As a dog owner, you care about your furry friend’s health and well-being and want to create an optimal environment for them. You know how uncomfortable living in a dry place is, so you wonder how your dogs feel.
Should you get a humidifier for dogs? Is it safe or good for them?
Yes, dogs can benefit a lot from having a humidifier running in the room. The extra moisture released by the humidifier can help relieve many health conditions of your dogs. But you still need to exercise caution when using it.
In this post, I will provide everything about “humidifiers and dogs” you need to know at your fingertip to make the right decision.
Are humidifiers safe for dogs?
The power of a humidifier lies in simple magic – releasing mist or water vapor into the air. By adding moisture particles to the air, a humidifier can help alleviate conditions caused by dry air.
As water particles are nontoxic for drinking and inhaling for dogs, and touching a humidifier would not likely cause electric shock, placing a humidifier in the room is safe for dogs in most cases. ( Have cats at home? Humidifiers are also safe for cats!)
Note that it can result in dangers for your dogs if you don’t use a humidifier properly. Luckily, these situations are easy to avoid. (More on that later.)
How does humidity affect your dogs?
Since the primary purpose of using a humidifier is to regulate the indoor humidity level, we should figure out whether or not humidity can affect your dogs. If not, a humidifier will be useless.
Like us humans, humidity plays an important role in the well-being of dogs. When the air is too dry, the air will suck up the moisture in your dog’s skin, causing dandruff in the fur, pimples on the skin, or even hair loss.
As their mucus membrane will become more fragile in this condition, they are susceptible to infections.
Aside from that, many dogs suffer from allergies and asthma. Since there would be more airborne allergens and pollutants in the dry air, your dogs have a higher likelihood of getting nasal congestion, breathing difficulties, asthma attacks, or other respiratory issues.
As a humidifier works on prevent dryness, your dog would be happy to have it around.
However, putting your dog in a too wet environment is also not good. When the humidity is too high, your furry friend will not be able to cool down themselves, causing severe heal threats.
Benefits of using a humidifier for dogs?
From what I mentioned above, you already know using a humidifier is good for your dogs. In this section, I will illustrate what these benefits are exactly.
Open up nasal passages
Your dog’s nose is a place to purify the air and provide humidity and warmth. When the air is dry, the mucus will become thick and sticky, hard to flow out. Then your dog will suffer from shortness of breath. A humidifier can humidify the nose, and less mucus will accumulate.
Relieve dry skin
When your furry friend has dry skin, it will keep scratching itself. It will get tired quickly but can’t sleep well if it keeps doing this. The air will not absorb extra moisture from your pet’s skin by using a humidifier.
Prevent allergy reactions
When the humidity level goes up, contaminants will settle out of the air. Consequently, fewer allergens will be inhaled by your companion.
Ease snoring
Similar to opening up nasal passages, a humidifier can ease snoring by making your dog breathe easier.
Risks of using a humidifier for your furry friends?
Even though using a humidifier is generally safe for dogs, you should avoid some potential dangers.
Burns
Warm mist humidifiers and vaporizers produce water vapor by boiling the water. Consequently, the water in the tank could be very hot.
Many dogs are full of curiosity. When you put a humidifier in the room, they may want to touch it or even tip it over. When the hot water flows out, it may cause burns which is the last thing you want to happen.
You should keep it out of reach for your companion.
Mold, bacteria, and white dust
A humidifier can help with congestion, cough, asthma, and other respiratory issues.
Nevertheless, if you don’t commit to regular cleaning, your humidifier can cause mold, bacteria, and white dust, putting your dog at risk. The stagnant water is a perfect breeding ground for the growth of these microorganisms.
Electric shock
Humidifiers are not easy to trigger electric shocks. But when water is spilled around outlets or outlet extenders, an electric shock can happen to your dog. So you should keep the device away from an outlet or outlet extender.
Essential oil
We use essential oil to boost mood, improve sleep quality, and relieve headaches. Nonetheless, when you have your furry dogs around, you should never use any essential oil with your humidifier before checking with the vet.
Our canine friends are more sensitive to smells than humans. So essential oil that is great for us can be overwhelming or even toxic to them.
High-frequency vibration
Many people prefer ultrasonic humidifiers since they are quieter than other types of humidifiers. The reason for the silence is that we can’t hear the ultrasonic tone.
However, the noise inaudible to us can be annoying to your dog. When you run your ultrasonic one, you should observe your dog’s behavior to see if the high-frequency vibration can affect it.
Which type of humidifier is the best for dogs?
The best type of humidifier for dogs is the evaporative humidifier.
Evaporative models only produce cool mist, meaning that you don’t have to worry about the potential burns and scalds caused by hot water.
In addition, these models come with wicks, which can filter out the impurities that can enter the air.
However, as evaporative humidifiers use a fan to blow out water particles, it can make some noise that you have to test initially.
What to look for in a dog-friendly humidifier?
If you have made up your mind to get a humidifier for your canine friend, there are some factors you should consider.
Type of humidifier
Again, you should consider the type of humidifier. If you have a curious dog, then a cool-mist humidifier is better. Otherwise, you should always keep the warm mist humidifier out of reach.
Noise
Dogs have a keen sense of hearing. To ensure your dog can rest peacefully, you should get one that will not make a loud noise.
Sturdiness
It is hard to prevent your dog from toppling over the device, especially at the beginning. A device made with solid material is a more suitable option to go for.
Size
Albeit dogs can benefit a lot from using a humidifier. However, an over humidified room will also wreak havoc on them. You should get a suitable unit for the size of your room.
Built-in humidistat
When you are out of home, you want to ensure that your furry friend has been taken good care of. A humidifier with a built-in humidistat can turn on and off automatically, and your dog’s room will always be comfortable to live in.
Conclusion
Humidifiers are safe and good for dogs. They can help your companion cope with runny noses, dry skin, and allergic reactions. However, you should make sure it is clean, quiet, and away from outlets when using it. Generally, cool mist, especially evaporative humidifiers, is better for dogs if possible.
