Changing the dog bed is one of the several adjustments you will have to make to comfort your senior dog. You will notice your older buddy grow increasingly uncomfortable with his bed—a sign that it’s time to replace the dog bed.
When your dog is over eight years, it is usually considered to be “senior”, and will need to have his bed replaced. However, this isn’t necessarily true for smaller breeds—which usually takes longer before they age. The primary reason behind changing the dog bed is that they will sleep longer and more frequently, alongside health-related sleep issues that can be directly addressed by changing their bed.
Because your dog will lose muscle mass, which will most likely make the bones look more prominent, you need a good bed with comfortable padding to support the bones of your dog. If you don’t do this, your dog will end up suffering from pressure in the bony areas: the hops, shoulders, elbows, and knees.
Having established the need for a quality bed for your old buddy, you must be wondering: what makes for a good dog bed?
There are some important elements that you should make sure is present in a quality dog bed.
Caring For a Senior Dog: Getting the Right Dog Bed
Orthopedic – There is only one material know to man that completely eliminates all painful pressure points and that material is memory foam. Make sure you ask what grade/quality memory foam is being used in your orthopedic dog bed, as there are three qualities (grades) of memory foam:
· ‘5 pound’ memory foam is the highest quality-although more expensive, it gives the best support and lasts for years.
· ‘4 pound’ memory foam which is what most ‘humans’ have on their beds.
· Lastly ‘3 pound’ memory foam is the lowest quality-even known to lose its memory over time. Sadly, many orthopedic memory foam dog beds use the cheaper ‘3 pound’ memory foam in their bed. (Read More Here)
A quality dog bed is also resistant to water and moisture. Because your dog will have a tendency to become incontinent, you should keep in mind that the dog bed must not be made of foam. Foam easily absorbs stains and odors—you don’t want the dog bed to smell and become unsanitary quickly after you buy it.
For the same reasons that you should avoid foam, you should consider a dog bed that is easily washable. The cover must be washing machine washable, as well as the material of the bed itself.
Pick a dog bed that has huge zippers in it. Believe me, there’s nothing more annoying than having to squeeze out the cover as you wash it.
Last, but definitely not the least of your considerations, is the comfort. You owe your old dog comfort—a dog bed that will provide a soft cushion from the pressure points of their bony joints.
There’s no hard and fast rule about when to get a quality dog bed for your fur buddy. The moment you notice your dog looking uncomfortable, it’s time to consider buying a quality dog bed.