Orthopedic dog beds are designed to provide maximum comfort for your animal's body while also working to gently support his back, his joints, and his whole skeletal body. That is to insure that your dog always has a comfortable resting and sleeping experience. There are three types of orthopedic dog beds. Memory foam, orthopedic foam and thermal beds make up the choices.
Let's look at the first type of bed. It is made of memory foam. Memory foam is called by this name because it keeps its shape when you push your hand down on it. Memory foam adjusts and molds to the weight and shape of the dog's body. This type of orthopedic dog bed significantly reduces pressure points and improves blood circulation making your dog more comfortable.
Memory foam was developed for NASA in the early 60's. Its intent was to drastically reduce the effects of the excessive G-forces that Astronauts experience during takeoff and re-entry to our atmosphere Memory foam has been greatly improved in the past fifty years.
Orthopedic or convoluted foam is another type of orthopedic dog bed. The unique convoluted surface reduces pressure points and discomfort while increasing air flow in the mattress. Convoluted beds provide firm foam support for all areas of your dog's body while helping relieve pain associated with arthritic joints, hip dysplasia, or other injured skeletal parts. You may have heard someone refer to convoluted foam as "egg crate foam" because the shape resembles the packing in egg crates to cushion the eggs and keep them from breaking. As you may guess this type of convoluted foam allows your dog to lie comfortably without undue pressure.
Another option is a thermal or heated bed. People who have arthritic joints complain that the cold weather tends to make their joints "stiff and achy" Anyone with arthritis knows that heat can make your aching joints feel better. People sometimes use a heating pad or heated mattress cover to relieve their painful joints. Dogs with arthritis tend to move more slowly when they experience cold weather. Just as with people, heat is sometimes recommended for dogs with painful arthritis or hip dysplasia. Heated or thermal beds can make your mature or aging dog more comfortable. Thermal beds, along with medications, can help to make your older dog pain free. Some orthopedic dog beds come with a thermal unit in between the orthopedic foam layers. This thermal unit can be battery powered so there are no cords for the dog to chew. Dogs who live in cold weather regions would benefit greatly from one of these thermal orthopedic dog beds.
Why buy this type of dog bed? Orthopedic dog beds eliminate a number of pressure points on your dog's body. This allows the blood to flow through his joints as your dog sleeps or rests. This is just like oil in a car... the blood lubricates the joints in his body. You may see your dog get up from a genuine orthopedic dog bed with less aches and pains. He will probably move around more easily when he has rested comfortably.
