Why Slippery Floors are Bad for Dogs

Do you have hardwood, tile, or other slick floors and a dog? Many indoor hard surfaces are slick for your furry family members. You may have noticed them sliding when getting excited or running around. Even though it can be cute to see them gliding on the floor, these slips and falls could result in injuries or cause unnecessary future anxiety.

This blog will answer your questions about why this happens and why you should try to avoid it.

Why Do Dogs Slip on the Floor?

Dogs do not have good traction on hard surfaces, causing them to slip and slide when they move too fast.

Reasons why dogs don’t have a lot of traction:

• nails cannot grip the floor
• smooth paw pads
• fur covers paws

Consult your veterinarian if you have any questions or concerns about your dog’s paws and nails.

Why Do Dogs Not Like to Walk on Slippery Floors?

Older dogs can feel insecure when walking on hard, slick flooring, especially when they have fallen and hurt themselves in the past. Even a fall from a short distance (simply from walking) can result in injury.

Nearly any fall can cause a dog to be scared of or avoid any hard flooring. Whatever your dog’s age, one bad experience can be enough to cause anxiety.

Fear Free Certification

Slippery floors can be a big reason why many dogs get anxious about going to see the vet. The good news is, when you take your loved one to an appointment here at Furever Family, traction is not an issue.

Rugs are placed on the floor of our clinic to help ease the appointment process. While many vets don’t consider this important aspect of your pet’s experience, we know that slippery surfaces are unnecessary at the vet. We eliminated them since they are scary and potentially dangerous for dogs.

Reducing the potential for slips and falls is also why we conduct exams on the floor for our medium to large dogs. Getting on the exam table is not ideal for them, and we are happy to accommodate.

Our Fear Free training is seen throughout the design and set-up of our clinic. Book an appointment with us now to see for yourself.

Unfamiliar with the certification? Learn more about what it means to be Fear Free Certified .