Are you a pet lover? Do you feel safe and secure with your dog? If you are fond of dogs, their safety and health are paramount. You will only be safe and have a sound sleep when you are confident your dog is safe. However, you may ask, are humidifiers safe for dogs?
For a long time, you probably know that investing in a quality humidifier is prudent. Your family will be safe with a purchase of a good humidifier. You also need to know that the home appliance is suitable for human beings, including your baby, but also a gem for your four-legged friends, the dogs.
However, you may wonder, what will a humidifier do to my dogs to the point that many refer to the appliance as a ‘prize-worthy bringing home? Well, I’ll address that question and many others in this blog.
Let’s start…
Content Summary
The Work Of a Humidifier
Before you invest in a humidifier, the humidity levels of your house are volatilizable; however, upon purchasing and installing a home humidifier, you will realize that the house’s relative humidity levels stabilize much more to the point that everyone, including the dogs, feels comfortable.
According to EPA, the ideal humidity level for any home, irrespective of your geo-location, should range from 30% to 60%. The range is termed ‘the healthy humidity level.
However, if your home’s humidity level is below or above the ‘humidity health range,’ chances of mold, mildew, fungi and other bacteria growing in your house is inevitable. Moreover, getting rid of those harmful bacteria from your house will not be easy because high or low humidity levels would have formed a conducive environment for their growth.
It is also good to remember that winter, although good for others, creates an uncomfortable environment for many people. You can imagine how cold home can be during winter.
Without a humidifier, your family and the dogs will suffer from the cold. It would be best if you changed this by pumping heat into the house to enable your family to live comfortably during cold seasons.
Benefits that a humidifier could bring
Some of the benefits your family gets after installing a functional humidifier are:
- Reduced sinus congestion.
- Softer and smoother skin.
- Reduced frequent snoring.
- Relieved allergy symptoms.
- Reduced static energy in the house.
- Limited spread of various viruses.
Apart from those benefits, almost realized immediately after installing a humidifier, your house feels warmer and more comfortable. In addition, a house with a functional humidifier has a lovely floor free from cracks that the increased temperatures may bring. Your wooden tables, cabinets, shelves, and dining chairs will not warp. Your hardwood won’t splinter.
What Does a Humidifier Do To Your Dog?
In the previous section, I tried to show you how a humidifier can benefit your whole family. What about your dog? Can a humidifier help your dog in any way? In other words, what does a humidifier do to your dog?
Just like humans, dogs also suffer from allergies when humidity levels in their environment dwindle. It is even worse if your dog does not have a lot of furs. Puppies are the most affected by low/high humidity levels because their immune system is still young.
In addition, dogs’ skin is affected easily when humidity levels in the house are too low or too high. Let’s look at each of those conditions separately.
Are Humidifiers Safe For Dogs? – Dry Skin
Low moisture levels in the house can profoundly affect your dog. The first thing you will likely realize about your dog is dry skin. While it may be challenging to study the skin, the following signs can help you:
- Flaking.
- Itchiness.
- Hair loss.
- Odor.
- Scaling.
- Pimples on the dog’s skin.
- Dandruff on the dog’s fur.
- Scabby skin.
Moreover, your dog might scratch the skin more because of increased parasites (due to low/high indoor humidity), Cushing’s disease, or hypothyroidism.
Thankfully, a humidifier will help stabilize indoor humidity, vital in calming the adverse effect of high/low humidity levels. In the end, you will hardly see any signs mentioned in the bulleted list above.
Allergies
Earlier, we spoke about increased sneezing and snoring if the humidity level in the house is either too low or too high. Like it or not, your dog will exhibit some symptoms that suggest things are wrong.
Besides occasional food allergies, your dog is also susceptible to environmental allergies. Your dog feels it when the environment is too cold or too hot. Some of the things that can trigger specific allergies in a dog include:
- Pollen.
- Dust.
- Grass.
- Feathers.
- Flea saliva.
- Grain.
- Animal dander.
You will know that your dog is suffering from some of the allergies mentioned above if it starts to exhibit the following:
- Running nose.
- Red, itchy, and inflamed skin.
- Hives.
- Runny eyes.
- Vomiting.
- Diarrhea.
- Frequent licking.
- Swelling of the eyes, ears, lips, and face.
Are Humidifiers Safe For Dogs? – How They Benefit Dogs
Now that you’ve seen the various things that make your dog sick and the signs that it is suffering from an unconducive environment, it is time to look at how a humidifier can help your dog.
Open Air Passages
Allergies often make it hard for dogs to breathe. Some even prompt the dog to itch and scratch frequently. In addition, nasal passages get inflamed. In some extreme incidents, your dog may suffer from sores and scabs inside its nostrils, making breathing difficult.
Thankfully, a humidifier can come in handy. As sit releases water vapor into the indoor atmosphere, the humidity uptick helps to open blocked and clogged mucus inside the dog’s nasal passages, resulting in the dog breathing with ease.
Eases Snoring
Although some breeds, such as British Bulldogs and Pugs, are naturally the snoring types, some dog breeds snore because of excessive weight or increased tissues in the neck and throat.
In many cases, household allergies build up because there is a conducive environment for bacteria to thrive. With a humidifier installed, you will eliminate harmful bacteria, mold, fungi, and mildew, which form the basis of many allergies.
In the end, you will get safe your dog’s pathetic snoring.
- NB. Any dog will likely snore if an air obstruction is directed to the nasal passage.
Soothes Skin
You remember we talked about dry skin earlier. Yes, in most cases, a dog’s dry skin is brought on by high humidity in the home environment. Thankfully, this will end with the installation of a humidifier.
If you install a humidifier in the room where your dog stays, you will realize that the skin will start to soften in a matter of days. The conducive vapor in the room will help soften your dog’s skin.
In addition, the dog’s fur, entire skin, and demeanor will soften and look healthy.
Are Humidifiers Safe For Dogs? – They Relieve Allergies
We’ve spoken about this, but there is no harm in emphasizing it. Itchy eyes, runny nose, and frequent licking are signs that your dog could suffer from various allergies.
The first thing you will need to try is to place a humidifier in the dog’s room. After some time, you will see results. You may not need to see a vet.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Which Humidifier Is Best For My Dog?
The best humidifiers for your dog are the cool-mist and the warm-mist humidifiers.
Are Humidifiers Safe For Dogs? – Final Thoughts
So, are humidifiers safe for dogs? I hope we were able to answer the central question in this article. It doesn’t feel good to see your dog suffer. A simple scratch on the dog’s skin, itchy eyes, earflaps, and frequent licking are all signs of something amiss.
Before you run to your vet, try to put a humidifier in the dog’s room. You will be surprised to see how the home appliance many people take for granted helps your dog. Nonetheless, you should know the type of humidifier that is good for your dog.
Also, see:
