What is the Best Dog Bed for a Disabled Dog?

Dogs are remarkably resilient, and if your pup has a disability or long-term illness, it’s likely that they’re going to want still to play, run and chase their tail. Disabilities in dogs range from hip dysplasia to amputation.

Your level of care will depend on how their condition impacts their range of movement, ability to eat and drink unassisted, and overall quality of life. From pain management to support and encouragement, for some pups, a new disability may take time to adjust to.

No matter the disability or medical condition, a disabled dog will require more time, care, and attention, and it’s essential that you honor your commitment to your puppy.

While their movement may be restricted, this probably won’t stop your bundle of fun from trying to explore, sniff out a treat or scare the mailman.

Still, to improve their quality of life and reduce pain and inflammation, it’s essential to make your pup as comfortable as possible.

As disabled dogs often suffer from additional stress and joint pain, it’s a good idea to invest in memory foam or an orthopedic dog bed. Help them regain their strength and give them a better night’s sleep.

Let’s explore how to care for your disabled dog and the best orthopedic beds for dogs you can buy.

Types Of Disabilities In Dogs 

Whether your pup has been born with a disability, they’ve suffered an injury that has caused a long-term condition, or they’ve recently become sick.

Disabilities, illness, and physical pain can significantly impact your dog’s quality of life and overall happiness. Like humans, if your puppy is in pain, they’re not going to be in a good mood and maybe going off their food.

To help them regain their confidence, strength, and adjust to a new way of life, it’s your responsibility to help and care for them. As they’ve shown you unconditional love, now it’s your chance to shower them with love and affection.

Before discussing how to care for a disabled dog, let’s review some common disabilities in dogs. 

• Autism in dogs. Yes, dogs can also suffer from mental health problems such as Autism. This can trigger unusual behavior, problems socializing, and a lack of interest in new experiences, toys, and others. 
• Degenerative issues. As a chronic condition, degenerative radiculomyelopathy is a disease that affects the spinal cord and can cause weakness and paralysis in the back legs. Dogs with this condition can often benefit from a dog wheelchair to improve their quality of life and allow them to walk and run freely. 
• Abnormal nervous system activity. A nervous system problem can impact their behavior, cause seizures, tremors, pain, a lack of coordination, weakness, and paralysis. 
• Amputation. Road accidents, illness, and neglect can lead to amputation of limbs, which will impact the quality of life and can reduce movement. 
• Hip dysplasia. A painful condition that can affect small, medium, and large dog breeds can reduce life quality. The good news is that hip dysplasia can be helped with a healthy diet, exercise, and comfortable and supportive bedding.

Many of these conditions can lead to paralysis, which is life-changing for both owner and pup.

From investing in equipment to help your dog move to assist them with eating, drinking, bathing, and doing their business, mobility, health, and quality of life should be your top priorities. 

How To Care For A Disabled Dog 5 Top Tips

Whether your pal suffers from cognitive issues, mobility problems, or a combination of the two, here are some helpful tips for caring for a disabled dog and providing extra support and comfort. 

1: Dog Wheelchairs 

Dogs struggling to walk or suffering from a long-term condition such as hip dysplasia or arthritis will benefit from a doggie wheelchair.

Offering extra support for their back legs and joints, a dog wheelchair will take away the pain and walking pressure. This also helps to improve their quality of life by giving them back some independence. 

2: Support Joints & Reduce Inflammation

Many health conditions can cause joints and muscles to ache and become inflamed. To help make your pup feel more comfortable, consult your vet for anti-inflammatory medication, painkillers, and joint supplements.

You can also try a more holistic approach by massaging your dog’s back legs and hips gently to stimulate blood flow.

3: Invest In A Dog Harness

Take the weight off their hips and paws while out and about with a dog harness.

Designed to support their back legs and enable you to lift them when they’re struggling, this is an excellent solution if your pup requires assistance while doing their business outside. 

4: Orthopedic Dog Bed

For complete peace of mind through the night, treat your pup to an orthopedic dog bed made from high-quality orthopedic memory foam.

Specially designed to provide extra support and comfort around the spine, hips, and joints, this is considered the best dog bed for any puppy, regardless of size, age, breed, or health condition. 

5: Change Their Diet

For senior dogs with hip dysplasia, arthritis, joint issues, heart problems, or any other health condition, monitoring what they eat is essential.

A love for tasty treats can quickly lead to obesity, and this can make disabilities and health problems worse, as the weight intensifies the pressure and strain on the joints.

So, to care for your pup, make sure you’re feeding them a healthy and well-balanced diet rich in vitamins, nutrients, and protein. 

Bedding Needs of Disabled Dogs

Dogs enjoy snuggles on the sofa, curling up at the foot of your bed and their cozy place to relax at home.

But for disabled dogs, relaxation and bedtime can sometimes be a painful and challenging experience, especially if they’re lying down on a hard surface throughout the night.

Although it’s tempting to allow your pup to jump up on a sofa or bed, this won’t do their joints any good, so it’s better to invest in an orthopedic memory foam dog bed instead. 

Look for a memory foam dog bed that is easy to clean, comes with machine washable covers, has a waterproof liner, and includes anti-slip features, and here’s why! 

Machine washable: Caring for a disabled dog can sometimes involve little accidents, and if your pup doesn’t have the energy to get up and head outside one day, they might make a puddle in their basket.

This is why having a machine washable and easy to clean dog bed is essential. Throw the easy to remove, machine washable covers into your machine, and happy days!

Remember, never tell off a disabled dog for an accident like this. It’s not a sign of bad behavior, just an unfortunate side effect of their condition. They’re probably more embarrassed than you are! 

Waterproof Liner: Protecting the orthopedic memory foam core, a waterproof liner will keep your dog bed in tip-top condition for years to come.

Rather than have to clean the whole thing, you’ll be able to remove the covers and pop them in the washing machine for a fresh and hygienic place for your pup to snuggle up. 

Anti-slip dog bed: To stop your puppy from straining their muscles or causing additional pain as they run to their bed, choose an orthopedic memory foam dog bed that has anti-slip technology. 

Orthopedic Dog Beds For Disabled Dogs

At Bobby Bed, we specialize in water-resistant, high-quality orthopedic dog beds to provide extra support for your pup.

As the best dog beds for disabled dogs, our online collection includes easy to clean and machine washable microsuede covers, gel memory foam technology for joint support, and sizes from small, medium, and large breeds of dog.

Browse our pawfully good memory foam dog beds now and treat your pal to a good night's sleep.

Before you go you might also like to read this post asking what can I give my dog for arthritis? Or this on looking at signs of hip dysplasia in dogs