Is There a Dog Stair Lift?
Yes, there is one dog stair lift you can get: the PAW LIFT, a padded box on a rail that carries a pet of up to 75 pounds and costs $12,950.
A Large Dog Riding a Platform Lift up the Stairs
The PAW LIFT: a padded box on a rail
- $12,950
- list price
- Up to 75 lb
- one pet
- 36 by 12 by 15 in
- the padded box
Its manufacturer says the PAW LIFT is the first lift you can buy that is made just to carry a pet up the stairs.
A platform lift for bigger dogs
- $12,000 to $35,000
- installed
A platform lift is a flat floor that carries you and your dog up together.
Four Ways up the Stairs
Regular stair lifts are built with people in mind, not animals, so most owners use one of the four ways up below.
Is It Safe for a Dog to Ride a Regular Stair Lift?
Arrow Lift, a stair lift dealer, explains that stair lifts made for everyday use are built around a person's body, not a dog's. These lifts only move while someone holds the button down, so a dog cannot use one or ride up alone.
Arrow Lift says a calm, tiny lap dog may ride comfortably with a person. A larger or lively dog should not ride one at all; let it walk the stairs, with a lift harness if it needs help.
When the Stairs Get Hard for Your Dog
- Old dog can't climb stairs
If an older dog stops climbing, start here: a vet visit, better grip on the steps, then a harness, a gate or a lift.
- Dog afraid of stairs
What makes a dog avoid the stairs all of a sudden, and how to win back its confidence, step by step.
- How steep can a dog ramp be?
Answer two questions to learn the slope your dog can handle and how long your ramp must be.
Questions People Ask
Which is easier for my dog: a ramp or stairs?
Dog stairs are a small set of steps, while a ramp is one smooth slope. How steep the ramp is matters most. A young, steady dog can manage a ramp up to 25 degrees steep. An older or small dog, or one getting over an injury or surgery, needs a gentler slope of 18 degrees or less, which means a longer ramp. Our ramp length finder asks two questions and tells you how long your ramp should be.
My dog fears the stairs. Will a lift fix that?
A lift helps weak legs, not fear. For a scared dog, read about a dog too scared to use stairs; for weak legs, read about a senior dog that can no longer manage stairs.
Is there a stair lift for cats?
No company builds a stair lift just for cats. The PAW LIFT is made for pets of all kinds, not only dogs, so it is the one powered lift that can carry a cat too.
Can I build a DIY dog stair lift?
No. Arrow Lift warns against building or changing a stair lift yourself. A stair lift's brakes and safety switches work as one system, so if you change one part, the lift may fail or cause an accident. Once a lift is changed, its warranty (the manufacturer's promise to fix it) usually ends, and many repair workers will not touch it. At home, a ramp or a lift harness is the safer choice.