Image by Csuka András
Dog’s with arthritis or aging joints need regular moderate exercise to keep their joints mobile and healthy.
What they also need is a comfortable place to rest. Spending several hours day and night on a hard or cold floor can aggravate sore joints and cause more pain rather than recovery.
Here are a few things to consider about your dog’s sleeping arrangements:
- If your dog really struggles to go upstairs consider making him a special bed on ground level. He may wish he could be close to you so why not let him sleep with an old t-shirt that smells like you. Dogs love that. That may help comfort him if he has to be away from you overnight while you are upstairs sleeping.
- Those old joints may not want to jump up and down on an old couch or raised bed anymore. A nice low bed that doesn’t require any hopping to get into it would be your best bet. She should be able to simply walk onto it.
- If your ol’ girl is pretty sore then a regular old stuffed bed from the local store may not suffice. Look for premium, orthopedic beds. Yes they make orthopedic beds for dogs. They are made with amazing materials such as memory foam or feather down! This can really help to take the pressure off of the joints while your dogs is laying down for an extended period of time overnight.
- For the ultimate in comfort, consider a heated bed. This can be especially therapeutic for sore joints, particularly for those dogs living in cold climates. Cold is an arthritic joint’s worst enemy. It causes increased pain and stiffness in the joints and what a simple thing to remedy. A heated bed will be heaven for your arthritic pup. You can either purchase a bed with a heater included or you can purchase the heater separate.
Some quality dog beds can be found at …
Glucosamine for dogs, moderate exercise, a healthy weight and a plush spot to recover from the day….ahhhh, that’s a dog’s life!
OH! By the way, I really, highly recommend that whatever bed you choose it should be easily washable in your washing machine or have a removable cover. Our small dogs use small beds that easily go in the washer. However, a few years ago we splurged and bought a huge overstuffed bed and it did not have a removable cover. After only a year the bed was still in excellent shape but the smell was so bad….we even took it to the laundry mat and put it in a huge washer but still could not get the smell out of it…..and then it was so big we couldn’t get it thoroughly dry…BIG MISTAKE!
Good Night and Happy Sleeping
Great Article! It is so important to make your older dog comfortable, http://www.Doggywise.com is another place to get memory foam and heated dog beds
I really agree with your last point of the bed being washable. While I would ideally like I big bean bag for our lab it just wouldnt be good for keeping clean. He is an outside dog and sleeps in the entrance at night and his bed gets really dirty. I use mats on top of a foam cushion which is on top of some cardboard so he is not in direct contact with the flooring…
Sally @ Pet Grooming Clippers´s last blog ..Pet Grooming Clippers
If you always find your dog sleeping on your sofa or at any corner of the house, maybe it is time that you buy him a dog bed. Dogs are looking for comfortable areas in your house that is why you often find them on your favorite couch.
Thanks for sharing It is really helpful..
Leather Sofa
Sofas´s last undefined ..Response cached until Tue 23 @ 13:24 GMT (Refreshes in 23.49 Hours)
Everyone deserves a good night’s sleep, including dogs! Thanks for the information, it could help avoid vet bills!
Nowadays dog beds are so expensive it is important to get one that is washable and reusable. But for older dogs with arthritis it’s important we get him/her a very soft and cushy bed padding.
you are right richard, dogs (and also cats) also deserve a good night’s sleep, just like us.
I think we should look after our dogs as much as possible and make them as cofortable as possible. Not sure about the memory foam bed for dogs but a nice warm, comfy bed is the least we can do! Sarah
My Brittany loves his bed.
I agree with your comments. Every dog deserves to have a good nights sleep and owners need to be aware of how their dog’s needs will change as they get older. One thing I come across alot is people over training old dogs. This effects their joints massively and can lead to complications in later life.
The amount of sleep that an animal needs depends upon its species.
you love your dog, than plan to get a separate place in your new home plan. So that they can relax in there private place. Get few toys, good bed for them to sleep so that he does not sleep in your bed or sofa.
this post is very well said… my dogs (labradors & daschunds) have their own corner inside the house during night time.. what we did was to utilize our old sandbox and converted it into a cozy nook good for 2 little dogs… as for the big ones, they have their own bean bags as a bed but most of the time they still want to hop into bed with me… XD
the oldest one i have here is my lady daschund who is turning 7 human years… and so far, she is still quite active for her age despite after some major operation.. :)
It’s just right that we think of the comfort of our dogs especially those diagnosed with arthritis. Good tips for the owners.
I think the subject matter of your site shows great compassion for animals. As an animal lover myself it is great to see someone devote an entire website to the well being of others pets!! Good luck!!
Very interesting article and one I will share with my customers. As amobile dog groomer, I get asked a lot of questions regarding health even though I’m not a vet. :)
I’m always looking for more knowledge to help out the client and build that relationship.
Cheers!
Olivia
We all know that dog’s are man’s best friend. I have dogs and trained them so many tricks. It is a great opportunity that i found an article devoted to their dogs.
Jasmin business site: http://bigwheel-tricycle.com/5-Radio_Flyer_Tricycle_Push.html
I have a small bed for our rabbits – they love it! Saves them sleeping on cold, hard plastic. There good for most animals, not just dogs.
That a great tip about the old t-shirt. I’l have to try that.
Putting an old t-shirt in the dog bed is a great idea. I bought a dog bed but my dog refuses to sleep on it and prefers the floor… I thought because it is cooler.
I was hoping to find a dog bed that wasn’t furry (retaining heat) or perhaps a bed that had some kind of cooling element in it but the one I found was financially out of my league.
Thanks for your article! This site has a wealth of knowledge!
I bought my doggie a bed but she refuses to sleep there. She doesn’t want to sleep on the floor either. She wants to sleep on my bed! I often wake up in the middle of the night and she has removed me from my pillow.
But the t-shirt trick is neat. I’ll try that and put it on her bed. I hope that’ll do the trick.
I really don’t think that I could sleep with a dog on my bed. I love dogs, but this is one reason why I have never had one. I do love it when my cat sleeps next to me though. Strange, huh?
You’re not kidding. If our dog doesn’t have his specified couch to sleep on, he’ll be restless the entire time. They really do have some of the same issues we have so they deserve to be comfortable as well. I’m not a fan of having the dog in my bed but I will make sure they have a nice spot to sleep in.
I agree with your blog. My own dog tries to crawl into my bed and try to sleep. I think it would be better if he has his own bed.
Nothing seems to be important nowadays other than taking care of my ill pet Robby. Yea, I feel the most when I see his awkward motions while walking, jumping, running and even in his sleeping activities these days. He suffers from joint pains and orthopedic disorders nowadays as he became aged.
But I had got some enough stuff from your post to comfort my pet at least while he sleeps. I was not aware of orthopedic beds till I saw your post. I wish to purchase a washable bed for my Robby soon. Thanks for your post!