The fabric we use for veterinary products is robust and will put up with a lot of abuse, but it is not chew proof. While it will stretch if a dog digs it, a determined dog will puncture it with teeth and possibly claws if they are very sharp. However, that is not the end of the bed as, provided the damage isn’t too extensive, they can be repaired.
If a bed has a damaged cover, it should be removed from use immediately, both to ensure the inner foam stays dry and to limit any further damage occuring. If moisture has entered the foam, it should be left to dry completely before a repair is made.
The cover fabric is a supported stretch PU. The stretch is achieved by presence of a backing nylon mesh – the support. The same material cannot be used to repair the cover of beds as the backing mesh will not adhere well to the cover and will wick moisture under the patch. Instead, a PU material, but without backing mesh is provided in the repair kits. This is only available in black.
Repair Kits include:
- Three A4 sheets of black PU
- Three sheets black PU, each with two pre-formed corners
- Tube of appropriate adhesive
- Small brush for application of adhesive
- Small bottle of acetone for cleaning
The preformed corners make it easier to repair these vulnerable zones. Both these and the A4 sheets can be cut to size. The lack of stretch in the repair PU creates a difference in the amount of movement between the cover and the patch which will put the repair under strain and potentially cause it to fail. For this reason, patches should be as small as is practicable.
Before ordering you may want to read the instructions for repairing covers which can be downloaded here.