Dog Ramps (For Cars)

[Isabel964]

I'm going to get mine from Dogs In Motion in Moorabin, Melbourne. Its $260 but if its faulty at least it might be easier to deal with that an eBay purchase. Plus I don't have to wait for delivery.

I'll need to wait until Tuesday or Wednesday because they are closed on weekends - which I found out today when I called first to make sure they had one in stock.

I did find the same thing at Megapetwarehouse in Cheltenham. Its branded Prestige Pets but its the same things and they charge $430. so I'll wait tile Tuesday/Wednesday.

[Malakita]

Malakita, did your ramp arrive? What's it like? Just wondering how easy it is to put up & extend.

Yes ramp arrived without issue on the Friday. We haven't road tested it yet but it seems sturdy enough.

The material for the ramp bit where the dog walks down on is almost like a coarse sand paper feel. It slides up and down ok, but it doesn't lock in. You have to make sure that the two points touching the car and the two points touching the ground is secure and stable. That is how it 'locks' in.

Will try it tomorrow.

[BC Crazy]

Sounds good Malakita. I was wondering what the top was like.. Let us know what you think after you try it ????

[perfect partners]

Hi Everyone. I haven't been here in ages and ages. Its good to be back. I need a dog ramp for my elderly Kelpie. She is 14, has weak hips and rear legs, loves life :) I have a 4WD/SUV type car. I'd like something sturdy enough that she feels safe to walk up and down it, and something light enough that it won't hurt my back using it.

I have found the the Solvit Deluxe Telescopic Pet Ramp which seems good. and I can pick one up here in Melbourne in Moorabin which is good.

Does anyone have experience with this ramp, or can recommend a ramp?

I have this ramp for my Newfoundlands and it's great. I stand it up behind the passenger seat and attach it to the head rest with a velcro strap.

[Malakita]

Okay, I got out the two guinea dogs and tested out their ramp.

It is light and easy to carry. Almost feels filmsy as it is so light and nothing 'holds' the telescopic bit together.

So I put it on the front porch as we have a couple of steps going down.

Got the first guinea dog. She was fine. Paraded happily up and down as though she was a catwalk model. At one stage, she sat on the middle part of the ramp. It looked and felt sturdy extended to a metre. But as the anti skid material is very much like sand paper, she left scratch marks in the first 2 minutes!! The original color is a dark grey, now I have white scratch marks. It also holds fur well as it sticks to the 'sand paper'. Might need to look at covering it with an anti skid rubber down the track.

Second guinea dog isn't a fan of ramps but humored me. The ramp sits well and doesn't wobble. So, so far, so good :)

[perfect partners]

Okay, I got out the two guinea dogs and tested out their ramp.

It is light and easy to carry. Almost feels filmsy as it is so light and nothing 'holds' the telescopic bit together.

So I put it on the front porch as we have a couple of steps going down.

Got the first guinea dog. She was fine. Paraded happily up and down as though she was a catwalk model. At one stage, she sat on the middle part of the ramp. It looked and felt sturdy extended to a metre. But as the anti skid material is very much like sand paper, she left scratch marks in the first 2 minutes!! The original color is a dark grey, now I have white scratch marks. It also holds fur well as it sticks to the 'sand paper'. Might need to look at covering it with an anti skid rubber down the track.

Second guinea dog isn't a fan of ramps but humored me. The ramp sits well and doesn't wobble. So, so far, so good :)

Mine has scratch marks on it too, but I think they become less noticeable with more use. I have Newfoundlands and a Border Collie but haven't noticed fur sticking to it. I have a few wooden steps up to a verandah, so I put the ramp onto the first step and rewarded them walking up and down, then the next step and so on and then they were fine going in and out of the car (an X Trail).

[Isabel964]

Thanks Malakita. I went to go to Dogs in Motion to get one but they were closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

Now I find out they do not stock them, they order them in for customers who want them - they take a week.

So I may as well use ebay.

Thanks Perfect Partners too, good to know its working well for your newfoundlands :)

[Isabel964]

I did get the Solvit Telescopic - the larger is one. Its good, very study, easy to use - people with large dogs like labradors or german shepherds need not worry.

* Its not light so if your a small framed female or have some physical limitations, try to see one yourself before buying.

It slides back into one piece and has a handle to carry it with. Its not small though so sliding it behind the front seats is do-able though a bit of a squeeze because I have my back seats down to give my dogs room. I leave mine at home.

I have a little Westie and a gorgeous Kelpie - reason for the ramp - the Kelpie is going on 15 years of age and has weak legs - and too heavy for my back to be lifting her.

So I load the dogs up in the car using the ramp, put the ramp in the garage.

Come home, get the ramp out the garage, unload the dogs.

I only go for short trips, like take them on a quick run to the shops. Luckily we live opposite a large park :)

But I could take the ramp and use it anywhere for long trips too.

Also, I am actually not using it much - reason is that the kelpie's legs/spine are so weak she finds it hard to make her way up the ramp. So its when my husband is with me on weekends that he just lifts her into the back of the car - is when she gets most of car trips these days.

As far as ramps go, its a good ramp.

[juice]

i bought this and found the edges really sharp , and it scratched the car, i have covered the ends in tape.

[planetpink]

I'm also looking for a ramp for medium sized dogs to get up into a large SUV (Toyota Prado). Any suggestions will be gratefully received.

[Isabel964]

I'm also looking for a ramp for medium sized dogs to get up into a large SUV (Toyota Prado). Any suggestions will be gratefully received.

The Solvit one is good, and they come in two different sizes. I got the biggest one because I wanted my kelpie to have the gentlest of slope possible to walk up. Actually she has now using it which is wonderful. I need to help steady her and give her support as she goes up and down, but its working. She just loves her rides in the car so this is great news. My Westie just runs up and down the ramp, she loves it.

I have not found sharp edges and find ithat top section sits nicely on the car. Maybe they listened to feedback and made the newer ones better? If you are in Melbourne, you are welcome to come and see mine.

[Wobbly]

I use a big solvit ramp, because I worry about my dog's joints leaping out onto concrete.

When I first got it, she regarded it as a bemusing obstacle, so i had to back up and teach her how to use it. It was simple, I placed it flat on the lounge floor and lured her up and down it, then used it as ramp to the couch and lured her up and down that a few times. Back out to the car and she understood eexactly what it was for. I've had it for a month and I still lure her up and down with food, although I expect using the ramp will become conditioned behaviour and I can fade the lure to just a cue.

I find there are pros and cons to the solvit, but since it's doing it's primary job perfectly - protecting my dog's joints, I can put up with the cons.

Pros:

Obviously far better for the dog's joints if your car is tall and your dog jumps out onto concrete or asphalt.

Easy to teach the dog how to use it, the dog took to it very well once she understood walking up and down it nets treats and praise.

Cons:

If your car is very tall, as my Subaru XV is, the gradient of the ramp is quite steep even though we do have the longest solvit ramp. I live on a very steep hill, which further increases the gradient when I am parked out front of my house. The dog needs a bit of speed and momentum in order to get up the ramp, otherwise gravity will make her slip back down. I generally park the wrong way around (car back facing uphill) to reduce the gradient so we don't have to rely on momentum like that. I am thinking I need to look into other surfaces I could attach - the sandpapery surface doesn't provide quite enough traction when we're on a slope.

I find the ramp quite heavy, I'm not the healthiest though. Most people wouldn't find this to be a problem.

Folded, the ramp is just a bit too long to slip in the boot of the XV easily, it has to go in on an angle. I had initially hoped that when the dog was loaded in the car, I could slide the ramp in the boot (it's a hatchback, she's not in a sedan boot, mafia kidnap style!) with her, but alas no. The ramp must go in the backseat when dog is in the car

I do have half a mind to design something similar that solves the solvit's cons. A longer ramp for a shallow gradient, a surface with more traction than the solvit's sandpaper (wood, rubber or similar slats 10cms apart). Folding rather than telescoping to account for surface change, and folding into 3 so it can be stowed in the boot along with the dog. A more light weight ramp, if possible. It'd take some time to design and custom build something that can incorporate all of the above, if indeed it could even be done. In the interim, the solvit isn't perfect but it does what I need it to do - saves the dog's joints from heavy impact.

Ultimately I'd recommend the solvit if you feel your dog needs a ramp, it works and seems like the best solution short of designing and bulding your own.

[Isabel964]

I totally agree with Wobbly's experience with the Solvit. also if you think your dog is big and is the solvit strong enough, it seems sturdy enough to be fine for any sized dog (I have the big Solvit).

Like wobbly, I too park my 4WD backwards to reduce the gradient of the ramp for the dogs. And yes, being able to reduce its size folded would be great - wobbly, I'll be your first customer :)

The cabin in my car is actually quite small so I fold down the back seats so the dogs have room to lay down. So the ramp only 'just' fits behind the front seats and I have to put a cloth between the ramp and my seats so my seats don't get damaged. Right now because of the age and fragility of my kelpie, our dogs and we don't go places where they jump in and out of the car - so I just leave the ramp in the garage, drive away, come back, get out and put it back in the garage. The ramp has a handle on the side so its easy to carry to and from the car.

My elderly and fragile-in-the-legs-and-hips kelpie refused to use the ramp at first. So I put it in the house where she had to walk on it, I put it where she had to step on it to get outside. I did this for a month because I was never going to stress her out to use the ramp, or risk injury. eventually we were ready to try it with the car.

After a month of twice a week helping her very slowly hesitatingly make her way up and down the ramp (hand under her belly and chest to give support), yesterday she kinda jogged up the ramp! And she went down it the best she has ever done yesterday too. So patience gets you there. I still have to support and care for her and not rush her because of her age, but without the ramp, because I have back issues, and because she can no longer jump in her old age - if it wasn't for the solvit ramp, my kelpie would no longer be enjoying the car rides she so adores.

Note: I looked yesterday, and noticed my solvit has these plastic small soft feet at the end of the ramp section that sits on your car - so there is no scratching. Maybe Solvit added these after the customer feedback. I bought mine a couple of months ago, so if you are getting one, maybe check the one you are buying has that soft plastic protection - otherwise you might find it scratches your car as some other people have experienced.

Edited September 6, 2015 by Isabel964

[Little Gifts]

My sister bought a Solvit two days ago for the three stairs to and from our loungeroom. They will be there permanently - there is enough room for us humans to walk down the other side. So far not one canine paw has set foot on it! I think we might have to get out the treats and make it an obstacle course kind of fun thing! Tempeh prefers to fly when it comes to stairs anyway so no point training her.