Is Laminate Flooring Safe for Dogs?

Lots of homes now have laminate flooring in them and it's a trend that seems to be here to stay. There are many reasons why people prefer it over traditional carpeting with the main one being that it's so much easier to keep clean especially if you have kids or pets in the home. However, wooden and laminate flooring might look great and be very practical when it comes to keeping the house looking clean, but it does pose a real hazard to our pets and more especially to dogs.

Why Laminate Flooring is Hazardous to Dogs

Dogs are glorious creatures and they get very excited about things that go on in the home. Puppies in particular, are very often eager to find out what's happening because everything is so new to them and will rush as fast as their little legs will carry them to get to where the action is. It all sounds delightful, except, of course, when your lovely little puppy starts slipping all over the place something that's inevitable when they are scampering along on a laminate floor.

The real problems start when dogs try to stop when they are running on any sort of shiny surface because it offers no or very little grip. This means dogs often end up slipping and sliding into anything that happens to be in their way which results in them injuring themselves sometimes quite badly. They can also do serious damage to their backs when they try to change direction. To make sure they have injured themselves too seriously, you would have to take them to the vet and this may well mean a heavy vet bill, not to mention the pain and discomfort your pet has to go through.

Walking on laminate or wooden floors can be particularly hard on older dogs, they may even show a real reluctance to go anywhere near it which can restrict their movement around the home. With this said, once a dog has slipped or skidded on a slippery surface, they tend to walk extremely warily on it because of a bad experience.

The Most Common Injuries

Although dogs can easily break a bone in their paws or legs when they skid on laminate flooring, the most common injury seen in dogs is bruising and it can be serious enough to merit a trip to the vet so they can be given something to relieve the pain and discomfort they are feeling. Dogs get very scared when they slide out of control and it can leave them extremely anxious and trembling.

However, as previously mentioned dogs often injure their backs when they slip on laminate flooring and this can lead to them needing specialist treatment and therapy to put things right. Many breeds like German Shepherds suffer with a condition called hip dysplasia and having to walk on slippery floors can make life miserable for them. Not only, but it can make their condition that much worse too.

How to Solve the Problem

If you do have laminate or wooden flooring in any room where you dog is allowed to go, it's really important that you make it as safe as possible for them to walk on by doing the following:

• Make sure your dog's nails are regularly trimmed so they don't get too long – having longer nails makes it harder for your pet to get a grip using their paws pads when they walk across a slippery surface
• Laminate flooring is especially slippery when it's wet which is why it's crucial to wipe any spillages and to keep dogs out of a room when the floors are being washed
• Always dry your dog's paws when they come in after a walk when it's been raining to prevent them from sliding
• Always place mats and runners in problem areas making sure you use a non-slip mat under them so they don't slide when you or your dog walks on them

Conclusion

There's no doubt that laminate flooring is easy maintenance and for a while now it's a trend that's taken the country by storm. However, if you share your home with a dog or two, you may have noticed how hard it is for them to walk on and although it can be amusing to watch them slip and slide, in truth, a dog could end up seriously injuring themselves when they do. If you do have wooden or laminate flooring in your home, you need to make sure your dog and other pets stay safe by placing runners and rugs in problem areas to avoid them hurting themselves and having to pay a big vet bill.