Pet Monologues

We’ve come a long way since a dog bed was regarded as a luxury, or a frivolous accessory. Dog beds certainly come in an impressive range of designer colors, patterns, and materials to coordinate with any type of decor. But don’t let the style details obscure the substance of dog beds: It’s not how they look but how they perform that really counts, because dog bedding is, in fact, a necessity. We’d go so far as to say dog bedding is one of the basics – the others being food, water, shelter from the elements – that responsible, caring owners really must provide.

Giving a dog a place of his own to snooze on does much more than protect your home furnishings from wear and tear; a canine crash pad gives Spot a priceless sense of security. With his own bed, Spot has a soft place on which to rest his head that’s his and his alone, a place where he can repair to chew a bone, play with his favorite toy or meditate on chewing a bone or playing with toys. Think of your dog’s bed as the doggie version of “A Room of One’s Own.”

But dog beds become absolute requirements as our canine companions grow older, particularly if they happen to be large or giant breeds. Dogs with arthritis suffer from stiffness and pain, and reclining on a bare, hard floor is very tough on their already-compromised joints. Providing a dog bed that’s durable and well-made enough to support an old dog is key to keeping Spot happy and comfortable, so he’ll be well-rested to really enjoy his next outing or walk.

You select a mattress and pillow for yourself that will offer your neck and back the most supportive comfort between chiropractic visits, night after night, and you really should do the same for your dog. Remember, however, that dogs sleep a lot more than we humans do, averaging about 16 hours in the sack per day. So in addition to combining the mattress-plus-pillow concept into a single item of doggie furniture, a good dog bed also must be designed so it won’t flatten out like a pancake, robbing your dog of the comfort he craves. And that means you’d be wise to select an orthopedic dog bed.

“Orthopedic dog beds are specially-designed for dogs that have chronic arthritis, chronic back pain (i.e. from non-surgical slipped disks), or just age-related muscle atrophy and soreness as experienced by elderly people,” explains Dr. Andrew J. Kaplan of City Veterinary Care in New York City. “These conditions make it harder for your dog to get in and out of their bed, interfere with their ability to have a restful sleep, and can predispose them to pressure sores.”

Ease of access is a key feature of an orthopedic dog bed, so that Spot won’t experience discomfort while trying to achieve ultimate comfort. “The bed should be constructed so that dogs can walk into their beds without having to step up and onto it,” Dr. Kaplan says. “There are a variety of materials available, but the best to consider is memory foam because, by reacting to your dog’s body temperature and weight, it conforms to every curve of your dog’s body so support is strongest where he or she needs it most. The foam also provides the necessary padding to prevent pressure sores over bony points of the elbows and hips.”

Memory foam is graded in pounds, with 5 lbs. being the highest; the higher the rating, the more support the bed will give your dog, and the longer the bed will last.