Old dog, old bed, new puddle? Orthopedic dog beds that survive accidents

Your old dog sleeps more now, and one leak can ruin the whole bed.

Fastest fix: size it, then check for a waterproof layer

1. Measure your dog lying stretched out, nose to tail, and add a few inches.
2. Check the listing for a waterproof layer between the cover and the foam.
3. Start with Bedsure for dry mornings and the odd leak (see Bedsure at Amazon).
4. Start with Dogbed4less if leaks happen often (see Dogbed4less at Amazon), then add a diaper or belly band (see our senior dog diaper picks).

Stiff getting up, slow on the stairs, or new leaking? Ask your vet. The bed handles the naps; your vet handles the why.

Our picks: orthopedic dog beds that survive accidents

11. Bedsure Orthopedic Dog Bed, Large

• The catch: The cover is the part that washes, and the waterproof layer lives in it. Unzip it and wash it the same day.

• Skip it if: Your dog sprawls flat and steps over raised edges. All four sides are raised.

• Laminated waterproof layer built into the cover, between the pee and the foam.
• The cover unzips and goes in the washing machine.
• Egg-crate foam base with raised sides all round for a chin rest.

22. Big seniors who leak more nights than not: Dogbed4less XL Memory Foam Dog Bed

• The catch: It's a flat 4 in pad, no raised sides, so a dog who likes a headrest needs a pillow or a different bed.

Best forBig seniors who leak more nights than not

The catch

It's a flat 4 in pad, no raised sides, so a dog who likes a headrest needs a pillow or a different bed.

Skip it if

You have a small dog.

Check price at Amazon

Read the Dogbed4less XL Memory Foam Dog review

• Skip it if: You have a small dog. This listing is the 47 x 29 in XL.

• A waterproof zip case wraps the foam inside the outer cover.
• Two covers in the box: a washable denim cover plus a bonus microsuede, so there's a spare while the denim is in the wash.
• Gel memory foam pad sized to fit a 48 x 30 in crate.

33. The senior who naps with his chin on the armrest: FurHaven Orthopedic Dog Bed, Plush & Suede Sofa, Large

• The catch: No waterproof liner is listed. Pair it with a washable pee pad on top if leaks happen (see our washable pee pad pick).

Best forThe senior who naps with his chin on the armrest

The catch

No waterproof liner is listed.

Skip it if

Your dog is over 55 lb.

Check price at Amazon

Read the FurHaven Orthopedic Dog Bed review

• Skip it if: Your dog is over 55 lb.

• Egg-crate foam base under every nap.
• Plush raised sides give him a headrest to lean on.
• The cover comes off and goes in the washing machine.

44. EHEYCIGA Orthopedic Extra Large Dog Bed, 44 in

• The catch: Only the sleeping surface is waterproof. Lay a washable pad over the side he leans on.

Best forLarge seniors who want a fleece top and three sides to lean on

The catch

Only the sleeping surface is waterproof.

Skip it if

You need the bed ready tonight.

Check price at Amazon

Read the EHEYCIGA Orthopedic Extra Large Dog review

• Skip it if: You need the bed ready tonight. The foam takes 24 to 48 hours to expand.

• Memory foam plus egg-crate foam, with raised sides on three edges.
• A waterproof film sits under the fleece top.
• The cover machine-washes cold on delicate.

55. The senior who keeps trying to climb onto your couch: Serta Orthopedic Quilted Couch Dog Bed, Large

• The catch: No waterproof liner is listed, and the foam is spot-clean only (mild soap and water). Keep a washable pad on top if he leaks.

Best forThe senior who keeps trying to climb onto your couch

The catch

No waterproof liner is listed, and the foam is spot-clean only (mild soap and water).

Skip it if

He sleeps stretched out flat.

Check price at Amazon

Read the Serta Orthopedic Quilted Couch Dog review

• Skip it if: He sleeps stretched out flat. The couch frame wraps him in raised sides.

• Couch-shaped, with raised sides to lean on.
• Zippered cover comes off for the washing machine.
• A quilted top, straight off the title: it looks like furniture, not a crate pad.

Which bed for which leak

• Dry nights, the odd leak: Bedsure. Waterproof layer in the cover; the cover washes.
• Leaks often, big dog: Dogbed4less. Waterproof case on the foam plus a spare cover.
• Medium dog, up to 55 lb, loves a headrest: FurHaven. Plush raised sides; add a washable pee pad on top.
• Big dog, leans on the sides: EHEYCIGA, with a pad over the sides. Waterproof top; the sides aren't.
• Wants your couch: Serta. Couch shape; foam is spot-clean only, so pad it.

Accident-proof the bed (the other half of the fix)

1. Put the waterproof layer between the dog and the foam: a liner in the cover, or a washable pee pad on top (see our washable pee pad pick).
2. Stop the leak at the source: a belly band or diaper catches the leak before it reaches the bed (see our senior dog diaper picks).
3. Pull the cover the same morning and wash it on the setting its label gives.
4. If a leak reached the foam, spot-clean it the way the foam's label says, and use an enzyme cleaner on the cover and pad (see our enzyme cleaner pick). Let everything dry fully before the cover goes back on.

More for an older dog: our complete senior pet care guide.