Heated Dog Bed?

[fidgiegirl]

I am thinking about one for our 11 yo lab mix. He is arthritic. Up until now he hasn't needed it but sometimes he is in such a tight little ball that it makes me think he is cold at night.

Anyone used one? Had success? Recommend/not? How about a frugal way to do one?

Sometimes I do heat up one of those rice bags for him, but of course that cools off as the night goes on. He sleeps in his own dog bed on the floor, or sometimes just on the rug. He kind of goes back and forth.

[redfox]

I got a disc about the size of a frisbee from a pet store that I heated in the microwave, for my elder cat some years ago. I put it in his bed, and it slowly off heat over 12 hours. He loved it. I passed it on when he died. Heat is so good for arthritis... yes, get it him!

[fidgiegirl]

redfox, thanks for this suggestion. It appears to be cheaper than a plug in bed, and I would not worry about him get burned or hurt because of the electricity.

Any other ideas?

[Rosemary]

Extra padding under the dog bed would provide more warmth and comfort, too.

[cdttmm]

We use the microwavable discs as well. Can't recommend them enough! We also give our dogs a supplement called Cosequin everyday. It is a chewable tablet that they like the taste of so we give it just like a treat. Our vet recommended it to us years ago when one of our dogs was starting to show signs of arthritis. It definitely helped him and now we give it to all of our dogs. We have very active herding dogs so slowing down due to arthritis is not an option in their little doggy brains! I also like the idea of extra padding under his bed just make sure that it isn't going to cause his bed to slide around on the floor (if you have hardwood or tile floors) when he gets into his bed. If he has arthritis he might be just slow enough that he can't easily cope with a bed that slides around and could end up spraining or straining something.

[Gina]

What about finding one of those igloo dog houses and keeping it inside the house? Or even an old-fashioned dog house he could curl up in. Or inverted large, covered (insulated) cardboard box with a 'door' cut into it. Or even a small table with a blanket or comforter thrown over most of it. With one of those warming discs inside, and ample bedding on the floor, plus his own body heat being contained inside, he would remain toasty all night.

I once had a very old cat and I made a cat bed beneath a lamp with a flex arm, with an ordinary incandescent bulb at just the right height, and put that over the her kitty bed at night, and cooler days. She always slept under that warm light and her fur was always squishy warm to the touch.

[frugal-one]

We also have a lab that seems to get cold at night. We just cover him with his own blanket. He loves it and snores like crazy!

[fidgiegirl]

Thanks, all! Corky will lay under a blanket, and seems to like it, but I think he gets too hot because in the morning he is not under it anymore.

I am envisioning two beds, one with a heat source and one without in case he wants to be in that one! Too bad our house is teeny and there is only room for one bed :)

Here he is on a camping trip a few years ago:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6156/6179520947_abcd141241_m.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7733846@N05/6179520947/)
IMG_3844_1 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7733846@N05/6179520947/) by fidgiegirl (http://www.flickr.com/people/7733846@N05/), on Flickr

[daisy]

Awww, Corky is a cutie!

I haven't tried one for a dog, but we have a heating pad that fits in a cat bed for our elderly cat. The bed stays about 80 degrees all the time, but heats up 15 to 20 degrees when it senses body weight. He doesn't bother with it in the summer, but lives on it during the winter. My concern with a dog would be that they might damage it and get shocked by scratching at it or chewing on it.

I like Gina's idea about an indoor doghouse or making some sort of tent over him. That would keep some retained heat, but not make him as warm as a blanket directly on top of him.

[canadianrose]

For a number of years, my mom and dad gave their old Fred a dose of ibuprofen concealed in pieces of low fat chicken wieners morning and night. It seemed to help a lot, and he'd get whiny if he didn't get his weenees. When they replaced their old couch with a newer one, they kept the seat cushions for a bed for him. He'd also get tucked in at night in his own blanket. Sometims, when he seemed a bit stiff, They would bring out his massager. He seemed to really enjoy it. They have a lot of linoleum, so when he was getting unsteadier towards the end, they got a bunch of runner-type rugs so he wouldn't hurt himself when his feet slid out from under him. I think their efforts kept him living a quality life for an extra 5 years.

[JaneV2.0]

Along with the heated disk (which I recommend), an old down or wool blanket topped by a layer or two of Space Blanket material helps to retain body heat.

[iris lily]

fidgie, I'll bet you are right that he gets too hot most of the time if under a blanket.

DH's family St. Bernard used to sleep on top of the doghouse in the winter. When it snowed they saw a dog-like lump under the snow. In the morning she'd shake it all off.
Corkie is nice, I like old dogs.

[fidgiegirl]

Iris, lol! Shake shake shake!

Jane V2.0, I'm trying to picture dear Corky under a space blanket. Poor sweetie is scared of crinkly things! He's a lot better now but if we used to enter a room with a plastic bag in hand, he would shoot out of there! Oh, skittish scardeycat Corky! :D

[JaneV2.0]

The space blanket could be sandwiched between blanket layers. My cats always liked lying on crinkly bags--I think it reminded them of bedding down on dried leaves or something. Obviously, YCMMV!