Heated dog bed?
September 24, 2010 10:13 AM   Subscribe

Recommend me a heated dog bed, please!

So, you wouldn't know it today, but my calendar tells me it will get cold soon. My dogs aren't getting any younger, so we want to get them a warmed/heated bed.

Just wondering what has worked for others; overstock.com shows that I can buy a warmer that inserts into what they already have, or a bed that has ambient heating (12-15 degrees warmer than air temp) or a heated bed or a heated bed with massage (?!).

What did your pooches like? Bonus points for photos!
posted by cestmoi15 to Pets & Animals (10 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
One thing that did not work for me: I got a $25 sheepskin for Ikea, thinking my oldest cat would enjoy having something warm and fluffy to curl up on, that also wouldn't steam me out of my own bed. I put it on the bed, plopped her on it, and watched as she looked down in absolute horror and fled as fast as she could. Both the cats think it's the most horrible thing ever.

One the other hand, it's now a fabulous kitty-repellant device.
posted by restless_nomad at 10:42 AM on September 24, 2010


I wanted to get a heated bed for my cats but was nervous about leaving an electrical heater on all day, in case they chewed the cord or something. I got them a hoop-ended tunnel lined with fake sheepfleece. I dunno if your dog might like to burrow into warm places, but I can tell you that my cats LOVE it.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 10:52 AM on September 24, 2010


We use a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel under our dog's bed.
posted by melissasaurus at 11:13 AM on September 24, 2010


Drs. Foster & Smith (just recommending it w/o link as a good comprehensive pet supply site) have several beds that have some kind of thermal liner, like an emergency blanket-type fabric underneath the fleece or whatever, that reflects the pet's own body heat - I was about to purchase one for my former cat before he left us because I too have a fear of leaving an electronic one on all day - but they have those too.

I have a friend who is a professional pet sitter & has owned large hordes of cats (like 7 at the high point) and she leaves heating pads on at very low levels for her cats all day - but she and her husband work from home so they'd be there if something happened.
posted by micawber at 11:19 AM on September 24, 2010


As an alternate data point, my beagle adores those ikea sheepskins in the winter.

For actual beds, I'd say check Orvis. They have a million different styles, some of which are extremely fleecy. I think they also sell a heater accessory that works with the bed of your choice. I don't have experience with the heater, because my girl does just fine with the fluffy/fleecy stuff (her bed lives near-ish the air vent anyway, so she enjoys the central heating).
posted by somanyamys at 11:23 AM on September 24, 2010


Sorry, bad link --- here's the hot water bottle that we use.
posted by melissasaurus at 11:33 AM on September 24, 2010


My cat has used this one for a long time with no trouble. It also has a massage feature that he is less fond of.
posted by oneear at 11:35 AM on September 24, 2010


Drs. Foster & Smith (just recommending it w/o link as a good comprehensive pet supply site) have several beds that have some kind of thermal liner, like an emergency blanket-type fabric underneath the fleece or whatever, that reflects the pet's own body heat

Yes they do, and here's one. My dog has one, and she seems to like it well enough.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 12:51 PM on September 24, 2010


My (somewhat elderly) cats had such competition going over this bed that we ended up getting more of them, one per enthused kitty. They love them.

The same manufacturer has something similar for dogs.
posted by bearwife at 4:47 PM on September 24, 2010


Someone on AskMe recommended these disks. They're microwavable and hold heat for a long time, but are very hard. With adequate padding, the dogs seem to like them.
posted by dogmom at 5:34 PM on September 24, 2010


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