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Best Bed For Arthritic Old Dog


Kirty
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I put an old single bed with mattress (obviously) in for my old shepherd. He could stretch out and it did wonders for his aches and pains. The dog bed made him curl up and he could hardly walk in the mornings.

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Guest donatella

I wouldnt think so being that she would have to lift her legs to get on it and getting off would be just a struggle.

My teenage/family dog at the ripe old age of 15 very arthritic to the point she gets monthly needles and is meds and painkillers (which keeps her walking around and giving her quality of life still) cannot even manage one step, she sleeps on a cushion bed. The ole legs don't like anything up or down, only flat/flattish surfaces. But she is

very crippled, yours might have more range of movement.

Eta this is a small dog yours would be ok as a big dog, ignore me!

Edited by donatella
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I agree. If she can't get up then it would be no good. In my case my boy could easily get up even when walking - just a matter of lifting legs up as it wasn't a high single bed. I just think a bigger bed that allows the legs and back to stretch may help. If the pillows are big enough I would consider this the same thing.

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Maisie is 10.5yrs old and has some arthritis. She currently sleeps on a cushion bed but I'm wondering if a trampoline bed would be easier? Any suggestions?

I'm not sure the trampoline beds are actually all that suitable for a dog with unsteady legs.

My old guy won't even step on them anymore and I assume it's because he feels unstable. We just got one of the waterproof beds (he has a bit of an old man bladder) that are the same as the ones sold by a online store that someone (a Dane person, perhaps?) actually linked to here a few months back- can't remember the name..

Someone with Kelpies has the same sort.. Hoover and.. Elbie?

Anyway, those beds. The cushion could probably be padded up even further with a couple of crate mats stuffed in underneath to raise the bed but also make it softer. You can actually buy crate mats that fit the bases of those beds on Ebay but.. I also can't remember the store name for those :o

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Thanks, she is not too bad yet and I have her on sashas blend, glucosamine and cartrophen injections so she is very comfortable. :) i just worry about her lying down and then trying to get up again. A mattress might be a good idea - won't last long though with the other dogs. :(

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These are good...yes they can help arthritic dogs

http://www.dealsdirect.com.au/p/canine-cooler-pet-bed/

According to the blurb they take on the ambient temperature, so hot in summer and cold in winter, that would not be good for an arthritic dog.

I had read some info about the beds, here are some of the links:

https://seniorpetsupplies.com/arthritis-joint-care/canine-cooler.html

http://www.online-pet-store-4u.com/product_Canine-Cooler-Bed.html

http://www.mypet.net.au/CanineCooler.htm

my three lie on them in the winter, they also have soft-mattressy beds to lie on, but prefer the dog water beds.

Edited by Boronia
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Maisie is 10.5yrs old and has some arthritis. She currently sleeps on a cushion bed but I'm wondering if a trampoline bed would be easier? Any suggestions?

The best thing I found for my 13 yo girl before she passed away was a piece of 4in thick memory foam from Clarke Rubber on which I put an overlay of egg cartoon type foam(cut from a single bed overlay). I had a suede cover made with velcro opening. It was easy for her to get up from, she could lay flat out if she desired.The foam is now 4 years old and shows no sign of compacting.It cost $40 back then for a 1 mt x 1mt square. All up around $70, not bad for a large bed that is still good today.

I found a trampoline bed sagged in the middle and she had trouble getting out of it.

PS, I also had a heated pad the same size to go over the top in winter.

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I went with a lambs wool bed. I brought for my rotty who has arthritis since young. My other dogs love it so much I got another!

I recommended it to my mum who has an older arthritic dog and her dog loves it - she spend most of her day on it.

I got mine from ebay but I can't find the the ones I brought. There would have to be others though.

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A couple of months ago I was sick and needed to sleep with an extra pillow for elevation. The night I was feeling almost normal I decided I didn't need the second pillow and dropped it on the floor next to my bed. The next morning my 12 year old arthritic westie was sound asleep on it and he looked very comfortable - the pillow appeared to mould around him and support his body well. SO apart from putting another dog mat underneath it ( and changing the pillow case!), I've left it there for him - and he sleeps on it often.

So it seems for my old boy a cheap target pillow is the solution for the moment. :)

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You never know what the dog will prefer. Ours has cushion beds, bean bag and trampoline bed outside. She'll use all of them though hardly used the trampoline bed prefering the ground until the last couple of years. However there is bedding on top of the actual trampoline bed - she prefers something on there. The height is pretty similar to the step in and out of house doors.

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These are good...yes they can help arthritic dogs

http://www.dealsdirect.com.au/p/canine-cooler-pet-bed/

According to the blurb they take on the ambient temperature, so hot in summer and cold in winter, that would not be good for an arthritic dog.

I had read some info about the beds, here are some of the links:

https://seniorpetsupplies.com/arthritis-joint-care/canine-cooler.html

http://www.online-pet-store-4u.com/product_Canine-Cooler-Bed.html

http://www.mypet.net.au/CanineCooler.htm

my three lie on them in the winter, they also have soft-mattressy beds to lie on, but prefer the dog water beds.

Thanks for that information, very interesting and contradicts the information on the other site, they appear to be much better quality too.

Do they feel warm in the winter if you put your hand between the dog and the bed ?

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My old very arthritic sheltie prefers the memory foam bath mat that I purchased from Costco for $15.90. Easy to wash, non slip on timber and tile floors and the perfect size for the show trolley. I started off with two and they have multiplied as all my other dogs love them as well.

TB

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Kirty you could try getting some foam cut (or sometimes they have scraps of suitable size) at Clark Rubber. I have a large rectangle of foam for my 11yr old foster to sleep on and she loves it.

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These are good...yes they can help arthritic dogs

http://www.dealsdirect.com.au/p/canine-cooler-pet-bed/

According to the blurb they take on the ambient temperature, so hot in summer and cold in winter, that would not be good for an arthritic dog.

I had read some info about the beds, here are some of the links:

https://seniorpetsupplies.com/arthritis-joint-care/canine-cooler.html

http://www.online-pet-store-4u.com/product_Canine-Cooler-Bed.html

http://www.mypet.net.au/CanineCooler.htm

my three lie on them in the winter, they also have soft-mattressy beds to lie on, but prefer the dog water beds.

Thanks for that information, very interesting and contradicts the information on the other site, they appear to be much better quality too.

Do they feel warm in the winter if you put your hand between the dog and the bed ?

I haven't put my hand between them and the bed, I don't know why I haven't either, I didn't think of it!

I think, as it is a waterbed, it takes the pressure off the parts that take the weight while lying down...hips, shoulders and ribs.

While I was looking for those links I posted I noticed that there are heated waterbeds.

http://petsnthingsonline.com/2010/08/16/a-water-bed-for-dogs-offers-comfort-and-pain-relief/

Bugger...I can't find a link now, the link above goes nowhere.

If I wanted to warm the waterbed I would put one of those pads they use for hermit crabs or bunnies underneath

http://www.ebay.com.au/sch/items/_W0QQ_sopZ12?_nkw=hermit%20crab%20heat%20pad&_fromfsb=0&_trksid=m270.l1313

http://www.nextag.com/small-heating-pad/stores-html

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Try getting some 'memory foam' or similar or a cot mattress from Clark Rubber or a mattress factory. You can use an old doona cover to cover it - easily removed to wash.

Look also at products designed for bedridden humans.

Edited by espinay2
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