What to buy for an arthritic dog: grips, harness, bed and rugs

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The short answer

Start with traction, which is the cheapest place to begin and the easiest to undo: rugs or mats on slick floors, short nails, and grip socks or toe grips if the floor cannot be covered. Next come a support harness for the days he needs a hand, and a supportive bed in a warm spot on a non-slick floor. We have put the specific items, with what to look for in each, on a separate buying list: Senior Dog Mobility buying list. None of this is a treatment, and none of it replaces a vet's plan.

Floors first

Cornell's veterinary college suggests non-slip rugs and ramps for arthritic dogs, and the Canine Arthritis Resources and Education site (CARE) gets more specific: cover tile, hardwood, vinyl and other slick floors with rugs, yoga mats or gym floor tiles, and use non-skid pads underneath. The Dog Aging Project says to put grippy mats in the places the dog uses most: doorways, high-traffic paths and sleeping spots. Look for rubber backing, edges that cannot curl up, and runners wide enough that a paw does not land off the edge.

Nails, paws and grips

Short nails keep the paw pads in contact with the floor, which is the dog's own traction. The Dog Aging Project advises frequent minimal trims at first, every one to two weeks, then every three to four weeks, and CARE suggests trimming monthly and clipping the hair between the pads. If rugs are not enough, the Dog Aging Project lists toe or paw-pad grips and rubber-gripped booties or socks. We found no trial that compares these products, so judge them on fit: they need to stay on, not rub, and be easy for you to put on a dog who is stiff to handle.

A support harness

The Dog Aging Project describes two kinds: temporary models that support the hind end, and fuller ones that support front and hind end together. CARE adds that a harness with a handle on the top helps you steady a dog on stairs. Look for a fit around the chest and hindquarters that does not rub, and a handle you can hold without bending awkwardly yourself. Ask your vet or a rehabilitation practitioner to show you how to lift safely; the Dog Aging Project's own advice is to check with your vet about what suits your dog.

A bed

CARE recommends a supportive memory foam mattress in a warm, draft-free spot, on a floor that is not slick. We found no trial of dog beds for arthritis, so this is practical advice rather than proven treatment. Our own reasoning, not a sourced rule: a bed with a high rim is one more step for a stiff dog, so a low entry is worth checking. A later cluster in this series covers beds in more depth.

Bowls

CARE suggests raising the food and water bowls to about shoulder height to reduce strain on the front legs. Check with your vet before changing the setup, especially for a large, deep-chested dog.

Worth knowing

Add things one at a time and watch what your dog actually does with each. A harness he will not let you put on is money wasted, booties that slip off do nothing, and a ramp can fail if its base sits on a slick floor (see the ramp or stairs page). Traction is also the easiest place to start because it costs little and is easy to undo: a rug can go back in the cupboard, while a bed or a harness is a bigger commitment. Keep receipts and return policies for fitted items such as harnesses and booties, because a size that looks right on the chart is sometimes wrong on a real dog. If you are also weighing a supplement, the first page in this cluster covers what the research says. And if the slipping or stiffness is new, the vet visit comes before the shopping.

Last researched October 6, 2026. The advice comes from Cornell, CARE (page last modified November 29, 2025) and the Dog Aging Project (March 2021); none of them endorses a product, and neither do we.

General information, not veterinary advice. Talk to your vet before changing your pet's treatment, diet or medication.