Matilda's Hip Replacement Recovery with Her Big Barker Bed

Meet Matilda, a 9 year old Clumber Spaniel, who served as a Therapy dog from 2013 to 2019 with Therapy Dogs International. Unfortunately, this sweet pup needed to retire early due to her severe hip dysplasia. Hip Dysplasia is one of the most common skeletal diseases in dogs. Large breed dogs, such as German Shepherds, American Staffordshire terriers, Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Rottweilers, and Saint Bernard's are more often affected, thus Maltida's owner Susan knew she would need a supportive bed that would make her most comfortable. 

Matilda's Hip Dysplasia was so bad that she had to undergo Total Hip Replacement surgery in 2020 as well as an emergency neck disk surgery only just seven days after her first surgery. Because of her bad hips, her mom knew that she needed the best orthopedic bed out there that would offer her the most support post-surgery. As Susan describes, "Just like humans, dogs need a bed that is up to par as their hips, lower back, neck, and other areas age. Senior dogs spend most of their days sleeping in their bed, so I knew I needed to make the investment."

After hours of researching the best beds, Susan knew she needed only the best on the market. Her old beds were just not cutting it anymore. They would sink to the ground, and make it hard for Matilda to get up. Knowing that her girl was uncomfortable, broke her heart, so she took all the necessary steps to make her senior years as comfortable as possible.

For many years as a therapy dog, Matilda continued to bring joy to everyone around her, so making sure her life during retirement was as pain free as possible was a top priority. Enter Big Barker beds. "I saw the Big Barker Dog Bed on Facebook at the time Matilda was experiencing painful hips and was told she would need total hip replacement in a few years. " It was perfect timing. The Big Barker bed kept her comfy while she waited for surgery. Right away, Susan could tell how much Matilda was loving her bed. She quickly noticed that Matilda was no longer getting out of her bed with any trouble, and she was no longer groaning when she had to get in and out of her bed. This made her so happy to see such a difference in her pup in such a short amount of time. Without hesitation, she headed to the Big Barker website and purchased a crate pad and waterproof liner for Matilda as well.

When it was time for surgery, Matilda was such a good sport. Although she did wonderful with the surgery, she was rushed to the ER for emergency neck disk surgery one week later. Susan was beyond thankful that she had the Big Barker crate pad and bed when she got out of surgery. It helped ease her pain and stay comfortable as she was recovering. 

We are so happy to hear how much Matilda's Big Barker bed has has helped her during recovery. Thank you to the Carlson family for sharing your story with us.