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Why You Need Dog Kennel Heaters?
Have you got water running down your walls and windows and pooling on your windowsills? Do you have black spot mould and mildew in your crevices? Are your dog kennel heaters providing the right environment? Left unchecked your kennel can be a very unhealthy environment for your dog that could cause some serious respiratory health problems.
As the weather gets cooler all your surfaces within your kennel get colder. As your dogs breathe they expel warm moist droplets into the air, this will quickly condense on these colder surfaces and this will cause a very unhealthy environment for your dog.
Dogs can quickly suffer from a wide range of respiratory illnesses if they are kept in such a kennel and you need to act quickly. Bronchial problems, asthma and respiratory conditions can affect dogs of all ages so it’s important to improve the air conditions within a kennel at this time of year.
All kennels should be manufactured from materials that are non-porous, this sadly means that timber and block surfaces are not ideal as its easy for spores and bacteria to multiply and remain even after cleaning on such surfaces. Ideally all surfaces should be impervious and wipe clean so you can use products that eliminates these harmful spores.
Its not sufficient to just remove mould and damp if you can see it. Its so important that you remedy the cause and change the conditions. Otherwise these problems will reappear, what you’re looking to do is make sure your kennel is a healthy environment in the long term for your dogs.
The most important factor to improve a kennels air quality is to ventilate the kennel in some way. Air droplets of moisture will quickly build up so its essential that there is a way to change this air and to reduce the moisture content by expelling this air. Think of it as a way to introduce fresh new air for your dogs. Good air circulation is the key to removing damp and condensation.
The second most important factor is that you will need to introduce some heat into the kennel. If the kennel surfaces are warm to touch, then moisture will not condense on these surfaces. In an ideal world a kennel temperature should be maintained at between 12-15 degrees depending on your breed. Shorter haired breeds can withstand a slightly warmer kennel so ensure you choose a kennel heater that is able to achieve this.
In a larger kennel you might need multiple heaters to achieve this, or if your kennel is poorly insulated it might be difficult to maintain this temperature. Ideally your kennel heaters should be operated by a thermostat so that during colder periods your temperatures are maintained.
There are a wide range of heaters available but by far the most effective way of heating a kennel are the radiant panel heaters. These kennel heaters are very efficient and completely safe to use, they also provide a nice gentle heat and can be easily controlled by a timer or thermostat.
Some people struggle with the concept that when you heat a dog kennel that if you ventilate it that you will lose all your heat. Of course, it’s true you will lose some heat but it’s about finding a balance between heat and heat loss and also ensuring that fresh air needs to be introduced.
A warm kennel with some ventilation is whats needed to avoid adverse health effects in dogs. Hopefully, this article will help all dog owners to minimise persistent dampness and microbial growth on interior surfaces of their dog kennels.
We advise customers on how to heat their space with the correct dog kennel heaters, if you would like further information then please get in touch on sales@easyanimal.co.uk or give us a call on 01785 559555.
