UPDATE: We lost our beloved Sadie a few wks ago, tearfully facing the reality that keeping her with us was subjecting her to pain and suffering that we could no longer control with disability aids and pain medications. She had a happy, long life (15 yrs), and we did everything we could to provide quality of life for as long as we were able. But, no matter the circumstances, it's always SO hard to say good-bye....... I felt it important to update and let readers know that this was THE BEST BED of all those we'd tried before for a dog who suffered from severe, progressive arthritis and needed a bed that would keep her sore joints OFF THE HARD FLOOR. After all the bed wetting and bed-making round-abouts, when I took off the self-made protective coverings, the bed and it's fabric cover were in excellent condition with only one small slit in the fabric where, at some point, she got a claw under the heavy oil cloth topcover. This bed did what we needed it to do....provided orthopedic, off-the-floor cushioned comfort and held up wonderfully (with some alterations), no visible flattening of the solid foam mattress. For us, this was more than "just a bed", it was one of the tools we had, one of the aids that enabled us to provide comfort for Sadie so we could keep her with us as long as possible. For that, I am very thankful and have changed my initial 4 star rating to 5 stars (Original, more detailed review below.) ORIGINAL REVIEW: Bought the Jumbo size for our 85 lb German Short Hair (tall dog with long legs & long body). Due to arthritis, she needs a bed with cushioning for stiff joints (especially hips) yet firm enough not to flatten under her weight. This bed does both better than I expected, and NO PART OF THE DOG'S BODY EVER TOUCHES THE FLOOR! For an arthritic dog, keeping their bodies off hard surfaces is KEY to their comfort! The mattress has a removable, zippered fabric cover, well fitting and nice looking but provides no protection from moisture. Because Sadie's incontinence also continues to worsen, I have completely wrapped the bed in 2 super-size plastic bags, then covered that with a very heavy, very durable oil cloth (the old fashioned kind). On the top, I put a bed sheet, which gets changed several times a day. (Flannel sheets in the winder, and cool, lightweight sheets in summer.) The protective covers have worked well and kept the bed clean and dry through many weeks of many accidents. (We tried the diapers. Within two weeks, she'd figured out how to get them off during the night, even with the "suspenders" I designed. We'd get up in the morning, and there the diaper laid, still attached to the suspenders, not a single tear in it. Just once, I'd like to see how the old lady accomplishes that! ;-) Sadie likes to go around and around and around, then scratch/dig before settling down. The heavy duty oil cloth prevents her strong claws from ripping into the bed's cover and the foam underneath. My one complaint and the reason for docking one star is the "pillow" on both ends. Sadie doesn't always like the pillow and often lays crosswise, which leaves her back end on the floor and subject to pain and stiffness. It would be nice if they offered a bed with a bolster on only one end so those dogs who don't always want a pillow could lay their head on the flat end. There is a one-pillow version available from the same company, but it has a bolster/pillow all across the back of the bed, and I thought that might be too hot in the summer & would restrict the ability to sprawl out. At the time of this purchase, there is also a bed from a different company with only one pillow but at FOUR TIMES the price for the same size. We love our sweet Sadie, but we also have to take into consideration the other costs related to her health issues. Even with Sadie's conflicting pillow preference, this is a better bed than any we've found for an arthritic dog. It's reasonably priced compared to similar beds from other companies, offers sizes big enough for large dogs, it's sturdy and well constructed. If you take precautions to protect it from things you know it will be exposed to (like bed wetting, for example), it should last a long time. I give it 4 stars and a strong recommendation, especially for dogs with physical ailments that require off-the-floor cushioning.
