Elderly dog feeling the cold

elsien

and she is completely driving me up the wall.
She has a perfectly adequate box in a non-draughty spot with both carpet and a blanket inside it. I got home from work to find that she'd built a nest in the middle of the sitting room (the coldest room in the house) out of my best rug, the draught excluder, my slippers and a cushion she'd retrieved from the settee.
So I turf her off and back into her box in the warmer dining room, and she's been prowling ever since, trying to scrat up the rug again, nudging, complaining, trying to climb all over me and generally being a pain in the backside.

Now given that we're only just in autumn and it's not a cold day today, if this is a foretaste of things to come I'm going to swing for her. I'm fairly sure she's after me turning the heating or fire on - mother does that to settle her at her house, and mutt is a quick learner. I am not providing heat, extra blankets or jumpers this early in the year when it's not that cold.

Am I being mean or is mutt trying to train me again? I don't object to keeping her warmer when I need to, but it does seem a bit early in the year to be starting down that route already.
Edit - I don't want to freeze the poor soul, but I really need to keep my heating bills down this year, and I don't want to give her everything now and leave nothing for when it really does get cold.

Molly41

Well im a softie and will tirn the fire on for my eldest dog as she sits there shivering. She also like my heated throw now so thats a good alternative. Might there be another reason for the dogs nest building? Pregnancy or comforting?

toshkininny

Not sure what sort of box you mean, but raising it off the ground slightly may make it feel a little warmer for her. Newspaper is also supposed to be good for insulation, so maybe newspaper first underneath the blanket and carpet - and might help if she is getting cold in case she wees!!!

tizerbelle

I think Mutt is fantastic!

To keep her in the warmer room when you are out (and keep your rug and cushions safe) would a safety gate in the doorway of the dining room work?

I don't know if she truly is feeling the cold - the temp does seem to have dropped a fair bit recently. How do her ears feel? As an extremity presumably they will get colder quicker?

Do you have an old fleece you don't use / could donate to her for her bed - that might help her get the "snuggly" she wants?

Unfortunately with Big Dog I have completely the opposite problem - she hates heat. She is usually to be found ignoring the three (yes, 3) dog beds in the dining room and sleeping on the lino instead to keep cool - winter is a battle, I like heat, she doesn't so invariably I end up wearing extra jumpers, hat and mittens so she doesn't get too hot.

TeaCake

What about a hot-ish water bottle under the bottom layer her bed?

elsien

Just an ordinary plastic dog bed -I don't think it's practical to raise it though - it's quite big and she's no lightweight. I don't think she'd feel safe if it wobbled. At the moment she should be warm enough in her box, she'd rather be where I am and driving me mad! And if I move her box into the sitting room for company, it's colder in there and she still won't be happy.
I could try the newspaper as long as she can't see it's there. She's a bit of a paper obsessive and eats/shreds it.

Molly41 -defo not pregnant, 14 and neutered. Comforting is a possibility I guess.

booter

elsien wrote: »

Am I being mean or is mutt trying to train me again?

I'd say so!! Our small dog loves to "nest" and bury himself underneath a stack of anything that's to hand (cushions, clothing, towels, but usually my fleecy blanket) and when he finally surfaces he literally radiates heat! Maybe add another blanket or two to Mutt's box for nesting!? (But then again, I do indulge my dog quite a bit )

elsien

Tizerbelle - fleeces are no good, they last about half an hour if I'm lucky. She's fine with safety gates - I used to use one to keep her in the kitchen when she was even less trustworthy than now. I feel a bit mean leaving her in the dining room though, she does like to wander and follow the sun.
Her ears are very warm - I spend hours stroking them- very therapeutic! I guess it's getting the balance between making sure she's ok (she was always a bit of a heat seeking missile even when younger) and my money saving ways.
I'm having a bit of a problem at the moment finding more blankets - fleeces are useless, I don't want cellular blankets as her claws catch, she humps duvets till her feet bleed, and the charity shops rarely get proper blankets in any more.

toshkininny

She wouldn't be ill with something would she? Our old dog always used to sleep in his bed, but then he started laying in strange places he'd never done before - turned out he had a problem with his belly. Can't remember what now though, but I know it cost a fortune - twisted spleen or something!

Anyway, point is, do you think she might be ill or does she do something like this every year?

bethie

have you tried having her wear a jacket? i have an http://www.equafleece.co.uk/store/index.html and it keeps her really warm.


vetbed also keeps them really warm as well.

tizerbelle

elsien, we could do a swap - my 14 year old, too intelligent for her own good Big Dog who hates heat and central heating so would keep your bills low for your 14 year old, too intelligent for her own good Mutt who loves heat and wouldn't mind me having the central heating on!!