How to Make Therapeutic Dog Beds

Every dog needs a bed, but ailing dogs benefit from therapeutic beds.

Older dogs, especially larger breeds, can benefit tremendously from a therapeutic bed that uses orthopedic foam to take the weight off their elbows or arthritic joints and distribute their weight evenly. But therapeutic dog beds can be very expensive and hard to clean. One accident and they have to be thrown out. If you make your own you can save a little money, and design the bed to be easy to clean and just the right size and thickness to suit your dog.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Scissors
• Thick memory foam or egg carton foam
• Fabric
• Plastic sheeting
• Non-toxic glue that is washable when dry
• Non-toxic fabric glue
• Hook and loop closures
• Sewing machine and thread (optional)
• Twin mattress waterproof cover (optional)
• Waterproof pillow cover (optional)
• Insert for heat or cold therapy (optional)

Instructions

1. 

   Measure carefully.

   Measure your dog to determine the size bed you need. With the dog lying down or standing still, measure from the tip of its nose to the base of the tail. It may be easier to break this into two measurements--nose to shoulders, shoulders to base of the tail--and add the two for the full length measurement. Then measure your dog from the bottom of the front paws to the top of the head. Add at least 5 to 7 inches to both measurements for stretching room.

2. Cut the foam to the length and width you calculated in Step 1. If your foam is thinner, you can put two layers together to make it thicker. To keep the layers from shifting and sliding apart, bind the pieces together by gluing them or using strips of loop and hook fasteners.

3. 

   Cut the fabric carefully.

   Cut the fabric and the plastic sheeting larger than the foam. Since the thickness of the foam can vary, a good way to measure the fabric and plastic is to wrap them over the foam and mark the length to cut them, allowing for seams and the closure of the outer cover. The length of the fabric, as well as the plastic, should be the length of the foam plus the thickness of the foam plus about two inches. Add the thickness of the foam plus two inches for the width of the fabric and sheeting also. Remember to cut a front and back piece of the fabric and the plastic.

4. Place the front and back sheets of plastic together, making sure all edges meet properly. Glue the edges together on three sides. Place the foam inside the plastic case you just made, and glue the edges of the final side together.

5. Place the front and back pieces of fabric together, dull side out. Sew or glue the edges on three sides.

6. Sew or glue a loop fastener strip to the front side edge, and a hook fastener strip to the back side edge. Turn the fabric case right side out.

7. 

   The hook and loop fastener is very handy.

   Insert the plastic covered foam into the case you just made and press the hook and loop fasteners together.

Tips & Warnings

• Memory foam is better but the egg carton foam will also be beneficial if you cannot afford the memory foam.

• Use a twin size egg crate or memory foam bed topper and cut it to the correct size, using two or more layers, to increase the thickness.

• Use a twin size mattress cover that is waterproof for the plastic sheeting. You can cut it to the correct size and use glue and hook and loop to close it.

• For a small bed, use a standard, queen or king size waterproof pillow protector for the inner liner.

• Choose a fabric for the cover that is sturdy, comfortable and machine washable.

• The larger your dog, the thicker the bed needs to be.

• Don’t give your dog this kind of bed until it is well past the chewing stage.

• Don’t put an electric heating pad inside your dog’s bed. Use cold or heat inserts (available from pet suppliers) that are chilled or microwaved. Or, use an electrical insert that is specifically made for dog beds. Anything else electrical could burn or shock the dog.

References

• Dog-bed.com: How to Measure Your Dog
• Overstock: Guides: How to Make a Dog Bed
• Organic Pet Digest: Therapeutic Pet Beds

Resources

• FetchDog: Cold n' Hot ThermaMat