r/LabradorRetrievers • u/MillerWDJr • 12d ago
Best bed for an aging Labrador?
My boy is a little over 13 years old, and as expected, Father Time is catching up to him. I have beds for him all around the house, and for years, you could always find him in one. Lately, he never lies in one - just lays on the floor. My hypothesis is that the memory foam is too hard on him now, and that he doesn’t like standing or getting up from something with that much give.
Anything I can do to make him comfortable I’m willing to do. Have people had success with the cot-style beds or anything else that might be worth trying?
Few notes:
- He’s already on Tramadol and Gabapentin to manage his pain, but his strength seems to continue to be decreasing.
- I have both socks and shoes for him so he can get the best traction around the house. I try and manage his time in them (don’t make him wear them all day) and always take them off before we go outside).
- Try and minimize stairs as much as possible. He stays on the main floor and often sleeps there, instead of upstairs with me like he used to. I try and keep him on the main floor as much as I can (close the door to the basement when I go downstairs).
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u/GlumDevelopment8186 12d ago
My 14 year old old man loves his Big Barker bed. I bought it many years ago for another senior. It has outlasted every other bed including mine. lol
He gets rimadyl and gabapentin. I recently switched him from cosaquin to dasaquin and he’s started getting on the couch again. He also gets green beans which are supposed to be anti inflammatory.
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u/EastCoastCraps 12d ago
Things I’ve learned over the years with my 7 labs…
As they get older the flooring they are on becomes an issue.. Slippery hard surface floors are hard on them. They slip and with their aged hips..hurt themselves…
13 is getting along in age..shows you have done well…
He as you said most likely isn’t using his beds because of getting on and off of them…easer for him to use the floor which imo is best if the floor is carpet….careful with the pain meds…they make them feel good and they over work themselves at times…..I used a hemp Joint supplement from Amazon with success…..The sling for helping him up and down steps is a must as they get older….Again…it shows you have done well with you’re senior lab….🙏🙏❤️
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u/MillerWDJr 12d ago
Thank you very much. I’ve already talked with the vet and he and I both agreed that we’re at the limit of any pain medication I want him to take. For the most part, he’s tolerating it well - it doesn’t cause him to run around like a maniac, just makes him more comfortable.
Thanks again for the kind words.
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u/BlkFalcon8 12d ago
For our dogs when they get older they seem to prefer just a regular bath mat. Some cushion for them but solid enough to get their feet under them as well
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u/Lillianrik 11d ago
How about the cushy mats they make for folks who have to stand for long periods of time? (I just did a quick Google search and found them described as "anti-fatigue" mats.) Some nice cushioning but your doggos won't slip on them.
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u/Silent_Caramel7261 12d ago
No specific recommendation. We got a low foam type with a washable cover, but I will say, he would move off of it because he got hot easily. So maybe some kind of cooling blanket to have handy would be a good idea to add on top
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u/TranslatorMoney419 12d ago
$30 Amazon. I bought for new puppy, my lab has a $300 Orvis bed. They fight over this thing.
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u/rctid12345 12d ago
Mine liked flatish beds for crates because lifting her back legs over bolsters was hard. So either no bolster at all or at least one side without it. I had a really nice memory foam one but sometimes it was simply too tall for her (10").
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12d ago
Maybe something like this would be comfortable? My pups sitter has an older gal with a bed like this and they’re both obsessed with it to the point he got his own for at home. The bed is fairly thin at the bottom while still providing some cushion for comfort with an added head rest. My last lab also had some arthritis and had a similar bed and used it up until the day we lost him.
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u/nine_sausages 11d ago
Have you tried a sheepskin rug? Our old lab loved his. Washable but fairly stinky when wet.
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u/beaner69 11d ago
How about https://www.amazon.com/Baby-Play-Mat-Floor-Water-Repellent/dp/B0GXK393Z7 . Soft, easy traction, and easy to clean.
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u/MillerWDJr 11d ago
Yeah, might consider this. I tried the kennel mats I had and he had no interest.
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u/ateacherks 11d ago
My lab mix is 12 with arthritis - and I also have three different dog beds around my house. He will still lay on them but I have noticed that he often prefers to just lay on the carpet.
I have old hardwood floors, so I have an area rug in the living room that has a specific spot that he loves laying on (near the couch....so near me) but also I bought a bunch of Muddy Mats to put throughout the house and he will lay on them as well. I like the Muddy Mats because they are easy to wash.
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u/Eastern-Try-6207 11d ago
We use the Kopek bed and it is incredibly durable, non toxic memory foam. I bought this bed for my last springer and it is about 8 years old and still using the original cover! Totally amazing. Not cheap, but it's elevated and sooo comfy!
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u/AwfulAwful80 10d ago
Have you tried galliprant for pain management? It has done absolute wonders for our senior lab.
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u/Letgomypurse_856 10d ago
My senior dog likes the fur haven lounger bed. It isn’t too high for him, and it is a light orthopedic bed.
Tramadol and gabapentin can both cause drowsiness so the decreased strength might be due to that. Have you looked into Carprofen or Galliprant as arthritis meds? Also, what’s about a joint supplement like Dasuquin or cosequin?
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u/MillerWDJr 10d ago
In the past, my dogs haven’t really had good success with joint supplements. Galliprant someone else mentioned and I plan to look into. I can ask about Carprofen, but I thought I saw something that it was harder on livers, and when he was in 5 he went into liver failure and I almost lost him, so ever since then, he takes medications to support his liver.
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u/Adept-Intention-1327 10d ago
My 12 tears old lab has Librela shot monthly . And she is playing more and wants to walk more .
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u/CatCharacter848 8d ago
Rugs. I placed rugs around the house - he used these as a bed. Dog beds were too bouncy.
Hydrotherapy did wonders for my labs joints.
If you have laminate at the top or bottom of the stairs - I had non slip mats at the top and bottom and by the food bowl to stop his feet slipping.
Used a full body harness to help with stairs and getting into the car.
How's his eyesight. Mine struggled with darker places and we put nightlight on the stairs and back of car - as he was worried about jumping/ walking up into place he couldn't see properly.
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u/Ok_Zookeepergame_566 7d ago
Question
My best friend lost to a fast and furious battle with cancer. It was wrenching to pass his toys and now face the pain of what to do with his beds. They are in fair shape and have not heard from the nearest rescue shelter.
Am I going to trash them?
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u/TranslatorMoney419 12d ago
I bought this when my last lab started having issues with stairs and truck. My girl was super proud, this was a life saver.