Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial. Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

*Disclosure:  I received a complimentary product for the purpose of this review.  All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.*

I know you have heard about our dogs and how they are such an important part of the family.  You may have also heard me talk about Old Buddy Boy.  He is 15 years old, maybe 16.  He was abused, neglected or both before he became a part of our family.  He is a wonderful dog, but can also be a moody old man if his body is hurting him.  As he has aged over the last 4 years, he has actually become a friendlier, more active dog.  Now, he takes off pretty much daily for a walk down the road or to visit the neighbors.  You can judge me if you want.  I have tried to keep him in the yard.  We have a zap collar, but he really doesn’t care.  He lets it zap him and just keeps on walking.  He wears out the batteries in no time at all because of it.  We just can’t afford to install a fence.  He has plenty of room to roam, but seems to really enjoy his daily strolls by himself.

There are days though that I can see he is in pain.  His joints are achy, his legs slip out from under him when he is walking or climbing stairs.  Sometimes, he growls because he just needs to be left alone.  It’s hard to see him in pain, so there are some things we do to try and make him more comfortable.  Giving him medicine is kind of out of the question.  He will not take it most of the time, so we have to do a few other things.

• Raise their water and dog food dishes off of the ground.  This seems to be easier on his legs than when he has to bend down to the ground.
• Eliminate stairs whenever possible.  There are two steps wherever he comes in the house, but the front door seems to be much easier on him because the steps are wider and solid, no room for him to slip through between steps.
• Avoid extreme temperatures.
• Essential Oils have been helpful for us.
• Know your pet.  Do they need a calm atmosphere?
• Give them a comfortable place to lay.

We recently received the Achy Paws Pet Mat to review.  When I had the opportunity to give it a shot, I had to jump on it.  I know how much Buddy’s joints ache some days, and even Lady Jane has some troubles sometimes where she had her leg surgery.  The Achy Paws pet mat features bamboo charcoal technology.  It activates with their body temperature to create warmth to ease those achy pet joints.  The natural warmth created helps to increase blood circulation, soothe tired muscles, reduce soreness, and ease their discomfort.  Even on hot days, this won’t cause your pet to overheat because the bamboo charcoal can fluctuate in reaction to your pets body temperature, providing cooling relief to their bodies as well.  The bamboo charcoal technology helps to absorb odors, moisture and toxins.  It is non-toxic and helps reduce stress and anxiety for your pets, increase relaxation, and calm restlessness.

I suppose you want to know what exactly this Achy Paws pet mat is though, right?  It is a thin mat for your pets to lay on made with a triple layered fabric.   The Achy Paws pet mats are available in 5 sizes from small to XXL, so finding the perfect size for your pet is a breeze.  I love how portable and easy to care for it is.  We live in a sand pit, or so it seems anyways.  There are days, especially after it has recently rained, where if the dogs lay down, when they get up, you can see a pattern of sand around where they were laying.  Anything we have has to be easy to clean or it won’t last long at all.  We can toss the mat in the washing machine, then in the dryer.

Do you remember how I mentioned that it absorbed odors, toxins and other things?  You can release all of that by placing it into direct sunlight for about an hour or so every month. If we need to take it with us, we can easy roll it up, fold it up, or just put it in the truck for the dog to lay on.  Buddy doesn’t travel with us because it is too hard for him, so we haven’t actually taken it anywhere, but it is that portable.  I also like that we can lay it on top of our dog beds which they seem to be more comfortable with.

I can’t say one way or another whether it was really effective for Buddy or not.  He’s very hit or miss with his moods, although mostly pretty happy.  I haven’t noticed a significant change, but we also haven’t had extreme weather temperatures lately which is what seems to cause a lot of trouble for him.  Regardless, if it could be helping to keep him more comfortable, I’m all giving it a chance.  He’s a good old boy and I hate seeing him in pain.

What tips do you have for keeping your older pets comfortable and as pain free as possible?

Buy it:  You can get your paws on your own Achy Paws Self Warming Pet Mat in one of 5 different sizes.

Win it:  One lucky reader will win an Achy Paws Self Warming Pet Mat in their choice of in stock sizes.  Giveaway open to US only.  Ends at 11:59 pm EST on June 24, 2014.  Good luck!

 *****GIVEAWAY CLOSED*****

Congratulations to Kelly O

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.