Should I Buy An Orthopedic Bed For A Dog With Hip Dysplasia?
We're here today to answer the question, "Should I buy an orthopedic bed for a dog with hip dysplasia?" and the answer to that is 'maybe'.
It all depends on the quality of the bed that you buy. In the video above, you'll see I have two separate beds. On the left, there's an orthopedic dog bed that we make here at Big Barker. On the right, it's an "orthopedic" dog bed we bought off Amazon for the purpose of making these videos. So, if your dog has hip dysplasia, the most important thing is that is to keep their hips off the floor.
My dog Hank had hip dysplasia for all of his 13 years pretty much. And if he was on a flimsy bed like this egg crate pad, as a 92-pound dog, any pressure of any significance would have him sinking right through this flimsy foam. If my dog had hip dysplasia, I would not want him sleeping on this flimsy egg crate bed — this bed is not going to help.
This flimsy bed isn't providing any support or pain relief from the pressure created between the hips and the floor. A Big Barker on the other hand, is made of the same quality materials and the same love and care that human mattresses are made out of. This is the same type of bed that my dog Hank slept on for most of his adult life.
The solid construction and foam quality is why the Big Barker is a good bed for dogs like Hank with hip dysplasia. He was a 92-pound dog. So he wasn't the biggest dog in the world, but he still had some significant weight to him. I'm twice the size of Hank, a little bit more and as you'll see in the video I don't press into the bed. Take a look to see what happens when I lay on the Big Barker. Our bed is designed to have a top layer of foam that wraps around the pressure point that hip, knees and shoulders create.
So to answer your question, are orthopedic dog beds helpful for dogs with hip dysplasia? I know from personal experience because not only do I make dog beds, but I had a dog with hip dysplasia and I can tell you that it helped him.
If your dog has hip dysplasia and you're thinking about an orthopedic dog bed, you want a sturdy bed like a Big Barker. You don't want an egg crate foam pad, it will do your dog no good.
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