Proper bedding for your paralysed pet
Confining your pet to an area where there is plenty of soft bedding, when not in its wheelchair is important to keep your pet from dragging itself around as this will help prevent pressure sores. It is also crucial to your pet's health and recovery. If given a choice, most pets will choose a hard, cool surface over a soft, padded area to rest on. This makes your paralysed pet more susceptible to developing pressure sores. We have Canine Cooler pet beds that will keep your pet cool and help prevent pressure sores.
Confining your pet to an area where there is plenty of soft bedding, when not in its wheelchair is important to keep your pet from dragging itself around as this will help prevent pressure sores. It is also crucial to your pet's health and recovery. If given a choice, most pets will choose a hard, cool surface over a soft, padded area to rest on. This makes your paralysed pet more susceptible to developing pressure sores. We have Canine Cooler pet beds that will keep your pet cool and help prevent pressure sores.
We recommend the Canine Cooler pet waterbed. This bed is ideal for pets that get hot easily and seek out a cold surface to lie on. Cool surfaces are often hard surfaces; and for a mobility impaired pet, lying on a hard surface makes it more susceptible to pressure sores and hygromas (elbow sores).
Do not allow your pet to lie continually on one side. Turn it over regularly. For pets with forelimb weakness, or rear limb problems, it is sometimes better to prop them up on their abdomen with their front legs extended and hind legs tucked up underneath (sternal recumbency) using rolled up blankets on either side of their body with their head resting on a rolled up towel. For larger dogs, Clark Rubber can supply foam wedges which are great.
Do not allow you pet to drag around the floor unprotected, over any hard surface as this will cause pressure sores. Once established, these sores are difficult to heal. Never allow your pet to scoot around on its bottom with its rear legs out at a 45 degree angle. This could cause limb deformity or damage to rear limbs and joints.
