Best bed for old dogs

[sandyc799]

My Quint is 13 years old as of March.He has a cooleroo dogbed,and I have a karunda dogbed also.I was wondering if I should buy him a baby matress?Would he be more comfortable?I can cover it and give him blankets too.He prefers to dig them around to suit himself,doesn't want covered.
Just hoping to get Quint whatever is best.I've noticed he's abit stiff in the mornings,he gets glucosimine and chondrotin,everyday.We could change to a prescription,like duramax,but he can still jump around once in awhile,so obviously doesn't really need a prescrition,just yet.
I would appreciate any help with the baby matress idea,THANKS!
sandyc and kids

[Bobbie]

I'd go by what he wants.. put a pillow on the floor and see if he starts wanting to sleep there. If he does, he may be happy to have a softer mattress.

Don't go by jumping around as an indicator of no need for further meds.. dogs hide their pain very well and forget it easily when they want to jump around, but it doesn't mean it isn't there. Watch for morning stiffness, wanting to lie down and wait for dinner instead of standing, generally quieter, and you may be seeing pain. Don't substitute a prescription for glucosamine but you may want to add one.

You also may want to look at Sam-e, which is both an anti-inflammatory itself and helps protect the liver from the drugs you might add. The big advantage of SAM-e, which I take myself, is that it helps with morning stiffness... I don't wake up hurting and stiff and have to reach for the ibuprofen. SAM-e alone might be enough to add. Merlin gets 400 mg a day; he weighs about 25 lbs.

[sandyc799]

Thanks!I'll look into the Sam-e and see if that could help.I just really have noticed how stiff he seems early in the day.
sandyc and kids

[CarolC]

There is one advantage to a baby mattress if you decide to try it. When you have a big dog who's getting weak in his hindquarters, having his hindquarters elevated 6"-7" when he decides to stand up is an advantage. Rather than having to raise his hips the full height from the floor, he can step off with his front feet, raise his shoulders and back and sort of bring his hips up a little while letting his hind feet come off the mattress and go down 6" to the floor. It is easier than trying to raise the hips all the way from a lying position. My golden retriever could still slide off his mattress and land in a standing position after he could 'no way' get up from the floor.

(That's interesting about the sam-E, I wake up every morning and reach for the Alleve.)

[Bobbie]

I'm not a health-food herbal person at ALL, so when I recommend a product it has research and the personal test behind it. My vet first suggested it as they were trying it for his daughter who has juvenile RA. He suggested it for Merlin; he and I both tried it for ourselves at about the same time; he for a bad shoulder. Merlin was able to get off Rimadyl and I got off ibuprofen (I'd been taking up to 2400 mg a day) and my vet was convinced it was saving him from surgery. Later I used it for Abby when her liver enzymes went up (it is marketed in Vet med as Denosyl and something else for that purpose) and they went back to normal. It's not cheap but seems very effective and research backs that up both in humans and dogs. I buy it at Puritan's Pride in the 400 mg size. The good thing is that you don't have side-effects to balance like you do with just about everything else. It's side effects are more good things- the liver support, and anti-depression.

[sandyc799]

Do you just take the reccommended dosage?
How much do you give your dog?
Quint is 45lbs,so I would give him how much?Do you put it in peanut butter or something?Quint LOVES peanut butter!
I'm gonna check around here for it.If I can't find it,I'll look online.
Thanks!
sandyc and kids

[Bobbie]

I give my corgis 400 mg each, but I'd start with that for a 45 lb dog and see if you see any improvement. It takes a few weeks to see. (Or might.) I take 800 mg myself- studies were done on 1600mg in humans but its not cheap so when 800 worked that's what I did. I give it to the dogs in peanut butter or liverwurst but then they have to wait an hour to eat the rest of their meal as it works best on an empty stomach. My mom gets up around 4 am usually (pit stop) so she keeps hers in the bathroom and gives it to her corgi and takes her own at that time- then no waiting at breakfast.

[Bobbie]

I should add that I just learned that SAM-e should be used with caution with Tramadol because of the possibility of serotonin syndrome (since both increase serotonin levels.) (From what I can tell it is a possible interaction, not one that has been documented in dogs.)
It should also not be used if you are already taking an anti-depressant, for the same reason.

[LisainCAN]

What is SAM-E though? I am thinking this might be good for my 11 yr-old Shepherd mix who is taking Previcox. I am not happy with the Previcox because of the side effects though it does help some.

[Bobbie]

SAM-e is S-adenosylmethionine. It's a supplement rather than a drug but as it has pharmacological effects you do have to worry about the potential drug interactions (none with Previcox as far as is known.) It could help combat the effect of Previcox on your dog's liver.

[Oche]

What is SAM-E though?

Like you, I had never heard of this stuff. Here's an interesting article that discusses the dosage for dogs and cats:
http://www.drugs.com/vet/denosyl-can.html

I've never seen this product on store shelves. Maybe one of those health food places sells it?

[GabrielDeafBlindPupFamily]

GNC sells it ... and an aside, I p/u a baby crib mattrass at thrift for 10 a few years ago. Covered in a flannel sheet. They are 'very' firm, though, so you'd want to pad with eggshell or something.

[puremutt]

mickey had 2 round big bolster beds!
there was room for him and me, comfortable! I bought them online from Fosterandsmith.
I washed the covers and put the beds in my shed with some others I have for the next dog...........................

[CarolC]

My big dog had a bed that was similar to a baby mattress in height and size, though it wasn't a baby mattress. The thing I liked about it was the height. It put him about 7" up off the floor, which made it easier for him to get to his feet when his hindquarters were weak, because he would put his front feet down on the carpet, then slide his hindquarters forward and they were already 7" off the ground. It was like a 7" head start. It's kind of the difference between an elderly person struggling to get up from a really low sofa that they had sunk down into, or sliding the hips forward and standing from firmer, higher sofa.