How we research and recommend
Old Dog Mobility is written by a small editorial team for people caring for an older dog. This page explains exactly how we decide what to cover, how we judge products, and what we will and will not claim.
Who writes the guides
Every guide is researched and written by the Old Dog Mobility editorial team and published under the team's name. We are not veterinarians, and our guides are not reviewed by a veterinarian unless a page says so. That is why every article carries a vet note wherever pain, weakness, incontinence, sores or medication are involved, and why we point you to your own vet before changing your dog's care.
How we choose what to cover
- We start from the problems owners of senior dogs actually face: getting up, getting around, resting well, and keeping joints comfortable.
- We organise those problems into four topics (bedding and ramps, home access, mobility aids, joint supplements) and write a main guide for each, with focused articles linked from it.
- We check what people search for and what currently answers them, and we prioritise questions where existing answers are thin, outdated or written only to sell.
How we research products
For each product category we work out what matters for an older body first, then judge products against it:
- Beds: foam type and density, depth relative to the dog's weight, entry height, cover and liner options.
- Ramps and stairs: the angle a ramp will give at your height (we use 18–22° as the comfortable range for senior dogs), surface grip, width, weight rating with a safety margin.
- Harnesses, slings and wheelchairs: where the handles sit, how load is spread, sizing method, adjustability, and which conditions each design suits.
- Supplements: the active ingredients and their amount per serving on the label, evidence behind each ingredient, quality signals such as the NASC Quality Seal, and known cautions.
Our sources are manufacturer specifications and labels, construction details, published veterinary guidance and research, and recurring patterns in long-term owner feedback. When owners consistently report the same strength or problem, we say so and describe it as owner feedback, not as our own test.
What we do not claim
- We do not say we tested a product unless we actually have, and we say so plainly on the page when we have not.
- We do not publish prices or star ratings, because they change constantly and go stale.
- We do not invent statistics or cite studies we cannot point to. When evidence is limited or mixed, we say that.
- We do not give medication or supplement doses for your dog; those come from the label and your vet.
How we grade supplement evidence
For joint supplements we describe evidence in plain terms: stronger (several controlled studies in dogs pointing the same way, as with omega-3 EPA and DHA), mixed (studies disagree, as with glucosamine and chondroitin), limited (small or early studies, as with turmeric or green-lipped mussel in some formats), or none. A quality seal tells you about manufacturing and labeling, not whether a product works.
How affiliate links fit in
Some links go to retailers such as Amazon, and we may earn a commission if you buy. Commissions never decide which products we cover or the order they appear in, and we recommend non-commission options, such as a vet visit or a simple home fix, whenever they are the better answer. Full details are on ouraffiliate disclosure page.
Updates and corrections
Each article shows the date it was last updated. We revisit guides when products, formulas or guidance change. If you spot something wrong or out of date, tell us through our contact page and we will check it and correct the page.
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