The present invention relates generally to a therapeutic bed for use by an animal where recovery is promoted or accelerated by a prolonged retention or increase in the animal's body temperature. The bed comprises a matrix of fibres between a sealed top and a sealed bottom surface where the arrangement of the fibres gradually increases from an upper, less dense region adjacent the top surface to a lower, denser region in the matrix. The matrix arrangement is adapted to absorb the animal's body heat through the top surface and to transfer the body heat absorbed by the less compacted fibres of the upper, less dense region to the denser lower compacted fibres. The heat stored by the denser lower compacted fibres is gradually released and returned to the less dense fibres of the upper, less dense region to be slowly reradiated back to the animal.
