Unfortunately, we found out the hard way that there are several features you should pay attention to when looking for a great heated dog blanket or heated dog pad for your senior pet. Our oldest senior dog developed incontinence and regularly relieved herself on her blanket. The problem was that the blanket wasn’t water resistant, had to be hand washed and wasn’t designed to get completely wet. One word…disaster!
Now you can benefit from our mistakes! This article will highlight several features to look for when shopping for a heated dog blanket for your senior pet. We will also take a look at several of the best options available right now!
P.S. If your senior pet is suffering from incontinence, check out our article on how to deal with it! We provide several reasons for why your senior pet might be incontinent and give several options to remedy the problem.Features to Look For in a Heated Dog Blanket
Water Resistance
When looking for a heated dog blanket or heated dog pad, one of the most important features to look for is that it is water resistant. This is important for a couple of reasons. First, if your senior pet has an accident while laying on their blanket or pad, it won’t absorb the urine. This will make it much easier to clean and will increase the life of the blanket. Second, a water-resistant blanket or pad protects the heating element inside. This heated pad by petnf is a good example of a water-resistant, heated dog pad and this heated blanket by Sable is an example of a great water-resistant blanket.
Machine Washable
Right up there with water resistance, a machine washable heated dog blanket is hugely important! I don’t know about you but I don’t do my laundry by hand and, having had the experience of washing dirty dog blankets by hand, I only buy dog blankets that can be tossed in the washing machine. You want to ensure that, not only can you put your heated dog blankets in the washing machine, you can throw it in the dryer after it has been washed. Most of us don’t have the space needed to air dry large blankets and air drying can take forever! Homech offers a great example of an excellent machine washable heated dog blanket that can be found here!
Multiple Heat Settings
One of the things we have seen with our senior pets is that they favorite heat settings. Our oldest, in particular, hated a really hot blanket but couldn’t feel a low setting. She preferred a medium heat setting and would cuddle in her blanket all day. Look for a blanket with at least three heat settings, if not more. You want to be able to set the blanket heat as accurately as possible and that isn’t possible when there are only low and high settings. This blanket by Degrees of Comfort has multiple settings and is perfect for senior pets. There are 20 heat settings to keep your senior pet happy and comfortable!
Overheat Protection and Auto Off
Your senior pet’s health is very important and the last thing you want to do is purchase a heated dog blanket that might hurt them! To prevent your senior pet from being hurt, look for blankets that have both overheat protection and an Auto Off timer. Overheat protection ensures that your senior pet’s blanket will never get too hot to burn them. If the blanket reaches a temperature that is deemed unsafe, the blanket will automatically turn off. Look for ETL certification guaranteeing this feature. An Auto Off timer is also a great feature as it ensures that the blanket will not stay heated for too long. Look for a blanket that has a range of Auto Off times. An example would be a turn-off range of 4-8 hours. MaxKare has a wonderfully luxurious heated dog blanket for your senior pet (here) as does does this one by Homech, Our senior pets LOVE fluffy, soft blankets so these are perfect!
Lengthy/Detachable Power Cord
Not every house has a ton of power outlets to plug in a heated dog blanket. If that’s you, make sure to get a blanket that has a long extension cord. At one point in the early days of our experience with heated dog blankets, we purchased a blanket that had a short cord…which meant that our senior pet at the time was sleeping in the kitchen, location of one of the few outlets we had in the house. Equally important is that the power cord detaches from the blanket. This makes it easier to wash the blanket and the cord won’t damage the insides of your washer and dryer. Vipex offers a super soft blanket with a really easy detachable power cord. Biddeford has a velour Sherpa blanket that includes a longer power cord that is also detachable. Sable also has a really nice heated blanket with several awesome options! I suggest a minimum of six feet length for the power cord. Also, it is recommended that you DO NOT use an extension cord with heated dog blankets, which is why a longer power cord is extra important!
Hopefully this article gives you a better understanding of some of the things to look for in a heated dog blanket. Our senior pets LOVE the warmth. If you’re just looking for a regular bed for your senior pet, check out our article on some of the top beds available for 2020! You are sure to find something that works for your senior pet!