The Four Pillars for home modification for osteoarthritis in Dogs
‘SAFE’ - Home Modification for Elderly Dogs
The below article was written by vet Dr Lauren Davis BVSc MRCVS, founder and director of www.vetrelieve.co.uk, a company dedicated to providing beds designed to meet the needs of older dogs.
I passionately believe that some of the most impactful work we can do to support our elderly dogs is at home.
That isn’t as a substitute for good medical management, close monitoring, and use of all the professionals out there ready to lend a hand. Those are fundamental.
Rather, I like to think of home modification as a BFF – the extra bit you really wouldn’t want to be without.
Why does home modification matter?
Our dogs spend most of their lives at home, often increasing their time spent there with age. As we know from experience, getting things right in our own living space is a personal journey. We tailor our space to suit both our mental and physical needs. You would expect the home of an elderly lady to look drastically different to that of a young twenty-something!
Why then do we expect our dogs to live their whole lives in the same surroundings, using the same equipment and being expected to undertake the same activity?
Making sure that your dog's living space changes around them as their needs change is an important and often neglected part of canine ageing.
How can you know what your dog’s needs are?
You know your dog better than anyone else does, which puts you in the perfect place to watch to see what their needs could be. The main thing to look out for is changes in their behaviour. Are they struggling to rise in the morning after a long walk, when they would normally have bounded up to greet you? Are they taking a long time feeding, going back and forth from the bowl, when previously they would have eaten in one sitting? Are they choosing to sleep in a new spot?
Changes in behaviour can mean that the behaviour they exhibited previously is now painful or physically unmanageable. It can be attributed to changes in brain function, for example in dogs who develop canine dementia (also known as canine cognitive dysfunction). It could also be something very benign, like a change in furniture placement meaning another spot is now a more comfortable temperature to sleep in.
Whatever the reason, a change in your dog's behaviour is always something to reflect on and, if you’re unsure, ask your vet or nurse for advice.
What home modifications can you make?
I created the SAFE principle with the four pillars of home modification – Sleep, Access, Food and Exercise.
By spending time thinking about each of these four areas, you can come up with a really strong home modification plan that’s tailored to your dog. It’s important to consider your own home and your own dog’s needs; no two dogs are the same.
That being said, there are some core home modifications that most elderly dogs will benefit from. Below, I’ll talk about each of the four pillars of home modification with some common changes that can help.
Sleep
Where and how your dog sleeps is an important part of their day; in some dogs, it can make up more than 75% of it!
We know a poor bed can lead to morning stiffness, a failure to access deep sleep, and increased fatigue throughout the day. Poor sleep also leads to reduced healing. All of this means that getting your dog's bed right is critical.
A good bed for an older dog should:
Be easy to enter and exit. Ideally, a double-sided bed gives safety without restricting access and allows dogs to lie out flat if they have stiff hips or lower back. While mattresses can work for dogs that like to sprawl, a raised edge increases feelings of security and supports your dog's back.
Be the right height. Your dog needs a bed that they can enter without having to step up, but that isn’t so low that they have to rise from almost ground level to stand.
Be the right length. Measure from nose tip to tail base when standing to get a good measure, and make sure your dog’s bed is at least that plus 10-15cm. This means your dog's sleeping position will be determined by what is most comfortable, not by the space provided.
Be warm. Cold joints get stiffer much more easily – beds that protect from upcoming cold allow dogs to feel cosy.
Cushion their joints and distribute their body weight, relieving pressure. Make sure the cover has enough elastic to allow your dog to take full advantage of any orthopaedic foam below – otherwise, it’s like sitting on your brand-new orthopaedic mattress in jeans!
Have a non-slip base. This prevents microtrauma from slipping when entering and exiting the bed.
Make sure the bed is positioned away from drafts, but still somewhere our dog feels part of the family environment. Surround the bed with a non-slip surface if the bed is in a room with a hard floor, and expect it may take your dog a little while to get used to a new bed.
Access
This is twofold, making access to required areas easier while restricting access to unsafe areas.
When thinking about access it’s important to consider:
Raised places like sofas or the car boot are a nightmare for old dogs. If you cannot prevent them from accessing these areas, use ramps or specially designed stairs to allow safer access, and make sure to be there to support them.
Flights of stairs in the home or garden can be dangerous for older dogs, who can fall and injure themselves using them, or be forced to move in ways that aggravate joint pain in order to use them. Use gates to prevent access.
Slippery floors may not seem like a barrier to access but are a huge part of making your home old dog accessible. Our dogs weren’t built for hard flooring – it’s like us walking with frost underfoot. Slippery floors cause microtraumas that pile up over time and can severely impact welfare. Use rugs, yoga mats, carpet or other non-slip flooring to help your dog get around safely.
Food
Diet is critical to elderly pet care and obesity is one of the major challenges facing many arthritic pets. When considering your pets diet:
Chat to your vet, or see if your local vet has a diet clinic or old pet clinic. Professional support can be really helpful, especially if your dog needs to trim down.
Make sure you are using an appropriate senior diet that matches their needs.
Hold off on the treats. Try using part of their main meal for treats, or scatter feed a main meal to make it more interesting and last longer.
Use supplements with due diligence. While many ingredients have been shown to be beneficial in a laboratory setting, it is still unclear how much this translates to the real world. Discuss supplements with your vet, use objective pain scoring such as LOAD before and after bringing in the supplement, and see if it works for your pet.
Exercise
Exercise is a fantastic tool in the elderly dog toolkit but must be used with caution! Unfortunately, common toys like ball launchers just aren’t suitable, as they make dogs twist, turn, and rapidly accelerate and decelerate, all of which put a lot of strain on joints.
Low-impact, regular exercise is the most effective form of exercise. Ideally, take short lead walks several times a day (without a significant increase at the weekend), and consider using a harness rather than a collar as this provides more support for the forelimbs. Don’t be surprised if an arthritic dog seems to pull on the lead – this isn’t always pure excitement! Dogs usually power from the back legs and steer with the front, but dogs with painful back limbs or hips will frontload their weight, and pull from the forelimbs, which can feel confusing on the lead. Keep the support using a harness, and work with your pet care professional team on supporting those back legs through pain relief, physio, hydrotherapy and acupuncture.
You can mix things up by working in a bit of physiotherapy yourself! Full exercise plans should be made with a trained canine physical therapist, but simple exercises such as stepping over low objects like a broom handle lying on the ground can support proprioception and get the brain and legs working together.
Summary
It's crucial to really think about how your old dog lives in your home. You can make a real difference to their daily well-being and quality of life with simple changes, and thinking about your individual dog’s needs.
Old dogs are a core part of the family and by taking the SAFE principle on board you can create a safer and more comfortable home for them to live in.