The senior dog comfort checklist

If your dog has started slowing down and you don't know where to begin, start here. Work down the list in order. The early items do the most and cost the least, and you can stop at any point and still have made your dog's day better.

1. The bed — check these five things

• Does it have a real support core? Press into it with the heel of your hand, hard. If you feel the floor, your dog does too.
• Can your dog get on without hesitating? Watch it. A pause, a run-up, or a front-paws-first heave means the sides are too tall.
• Is it in the room your dog actually chooses? Not the room you'd prefer.
• Is it out of the draft and off cold tile?
• Does the cover come off and wash?

Fail two or more and it's worth replacing — our bed roundup covers what to look for at each price point.

2. The floors — walk your dog's route

• Is there a grippy path from bed to water to the door, with no bare gaps?
• Is there a mat where your dog stands up from its bed? The most valuable square meter in the house.
• Are the nails short? Long nails tilt the toe and reduce pad contact.
• Is the fur between the pads trimmed flush?
• Do the stairs have grip on every step — or a gate?

3. Access — count the jumps

• How many times a day does your dog jump down from something? Every one of those lands its full weight on sore joints.
• Is there a ramp or steps at the bed, the sofa and the car? All three, not one.
• Does your dog actually use them, or walk past them? If it walks past, it needs teaching, or the ramp is too steep.
• Is there a step out of the back door that could take a small ramp?

4. Warmth

• Is your dog stiffest first thing in the morning? That's usually cold plus rest.
• Is the sleeping spot draft-free?
• Would gentle warmth help? A low-wattage pet-specific heated bed or pad — never a human heating pad, and always with room to move off it.
• Is a coat worth it on cold walks? For a thin-coated or lean old dog, yes.

5. The daily routine

• Several short walks rather than one long one. Consistent gentle movement keeps muscle on, and muscle supports a bad joint.
• Is your dog lean? You should feel ribs easily under a thin layer. Excess weight loads sore joints every step, and this is the change with the most agreement behind it.
• More frequent toilet trips — many "accidents" are access problems.
• Water on every floor the dog uses.
• Have furniture and bowls stayed where they were? Predictability matters a great deal to a dog with fading senses.

6. Help getting up

• Does your dog need a hand up, and how often?
• Are you lifting properly — under the chest and pelvis, legs not back? See the technique.
• Would a sling or harness make this sustainable? If you're lifting daily, yes — a rear-support sling for a back-end problem, a full-body harness if the front is going too.
• Is your own back holding up? This counts. An injured carer can't care.

7. The signs that mean a vet, not a purchase

Stop shopping and book an appointment if you see any of these:

• A sudden change — weakness, collapse, or a clear decline over days rather than months
• Dragging or knuckling paws, or scuffed nails on the top of the foot
• Crying out when moved or touched
• New loss of bladder or bowel control
• Reluctance to be touched, or unexplained changes in temperament
• Weight loss, or drinking and urinating noticeably more
• Panting at rest, or restlessness that won't settle

Our guide to signs your senior dog is in pain goes through the subtler ones, which show up long before a limp does.

If you only do three things

1. Rugs on the route your dog walks. Nearly free, prevents falls, works today.
2. A supportive bed in the spot your dog already sleeps. The most-used surface in its life.
3. A pain conversation with your vet. The one thing on this page that can change the trajectory rather than the day.