# Senior Dog - How do you travel?



## vinnyb (Mar 22, 2010)

Can't believe my GSD is already 9 1/2 years old! I first posted on this site when I got him in 2010, time has gone by so fast. :crying:

My boy has some bad arthritis in his back and I've noticed lately that he just can't seem to get as comfortable in the car like he used to. I have a Toyota Matrix hatchback and have a back seat hammock setup. At times he'll attempt to lie down but gets up immediately and seems to be the most comfortable when sitting with his rump against the seat, nose out the window. This is fine for short local trips. 

However, I take a long road trip annually and am planning to leave in a couple of weeks. Today I did a test run to see how he would do with the long-trip setup; both rear seats down with his memory foam bed in the entire back cabin. During the test run, he just couldn't get comfortable and stood on all fours the entire ride. 

Wanted to hear from fellow arthritic dog owners on your car configuration / bedding setup, for your road trips.


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## CeraDean (Jul 9, 2019)

I recently took a 12 hour road trip with my senior in a minivan. I put the third row flat and used an old crib mattress for her bed. I think the mattress has more support than the memory foam I use for smaller trips. I also made sure to somewhat box her in the mattress area with my luggage and cardboard boxes or else she had the tendency to squeeze herself in odd places to get closer to me. I found that she was less sore after the trip with the crib mattress than the memory foam bed.


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## Shane'sDad (Jul 22, 2010)

Years back we had a old Dodge Omni ( a compact)..it simply wasn't big enough period...there was a time frame back then we had 5 dogs---2 of them weren't mine--the little Dodge simply wasn't big enough for even 2 dogs needless to say....after a trip to NC State Vet School with a dog who was hurting--couldn't get him comfortable when we went to pick him up 5 days later it was in a Jeep Grand Cherokee....we folded the rear seat forward-put a couple of comforters down and Baron was pretty comfy after surgery coming back to Virginia..........


As far as seniors with arthritis in the spine--we lost Beau early June of this year a few days short of his 14th birthday...he had arthritis in his spine and ED .... in his case for the last 4 years it was very very difficult for him to find a comfortable position to lay in our home on the floor--his last year was his worst....these guys usually just don't show pain--but in his last couple of months if I was looking in his eyes I could tell....I can't imagine him or any dog with arthritis in their spine being comfortable riding any long distance because of the bouncing-braking-cornering etc


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## vinnyb (Mar 22, 2010)

Thank you both for your replies. 

I've decided to give this SUV dog bed a try. It's supposedly made of "shock-absorbing" memory foam, made especially for car rides. It's made in the USA, they have a 1 year trial/no-questions money back guarantee and will even cover return shipping. It's a little pricey but if it will help make the ride comfortable for my pup, it will be $ well spent. 

The journey will be 99% highway, so mostly a smooth ride. I will do another test run once I get the new bed, to see if he approves.


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## readaboutdogs (Jul 8, 2001)

That bed does look comfortable! If you don't have a ramp, you ought to get one for easy loading, unloading! I have a Dr. Foster and Smith dura ruff indoor ramp, it comes in two pieces and I use the slanted bottom piece to load moo in and out of the car all the time, it's a heavy duty styrofoam with canvas and a non-slip cover, very light weight but sturdy. I've had it 3 years and it's in great shape. I leave it by my bed otherwise. Looks like kohls has it when you google it, another company has the slanted style, "royal ramps". They're a little pricey, mine was like $150, but is so much easier on my senior dog and me! I've also wondered about using a styrofoam archery target they have at Walmart, around $15, would need something non-slip on top, to step up in a car, suv would need something higher though I guess. Good travels!


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## Koda'sMom (Feb 13, 2013)

Mine travels in the back seat with a hammock cover. She’ll be 10 in November ? I just recently purchased a camping mat that rolls up for storage to use in the car for her. She loves going for car rides and gets butt-hurt when I don’t take her lol I’m in the middle of teaching her a “help” command where she puts her front feet up and I lift her the rest of the way. Also to wait for me to help her down. It’s not that she needs help yet but I’d rather train it now then later.


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## Thecowboysgirl (Nov 30, 2006)

Mine seem to really like a donut style bed in the truck. Bolsters on all sides. I think they feel much more secure to lay down in a moving vehicle if they have something to sort of hold them in vs something they feel like they will fall off of


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

What about looking into Adequan? People say it can rejuvenate older dogs and add quality of life.


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## vinnyb (Mar 22, 2010)

Thecowboysgirl said:


> ...Bolsters on all sides. I think they feel much more secure...


I agree, I think the side bolsters will help.



Koda'sMom said:


> Mine travels in the back seat with a hammock cover. She’ll be 10 in November ? ....


It's crazy how fast times flies!



readaboutdogs said:


> ...If you don't have a ramp, you ought to get one for easy loading, unloading! ...


I have a folding step that I've been using, but lately he's been hesitating so it's time to get a ramp. I will definitely order one before I leave for our trip. Thanks! 



Nigel said:


> What about looking into Adequan? People say it can rejuvenate older dogs and add quality of life.


Thank you for mentioning Adequan!, I've never heard of it. I'm impressed by the reviews I've read so far. My elderly mother has severe rheumatoid arthritis and has been on a self inject-able drug for years. It has greatly improved her quality of life. I was wondering if such a drug exists for dogs, this must be it. 

I will reach out to my vet to inquire about this. My pup is currently on Carprofen, and TBH I haven't noticed any improvements. I can tell he is in pain when he starts panting. His panting subsides much faster when I give him a dosage of CDB oil vs popping Carprofen. Although I know the CBD is helping, I'm not 100% convinced that strong enough.


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

If you have a small SUV, you can try using a household object as a step instead of buying a ramp. A friend uses a milk crate. My dog with HD uses an extra-large plastic kitty-litter pan bought just for this purpose, turned upside down: 

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/petmate-basic-jumbo-litter-pan?cm_vc=-10005


The plastic litter pan stays behind my driver's seat to pull out for him. It's lightweight, doesn't take much space and is easy -- the ramps and dog-steps are much heavier.


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## vinnyb (Mar 22, 2010)

Magwart said:


> ...using a household object as a step instead of buying a ramp....


Thanks. I've been using this step for him which has worked out great so far. However lately he hesitates when jumping in the car, which is why I think it might be time for a ramp. Funny thing is, he doesn't hesitate at all to climb up the steps to the deck to bark at the neighbor's cats. :grin2:

I tried making this DIY ramp, however he doesn't like it. It think because its a bit unstable. Plus it doesn't collapse, so its not very portable.


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## Cheerful1 (Sep 27, 2011)

Joey travels in the back seat, with a hammock cover. He’s been having trouble climbing into the car, but my husband’s right there to nudge him up.

He just started Adequan this week; we’re hoping for good results.


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## Willowsgirl20 (Jan 15, 2020)

Yikes my 12 year old can no longer get up into our mini SUV. We bought a ramp but she doesn't like to go up it as its too narrow and she freezes and then wont budge. We've tried getting her use to it in the house first but its a task as her back legs are weaker now so its not easy. We have a rear end harness that we are using now to lift her up and help her out of the car. It breaks my heart. She also has a hammock in the back and what I usually do is give her a pain pill (Rimadyl) a couple hours prior to us leaving so she can hopefully lie down without any discomfort during the trip (just under 2 hours).


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## choka162 (Jan 26, 2020)

If you are not happy with the carpofen you could talk to your vet about switching to something like meloxicam. I've had much better results with it for my older dogs than some of the other things we tried.


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## choka162 (Jan 26, 2020)

Double post.


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## GSD246 (Jan 17, 2012)

My dog was annoyed that I kept stopping for bathroom breaks. She was fine, knocked out in the backseat of my sedan. But the driver kept getting her out to stretch her legs. On the way back I didn't stop at frequently. It was only an 9 hr drive.


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## Phantoms (Aug 27, 2020)

I went through so many dog beds and even a crib bed. Finally I got a twin bed and put it about 2 feet across from my bed. This worked! The dogs no longer try to chew it up and they all sleep on it. It was worth the money I spent to buy dogresttime . I had gone through so many dog beds, but when they got a twin bed next to my own bed, they stopped trying to chew it up. I threw an old blanket on it and now my dogs are finally happy. I had spent more money buying dog beds then it cost to buy a twin bed! So if you haven’t tried buying them their own twin bed, give it a try because it worked for me! Good luck.


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