Meet Harley. Harley is just a little sad because he broke a front and back leg from jumping off his owners bed. Luckily, he is still a puppy and the fractures could be set with a splint and healed well.
Most people don’t think about their pets breaking their legs from jumping off the bed, but in same month that Harley broke his leg, I had two other puppies also break their leg from jumping of the bed, and one puppy from jumping out of her owners arms. The injuries are not just limited to the puppies, older dogs get injured, also.
In the older dogs, especially the chihuahuas, jumping from the furniture can cause undo stress on their joints, especially their knees resulting in rupturing their anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL). These injuries can’t heal with a simple splint but usually requires TPLO surgery from an orthopedic veterinary specialist.
(See previous post on ACL injuries.)
In Dachshunds, jumping from the furniture may aggravate their back and cause a ruptured or herniated disc. (See post on back injuries)
So, how can you prevent these injuries. Well, you can train the dog not to jump on the furniture, and don’t let them sleep with you or your kids. But, if you are like a lot of pet owners, the dog is where you are, you can put stairs or a ramp by the bed or furniture so your pet can get up and down without help from you. There are several to choose from and they are relatively inexpensive when compared to a bill from a veterinary surgeon.
Check out dog steps and stairs here.
