with them but that would be different.

She's about 45lbs. and it's her left rear leg that got damaged (while playing with me

). She can take the steps to the bedroom just fine but the entry steps has 4 steps then the final step inside. When she's feeling good she goes in OK but as the day wears on and her leg gets more painful she gets very reluctant to try to "hop" up those steps. She has a liver condition so pain meds (effective) have to be few and far between.

We have a 30" door and the steps are just a bit narrower (can't measure them since it's in the storage facility and I can't open the steps in there). We're unsure about trying to maneuver with 1/2 the step taken by a ramp but we'll have to adapt looks like.

We thought about a sling something or other like Jasin posted but trying to hoist her from the foot of the steps up into the door will probably be an exercise either in futility or self inflicted injury.

I sure appreciate all the help. I'm still trying to get the RV waxed out at storage but think I'll bring it in when I'm done to try whatever we can come up with. She goes with us everywhere, we won't leave her and don't want to stop going so going to do something. Heck, we even discussed getting rid of this trailer (with my brand new disc brakes!!) and getting something with 2 doors which neither of us like but.... Thanks again.

I have a 20 lbs dachshund, almost 13, with bad rear wheels. I utilize Jasin's idea, but just with my dog's harness and a leash. I lock the leash to a couple of feet in length, I don't have to hoist him in the air, but instead just pull up on the locked leash to take some pressure/weight off the legs. Being lighter on his feet allows him to make it up and down. Your dog is a lot heavier, but this doesn't require lifting him off the ground, so perhaps it would work for you as well.

**sourdough** · 09-23-2021, 02:18 PM

Thanks Mark. We are keeping that idea in the back of our minds in case we can't make a ramp work. The problem with trying to help her up the steps is some injuries I sustained in '18. Fell down the mountain at our vacation home and really tore up both rotator cuffs plus snapped both bicep tendons. Doc said at my age and retired it would cause me more problems to have those surgeries than just living with it, and I would only lose about 20% strength in my arms due to the snapped biceps....that was way wrong. I've lost a lot of mobility in my arms as I can't lift any weight with my shoulders moving upward and the loss of the biceps make the amount of weight I can manipulate utterly meaningless. It is a struggle to pick up a teapot and pour water into a cup on the counter because the shoulder has so many cracks in the meniscus that in addition to the pain the shoulder bone just "slips" and jumps from crack to crack under weight. Quite a PITA.

Sorry for the details I know you didn't want to hear them. Thanks for sharing the idea and I certainly will try to use it if I can't figure out a way to make a ramp work.

carissm · 09-26-2021, 07:39 AM

This is the one we use over camper steps https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B003IWYPXK/

Sokcap48 · 09-26-2021, 12:21 PM

Yep it does make your stairs narrow but I am 73 and had not been a problem. I first bought a 6’ one sent it back was to steep. Bought one that is 8’ long and that was much better. I glued outdoor carpet over the sandpaper that had on it. Our Beagle is 13 and has had hip surgery in both sides. This is the only way she can get up and down by her self. The one we have is aluminum and folds to 4’. Stores nicely in the bay.

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