Pressure sores should not be confused with thickened skin or callouses, which also occur over bony points, often in larger breed dogs, but are a defensive response to protect these areas. Pressures sores, or pressure ulcers, are physical damage to the skin areas where the blood supply is restricted due to external pressure. This occurs most often as our doggy friends age or develop conditions where they may be unable to change their position easily. When they spend more time lying down in the same position, pressure sores (pressure ulcers) may start to develop.
At the initial phase of pressure sores, the first thing you will notice is the hair thinning around the bony prominences. They are commonly seen at hip, elbow, hock (ankle) and knee joints of a dog. It is important to note that they can still occur in dogs who have already developed thick calloused skin earlier in their lives. If unprotected, the shin may become red and inflamed, due to the pressure applied from the surface of the bed/ floor.
With the repetitive pressure, rubbing and trauma to the surface of the floor and bedding, the broken skin turns into a wound which will continue to worsen, resulting in infection and open weeping wounds that are unable to heal. This is painful and causes great discomfort to our four-legged friends and greatly affects their quality of life. It is extremely difficult to treat once it occurs and requires significant amount of care and treatment for the wounds to heal. Therefore, prevention is the key!
A donut-shaped cushion underneath Barney's hip joint helps to lift the pet away from constant contact with the floor or bedding.
While searching for a suitable bed for your dog, ask yourself these questions: Can my dog get on and off their bed easily, without help? Does the bed provide enough padding to protect pressure sores? Can my dog move around on the bed easily? From that, we suggest a few key factors to consider while choosing a suitable bed especially for an older dog.
A bed too small will leave your pet's limbs hanging
Still unsure? Consider our Silver+ Contour Memory Foam Dog Bed. This will be the dream bed for your dog! The memory foam mattress provides a firm and supporting structure by reducing the number of pressure points. It has a both a waterproof inner cover and antibacterial cover. Remember to pick a size that is big enough for your dog to stretch out and have sweet dreams!
Sir Ralph in his comfy yet supportive memory foam bed!
HK$ 2880
HK$ 1350
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Is your dog is reaching their senior years?
We wanted to let you know that Paws in Motion has a BRAND NEW online course to help your senior dog maintain the best possible quality of life.
The course is currently at a discounted introduction price and we have worked hard to pull together more than 4 hours of training on how to understand and minimise the effect of your pet's aging.