Best Flooring for Mobility Issues

[Yogi]

Hi, all -- I haven't posted here in a really long time and am looking for guidance. Yogi is a lab-aussie mix and has been battling cancer for 5 years (mostly successfully). He'll be 14 in October.

Yogi started having mobility issues about a year ago -- hind legs trembled when pooping, and I could feel muscle loss in his hind legs. We've done a bunch of physical therapy and acupuncture, but this year the issues really accelerated.

My house has wood floors, which Yogi was increasingly slipping on, so I covered it with throw rugs. That worked well at first, but the rugs are kind of thin, and he's increasingly slipping on those -- not when walking, but more when trying to stand up from lying.

Do people use thicker throw rugs for this type of issue? Or something different entirely (something more like a yoga-mat material)? Do toegrips work? Looking for any advice. Happy to add details if I can help clarify.

[SunDance]

I used Water Hog mats on all of our tiled floors. Unfortunately, they tend to stain light-colored tile. I have no idea if they'd hurt wood...the company should be able to answer that if you're interested. These mats stick to the surface underneath and provide a great surface for walking. (I no longer have dogs but like the feel of the mats so much that they've stayed on the floors....OK, the stained areas still need to be hidden, but the feel of the mats is a big reason.)

I'd found places that sold larger mats/runners in addition to the usual welcome mat size:

Waterhog Mats, Waterhog Entry Mats, Waterhog Floor Mats, Waterhog Door Mats, Waterhog Rugs (americanfloormats.com)

WaterHog Mat - Product Details (mamatting.com)

There are more according to Google...these are just the two I'd bought from.

Good luck with Yogi.

[Berna]

Carpets did the trick for us. Didn't try anything else. Good to hear Yogi is doing well overall. You can also invest in a Help Em Up harness. It was a life saver for us.

[Snowshoe]

Carpet strips with rubberized backing, so they don't slip around on the floor, and yoga mats both helped. The yoga mats are easier to clean, just take outside and hose, scrub off. Is there a problem with Yogi's back that could be affecting his use of his legs? Be careful of harnesses, they tend to impact mid-back and that was right where my girl's invertebral disk disease and spinal spondylosis was, VEt said Do Not use those harnesses. He showed me how to lift her 56 pounds. Cold Laser was effective on Oban. Stay strong Yogi.

[SamsonsMom]

I just had all my carpet removed and my first floor done in Pergo laminate. My living room already had hardwood from the original build in 1936. Covered it with the Pergo. I spent about 1,000 on 4x6 area rugs and 2x8 runners. I spent the extra to get the felt rug pads for every thing. For my hall, I got a 2x16 runner. With the felt rug pads, these rugs do not move. I have them all situated so Samson can navigate the entire first floor without touching the laminate. The guys that did my renovation called me the rug queen. They appreciated my care and love for Samson. He will be 11 Sept 1. Hope Yogi continues to feel well.

[Macy]

Like Samson's mom, I have runners and two area rugs all over my tile and laminate. It gets her thru those open areas safely til she can land on carpeting again. I call them Macy's sidewalks.

[Yogi]

Quick update -- I ended up getting cheap-ish, large yoga mats from Amazon and putting them everywhere. They work really well!

[SunDance]

Glad you found something that worked for you and Yogi. Best thoughts headed his/your way!