Make Sure Your Elderly Dog Stays Warm in Winter

Do you ever notice that older dogs gravitate toward warmth? You can find them lying next to radiators or atop your heating blanket. Maybe your dog is spending much more time on your bed in the winter. If your dog is doing so, she’s telling you something.

As dogs age, they feel the cold much the same way people do. Cold discomfort is especially obvious in older dogs with arthritis. For such dogs, lying on the ground puts strain and added pain on old arthritic joints, and the chill they get can make arthritis even more uncomfortable.

Ann Martin, author of “Food Pets Die For,” New Sage Press, offers suggestions on making older dogs with arthritis more comfortable. She notes that even though her dogs had nice warm beds, that the Canadian winter was so cold that her dogs were noticeably sore and stiff, with difficulty getting up. She put regular heating pads in their beds, set on low temperatures and covered by a light blanket. She advises that this should only be done for dogs that are not incontinent. Though most experts recommend against using heating pads made for people because dogs could chew the wires, in Ms. Martin’s case, she likely thought that the chance of her elderly dogs chewing were slim as puppies are more inclined to chew. However, if there is any chance your dog may chew exposed cords, you can also try a hot water bottle, but the bottle will cool as the night goes on.

Additionally, heated dog beds and pads are available through pet item manufacturers, and you can also find thermoregulating pet pads that have no wires or cords but use the pet’s own heat to keep the dog warmer.

Older dogs with arthritis need to have comfortable beds, and for these dogs in particular, a bed that is too big is far better than one that is too small. Just imagine if you were arthritic if you could curl up into a ball comfortably. A larger pet bed gets your elderly dog a bit off the floor and out of the chill and should allow her to stretch out for comfort. The bed should be covered in a warm, cozy material that is easily removable for cleaning, or you can give your dog a nice pile of warm blankets to wrap herself up in. Just remember that the material should be something you can toss in the washing machine and dryer because it will pick up the dog’s odors.

To help keep your dog’s bedding nice and clean and free of fleas, toss it in the wash once a week in hot water with mild detergent. Dry the bedding on the highest heat setting. Doing so will kill fleas at each stage of life from eggs to larvae to adult flea. If your dog has fleas, roll her bedding up carefully because flea eggs fall off easily and can get lodged in your carpeting. Once you have tossed the bedding in the wash, vacuum your floors and carpeting and concentrate especially where your pet sleeps. Empty the vacuum bag and put in the garbage outside the house when you’re done so you don’t re-infest your home.

If your dog stays outside, you might want to consider heated pads for the doghouse, which should be insulated for the weather. Additionally, solid-state radiant electric heating panels can also be installed either in a kennel or dog cage to protect your dog from winter cold.

Keeping your dog’s bedding warm and clean in winter will keep your dog comfortable and healthy.

Next article: Dog Beds - Useful Or Useless