Our therapeutic memory foam dog bed eases discomfort.

Tips for a Healthy, Comfortable Older Dog

Our pets age faster than we do. While we can’t stop the aging process, Orvis is committed to helping to make your pet’s years as healthy, happy, and comfortable as possible.

Making Your Dog Comfortable in Colder Weather

The arrival of cold, damp weather presents special challenges for our aging pets. Your dog may sleep more, his joints and muscles can stiffen, and existing arthritis may become aggravated. A heated or low-profile memory foam bed can help make sleeping and resting more comfortable.

Exercise and the Older Dog

Exercise—depending on age and health—helps to keep older dogs’ joints flexible, muscles properly toned, and minds stimulated. Consider 1⁄2 mile walks three times a week, health permitting. In winter weather, consider using a warm jacket to help retain body heat, booties to provide traction and protect feet from salt injury, ramps instead of icy steps, and reflective jackets for nighttime walks.

Their Changing Nutritional Needs

Nutritional requirements change for our senior pets, too. There are many excellent senior foods available to help meet your pet’s changing nutritional needs. Obesity can lead to health complications such as diabetes, heart problems, and stress on already-arthritic joints. Ask your veterinarian for advice on the appropriate diet for your senior pet.

Biannual Checkups

Because the aging process accelerates in later years, biannual visits to your veterinarian for routine physical exams and blood work are an essential part of keeping your older dog healthy and comfortable. Detecting problems before they become serious is the best way to help your dog have a long, happy, healthy life.

A Closing Word of Advice from Dr. Gretchen Allen, DVM

As our gets get older—and it's important to remember that they age much faster than we humans do—we must take special care to make sure they stay comfortable and healthy. You can help your older dog cope with the effects of arthritis by giving him a memory foam bed. Just as it does for humans, memory foam reduces the effects of pressure poinst and eases joint discomfort, helping your dog remain pain-free and active longer. Beds with waterproof liners protect the bed's interior from the hazards of incontinent dogs, while absorbent covers can help shield your floor and furniture. Consider a specialized bed with built-in heater to help your older dog remain proper body temporature year-round.