As dogs and cats get older, like humans they aren’t as sprightly as they used to be, and they can unfortunately suffer from different ailments which may require a change of pet door.   Some dogs have had arthritis so we’ve put in a new pet door at a very low level to make it easy for the dog to get through.  Some have never had a pet door, but as they’ve got older they need to go out more – often in the middle of the night.

Here are some factors that may help when having a pet door installed for an older animal (or one that is getting older):

Preferably the flap should not be too heavy, as the animal may not have as much strength when they get older to go through the door.

A transparent flap is ideal – this allows the pet  to see outside and where they are going to.

Location – ideally there should not be more than about 12cm that the animal has to step up to; if there are big steps near the back door then a solution  may be putting some small blocks or steps in to provide easier access.

And as previously mentioned – ensuring the pet door is not installed too high off the ground.  To protect the structure of the door, generally the minimum a door can be installed at is around 7 or 8 cm from the bottom of the door.

These are just a few suggestions to consider and if you have any questions please feel free to call or email us about the best option for your senior pet!