If you have ever warmed your bed sheets with a heating pad or snuggled under a cozy electric blanket, then you know the bliss these kinds of devices can deliver.
So why deny your doggie or cat this kind of comfort?
Though we don’t often have extended periods of freezing weather in the Pacific Northwest, heating pads can make a difference in your pet’s comfort, especially if you own an older or arthritic animal.
Cold weather, for humans and pets alike, aggravates arthritis.
“Absolutely,” said Dr. Tim Cavanagh, founder and veterinarian at All Creatures Veterinary Service in Arlington.
“Those older Labs and German shepherds who have hip problems and knee problems and general arthritis can really benefit from a pad and being warm like that,” Cavanagh said.
And though cats and dogs probably don’t need heating pads if the temperature is above 45 degrees, “for the pure comfort, they are nice to have when it’s cold,” Cavanagh said.
One fur-warming product on the market is the Pet-zzz-Pad.
The pad can be used alone or on top of a pet’s bed and is activated by the pet’s body weight, heating up to 102 degrees.
The Pet-zzz-Pad electric cord is sheathed in steel. The pad wipes clean and the fleece cover, sold separately, is removable and can be machine washed and dried, according to press information.
A pet heating pad is also a good idea to discourage cold dogs and cats from nestling too close to a room heater or fireplace where their paws or tails could be burned.
Back in the day, felines would try and find heat next to a warm car engine, a dangerous choice should the car engine start. But Cavanagh doesn’t see this scenario so much anymore, not with newer cars with bigger motors or that have shields around the radiators.
A particular challenge in the damp and rainy Pacific Northwest weather is keeping pets dry. “Dampness is our main enemy out here,” Cavanagh said.
Cavanagh warns to watch for signs of hypothermia, such as your pet is moving slowly or has pale gums.
“Our extremities are the first places to see it and with animals it’s the same thing, so feel their pads,” Cavanagh said.
If you don’t own a pet heating pad, bring the pet inside when temperatures dip. “When it gets down to under 32 degrees, bring them in,” Cavanagh said. “Water freezes at that temperature and so do we.”
The Pet-zzz-Pad sells for $19.99 to $39.99. It’s available at PETCO stores and online.
Theresa Goffredo: 425-339-3424; goffredo@heraldnet.com.
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