Are Dehumidifiers Bad for Pets? (Are Dogs, Cats, Birds, Guinea Pigs Safe?)

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Is a Dehumidifier Safe for Pets?

During the summer, your home can get pretty humid, especially if it’s been raining non-stop for a few days. The best way to remove the excess moisture in your home is to use a dehumidifier, but you have pets. Are they bad for your pets?

Dehumidifiers aren’t bad for pets, as they remove pet odors, dander, and mold floating in the indoor air. They also aid in keeping your pets more comfortable in the more humid seasons and minimize the side effects of pet allergies.

Understanding how dehumidifiers increase the comfort level for your pets will give you the confidence to use your dehumidifier freely. This article will address the ideal use of a dehumidifier for proper pet care.

Are Dehumidifiers Bad for Cats and Dogs?

Dehumidifiers are not bad for cats and dogs. The way that cats and dogs cool themselves down when it’s hot outside is by panting. When there’s too much moisture in the air, your cats and dogs struggle to cool off.

Since they pant to release moisture from their lungs into the air, very moist air prevents them from finding relief.

The Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association notes that cats and dogs can’t cool themselves properly if the humidity stays high indoors. This can lead to heatstroke on sweltering days if they can’t cool themselves with the cool, dry indoor air.

Your pet can have heat stroke if they experience drooling, diarrhea, lethargy, or collapse from the heat. You should seek emergency assistance as soon as possible if you suspect heatstroke in your pet.

Can You Use a Dehumidifier With Birds?

As a responsible pet owner, you should pay attention to the comfort of your birds. While keeping them warm in the winter and cool in the summer is essential, you should also pay attention to the humidity levels.

You can use a dehumidifier with birds, but you must take into account which type of bird you have and how they react to certain environmental factors. Exotic birds originate from moist, humid environments, and they need some moisture to thrive. But other birds might need a drier environment.

Proper humidity helps your birds:

Maintain their features and skin by cleaning their feathers to keep them shiny and clean.
Sustain a healthy respiratory system. Birds need some humidity to keep their respiratory system in good shape and prevent infection.

Bird owners should expose their pets to some form of humidity daily. This can occur when you mist your bird a couple of times per day or when they shower with you.

If you feel your home needs a dehumidifier, choose one with a measuring device to remove some but not all of the moisture. When you monitor the moisture in the air, you can adjust accordingly to maintain a humidity that supports your bird.

Can Guinea Pigs Have Dehumidifiers?

Guinea pigs can have dehumidifiers, but owners should minimize the humidity in the air for their pets. These pets can overheat quickly, so maintaining a comfortable indoor environment for them includes removing the moisture from the air.

Critter Sitters recommends keeping your guinea pigs air pleasant by doing the following:

Keep the temperature in your home in a 65-80℉ (18.3 to 26.6℃) range. Guinea pigs are like cats and dogs in that they can overheat and need cooler air to prevent heat stroke or hyperthermia.
Avoid ongoing exposure to over 90℉ (32.2℃) temperatures, which can lead to death in guinea pigs.
Avoid leaving your guinea pig pets in direct sunlight for long periods.
Position the cage away from windows to ensure they don’t experience the hot sun during the day.
Provide ample water and food, such as fruits, alfalfa, sprouts, or lettuce, so they stay hydrated.

Since they can’t regulate their body temperature, the USDA says that guinea pigs do best when they live in a home with moderate temperatures and low humidity.

Best Location for Dehumidifier

The best locations for adding a dehumidifier to your home for your pets are where they’re safe from the pet and work effectively. Be sure to elevate the dehumidifier so your pet can’t accidentally knock it over.

Place the machine in a room where the pet frequently stays, such as a basement, bedroom, or living room. Another option is to position the dehumidifier in the kitchen or bathroom to remove the most humidity.

Some dehumidifiers have an anti-tip protective mechanism. This can be worth investigating to ensure your pet’s safety.

How Does a Dehumidifier Work?

A dehumidifier works by removing the moisture from the air and transferring the moisture into water that goes into the holding tank. Even when you’re inside your home, there’s moisture in the air. Too much humidity in the air will increase the discomfort of allergies.

A dehumidifier can reduce the allergy triggers like animal dander, dust mites, and mold.

Maintaining dryer air minimizes the likelihood that your pets will experience trouble breathing, wheezing, itching, and sneezing.

The Mechanics of the Dehumidifier

The dehumidifier works to reduce the moisture from the air by going through a specific process over and over again.

Here are the steps on how the dehumidifier works:

The dehumidifier pulls the indoor air into the machine.
The air contracts as it passes over the chilled coils.
The moisture stays inside the machine where it collects into a tank.
The dry air filters back into your home.
The indoor air moisture is reduced by 30-50%.
Then the dehumidifier repeats the process repeatedly.

Benefits of Dehumidifiers

A dehumidifier machine lends several benefits to your indoor environment.

These are:

It reduces the moisture in the air, making it easier for your pets to breathe.
It removes dust and dander, which can trigger a pet allergy attack.
It decreases the itching your pet experiences when the air is too humid.
It reduces the mold that tends to thrive in a moist environment.
It’ll help your home feel cooler in the hot summer months, allowing your pet to stay more restful and at ease.

Conclusion

The overall consensus is that dehumidifiers help cats, dogs, and guinea pigs remain cool and comfortable in the warm months.

By reducing the amount of moisture in the air, the machine produces cooler air for them to breathe. It also removes dander and mold, which lead to itchy skin and trouble breathing for some pets.

A dehumidifier isn’t beneficial to birds since they need moisture to keep their skin and feathers healthy. Removing the humidity from the air around them can lead to respiratory infections, too.

Sources

You may also be interested in… Can You Water Plants With Dehumidifier Water? (What You Need to Know)