Best orthopaedic bed for arthritic DDog

[shockthemonkey]

Hello, on the 1st June my amazing lady had keyhole surgery for arthritic elbow, and after a very slow return to normal walks, is sore if she's met a friend off lead. I treat with anti-inflammatories and she is booked for a control at the hospital but I am sure they will tell me that we just have to manage her pain.

I want to upgrade her bed - her current one is nice but a few years old, and I am looking for something a bit more serious.

Have found knufflewuff - are they any good?

She's a lab, 28 kilos after strict diet... 6 yrs old

Thanks in advance for all your orthopaedic bed recommendations!

I have never managed to keep one of mine in a bed - they wonder off and find their own places. But I couldn't not mention Synflex, which was recommended to me by other dog owners. I was a bit cautious as, whilst I am happy to accept that alternative therapies work, miracle stories are a bit more dubious in my eyes. But my last Border Collie got bad with arthritis at the age of 12/13. Just old age and nothing else, but I ended up having to put him on metacam, which was a prospect for the rest of his life. Not good. So I tried this stuff. It doesn't work overnight - and anything that claims it will is snake oil. But over 3-5 months his condition improved so much that I took him off the metacam and he never used it again - he died at 16+ years! He visibly improved, there was no pain and whilst he was never a 5 year old again, he could run and enjoy life.

I also later introduced avocado soybean unsaponifiables which is used in Europe extensively for dogs and humans (it was my own consultant who recommended it!) as well - both can be used together with no worries.

Thank you so much. I will look at Synflex. She is due to switch to Hill's Joint Defence next food delivery - we're still running down her existing stock of Royal Canin Satiety to which I add a glucosamine/chondroitin supplement called Hyaloral.

The anti-inflammatory I use is called Previcox - Metacam gave my last DDog stomach ulcers

I know metacam is unpopular in some quarters, but regrettably there is no such thing as a drug of any sort that is totally free of any side effects or risks. For dogs or humans. But 6 is very young to be on drugs for the rest of her life, so I would suggest trying out these options - you can give her the drugs alongside them and after say, 3 months, just try reducing the drugs and see if she can manage without them. These things are highly individual, but it may make the world of difference.

If it helps, the person who told me about Synflex had a young dog (2) with serious hereditary joint problems to the extent that, having tried everything and spent a fortune, the vet said to put her down as she would never be able to walk and be pain free. Someone else told him about this stuff and he decided that if death was the alternative he'd try anything. That was 10 years ago. The dog is still alive, and drug free, although she only potters around the garden now. But up until last year she was walking. Always slow, and never huge distances, but a good mile (and a smallish dog too) daily.

Thank you. I am certainly going to order some Synflex along with some of the avocado soybean stuff!

Yes I'd much rather not drug her on a regular basis :-)

The Dogs Bed were best ortho ones I tried, but after surgery mine wanted snuggly so preferred wolfybeds...

Thank you Bay!