As we age, we become less mobile and often begin feeling aches and pains far more often than when we were younger. In recent decades, orthopaedic beds have grown in popularity, providing excellent support for who those suffer from joint and muscle pain, helping them to sleep at night.
Of course, it’s not just humans who develop aches and pains as they age, the same is true for dogs.
Luckily, in an effort to make their older dogs more comfortable, more and more owners are investing in orthopaedic beds – but are orthopaedic beds good for dogs?
What are orthopaedic beds?
By definition, an orthopaedic bed helps to provide an equal level of support across the entirety of your dog’s body, avoiding the pressure placed on certain joints by the weight of the body. The majority of orthopaedic beds on the market are made using a layer of memory foam.
Memory foam was originally designed by NASA in the 1960s in an effort to make air travel more comfortable by moulding to the shape of the individual sitting on it, returning to its default shape once the individual gets up.
By combining this foam with high quality stitching and comfortable materials such as fleece, you can provide you dog with a bed that is not only supportive, but also extremely cosy.
How does an orthopaedic dog bed help?
The key benefits of an orthopaedic bed are listed below:
- Helps to heal sore muscles by removing the strain.
- Reduces pain and stiffness by supporting the entire body.
- Absorbs heat and therefore helping blood circulation.
- Prevents bed sores.
Of course, there are good quality and bad quality orthopaedic beds available so how do you know which one to buy?
A good orthopaedic bed with have a base that contains at least four to seven inches of memory foam (depending on the dog’s size) to avoid the dog’s weight forcing the bed to bottom out. It should also have a non-slip base so that it stays in place when in use, and most of all, its should be comfortable – if it doesn’t feel snug and cosy, chances are, it won’t feel great for your dog either.
Should I get my dog an orthopaedic bed?
Absolutely. While these issues do mainly affect older dogs, there is nothing wrong with buying an orthopaedic bed as a preventative measure for the future. Furthermore, many puppies and young dogs can also suffer from conditions such as arthritis and hip dysplasia and an orthopaedic dog bed can really aid their comfort and help them to get to sleep at night.
The same is true for thin breeds. Breeds such as whippets, greyhounds and lurchers have very little padding on the joints that bear their weight while they sleep, and an orthopaedic bed compensates for this.
Bunty Pet Products have been providing thousands of satisfied customers with beds, bowls, harnesses and many other items for their dogs for many years. With 10% off your first order, and the opportunity to collect loyalty points with each order – why not visit our homepage?