Orthopaedic Beds for Medium and Large Dogs

Ideal for dogs with arthritis and other joint issues

Key Features

• A pressure relief surface that is based on NHS hospital mattresses
• Super supportive foam and the CoolComfort option for dogs that readily overheat
• Avoids pressure on sensitive areas and provides improved sleep quality

Ideal for dogs with:

• arthritis,
• hip dysplasia,
• elbow dysplasia,
• other orthopaedic or neurological conditions,
• on extended crate rest following surgery.

The pressure relief Active Recovery® bed has a strong pedigree. It is based on bed construction used in medical environments, including NHS hospitals, to prevent the development of pressure sores. (The third photo above shows a hospital mattress.)

The design ensures an even distribution of weight across your dog’s body. Pressure on sensitive, inflamed areas is minimised, resulting in a reduction in muscle tension, greater comfort and improved sleep quality. This has been shown using pressure mapping.

What makes this an orthopaedic dog bed?

It is hard to say what makes a bed orthopaedic, both for people and dogs. Some people with orthopaedic conditions like a firm bed, others like a soft one. This bed effectively combines both by having a high density foam base layer for support and the pressure relief (castellated) top surface. The use of memory foam does not make a bed 'orthopaedic'.

Clever Design

The castellated bed structure of the Active Recovery® range allows the individual foam squares (castellations) to move in direct response to the amount of pressure applied. Castellated means cut into small squares with narrow channels between. This allows differential movement of the foam elements, ensuring an even distribution of pressure and  minimising loading to any one area. Your dog lies in a neutral position, reducing tension in muscles while the even spread of pressure will help reduce joint inflammation and the associated pain and stiffness. All this makes the bed ideal for dogs with joint issues and arthritis.

Options available

The Active Recovery® range comes in eight sizes and two foam configurations. The four largest are on this page.

• Medium - 105 x 75 x 10 cm (41.5 x 29.5 inches)
• Large - 120 x 85 x 10 cm ( 47 x 33.5 inches
• Extra large - 134 x 95 x 10 cm (53 x 37.5inches)
• Giant - 145 x 105 x 10 cm (57 x 41.5inches)

If your dog weighs less that 15kgs, please look at the ARLite sizes which are designed for small dogs here.

You can also order it in a bespoke size on the Bespoke dog bed page.

The standard construction is 10cm deep bed consisting of 5 cm of high density foam for support and 5 cm of castellated foam for pressure relief. The blue foam borders you can see in the photos are used to protect the castellated cells from damage and to prevent the edge of the bed being too soft.

Two cushion constructions are offered - a castellated memory foam and the CoolComfort option which is great for dogs with heavy coats or those that hate the to be too warm. This latter one uses a medium density upholstery foam for the top castellated surface to avoid the heat retention effect of memory foam. This is the option to choose if your dog overheats readily. We sell far more CoolComfort versions than we do memory foan beds in these larger sizes.

Is your dog incontinent?

For dogs that frequently have accidents in their bed, a fully waterproof cover with welded seams is the best option. Tale a look at the Incontinence Beds for Dogs page.