Keeping an Old dog warm - Ideas?

3Beasties

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I've got a 15 year old terrier that feels the cold a bit. He is generally fine when he's outside as he's either sun bathing or wondering round, but when he's inside he does get cold.

There is not a chance of the heating being put back on and we don't tend to light the fire so much through the summer so the house does tend to be a bit cooler.

He's got a raised bed that has a piece of vet bed in and he is allowed up on the sofa (which is leather so not brilliantly cosy :cool: ).

Do you think a doggy jumper would do the trick? Also does anyone know of a dog bed that he could burrow in so he has something over him?

Thoughts and ideas please :)

PS - Here's a piccy of my little man on his 15 birthday a couple of weeks back :D

toby.jpg


He's not as hairy now as has since had a Spring tidy up!
 
A coat could work inside :) my greyhound feels the cold in the winter as we turn the heating down overnight so he has a fleece coat!
 
would he fit in one of those igloo cat beds? they seem quite cosy

Unfortunately not, he's quite big for a terrier! That sort of thing would be ideal though, I was trying to think of how I could make one to fit into his current bed but couldn't come up with anything!
 
My elderly whippet wore what we called a whippet nightie at night in the winter. She was sharing a bed with 3 other dogs, so shouldn't have been that cold, plus we covered them all up, but she was quite lean. She appreciate the little coat.
 
Have a look in the big pet shops, they make igloo beds big enough for mum & kittens, my westie had one years ago. Just make the entrance bigger. Hot water bottle in bed under blankets & dog jumper
 
I used a pet nap heat pad for Evies pups, it didn't seem to make the electric meter move at all so pretty low cost to run. They are good, they kept the pups at a nice temperature for the first 2 weeks. They are no longer using it now so will be putting it on ebay. ;)
 
Our 15yr old Lab has a memory foam mattress and then just lots of blankets - the old knitted patch work ones are her favourite.

I was a bit dubious about the mattress but I bought one and posted it to mum at her request and it is actually really comfy and warm, she definitely seems to like it. I got the pets at home one which she's had for about 18mths now and is still good as new and not nearly as expensive as some of the options out there

http://www.petsathome.com/shop/memory-foam-dog-mattress-by-pets-at-home-37299

This is her last Easter all tucked up after a hard day on the beach, get to go home and dog sit again this Easter I can't wait :)

picture.php
 
Another vote for the pets at home memory foam mattress my old collie loved hers when she got old I think it was very comfy and warm plus I had a heat pad which you could heat in the microwave and it stayed warm for 12 hours. I used it for two cats and then her and it's still going strong ready for the next poorly pet to come along.


http://www.amazon.co.uk/SnuggleSafe...JKUA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333465277&sr=8-1
 
How about just a single 13.5 tog duvet folded in half - that's what my wussy lurcher snuggles under every night! It was about £8 from Tesco including the cover.

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My aged terrier Roo like your`s a blue colour hardly has much coat.She wears a hotter dog fleece except in mid summer,and another waterproof one on top if it is wet and cold;not sure how old she is,but it must be around thirteen plus.She also has always had mild epilepsy,her coat is due to canine dilute alopecia..but she`s still a jolly old girl!
 
My terrier has a terrier tunnel from Petplanet, it has a zip so you can have it zipped right up into a tunnel or unzipped a bit to make a kind of tent. It's lovely and fleecy inside, has wadding in it then a tough, water-resistant cover. Very popular with the dog and my cats, it cost all of £5 or £6 :)
 
AmyMay - He did have a snuggly bed on top of his vetbed but it was destroyed slowly and painfully by the lab, hence needing something else! He does have a thin fleece in there for now but it's not much use so he's been wearing his winter coat until I sort a decent bed for him :)


He's got the right idea today, filthy weather out there so he's snoozing on my bed!
toby1.jpg
 
Have you tried a Snuggle Safe? It's a fleece-covered, hard plastic disk which is put into the microwave for 6 minutes. It is put under the animal's soft bedding and the heat lasts for 12 hours. At about 9 inches in diameter, the heat it generates is enough to keep the animal warm. If the dog gets too warm, he can move away from it without having to vacate his bed. I use one for my cat, but have put one in my large JR's bed and she loved it.
 
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