10 Best Heat Pads For Dogs in 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks

Most dogs love to have a warm, cozy place to sleep, and even more so when it’s cold and blustery outside. Or perhaps, you have a dog that is under the weather, or, a senior who needs the extra warmth of a heating pad. There are several different factors that need to be considered before you purchase your first heating pad. Perhaps your dog loves to chew everything in sight, or your senior dog has a little trouble with incontinence. Well, all of these issues will be addressed in our reviews of the 10 best heating pads for dogs.

We hope that reading through our reviews will make your job a little easier on your search for the best heating pad for you and your dog.

A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites (2024 Update)

The 10 Best Heating Pad For Dogs

1. Frisco Self Warming Pet Heating Pad – Best Overall

The Frisco Self Warming Pillow is a safe option for dogs who like to chew as there are no wires to worry about. This pad comes in 2 sizes, one for small dogs and the other for small or medium-sized dogs, and will also work nicely for your cat. It is filled with polyfill and plush and covered in velvet, making it the coziest material for your dog to snuggle in to. It comes in blue velvet (yes, we went there) on one side and a white, fleecy texture on the other. This material has the ability to reflect your dog’s body heat, so it will keep her warm quite naturally. This pad is also machine washable and can be placed in your dryer for fast cleaning.

If your dog is a chewer, she might easily destroy this heating pad, so when you first introduce your dog to this product, keep an eye on her until you can trust her to not chew it up.

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2. K&H Pet Products Self-Warming Dog Heat Pad – Best Value

K&H Self-Warming Crate Pad is the best dog heating pad for the money. Another self-warming pad that does not contain any wires, making it a safe and cozy pad for your dog. This one is designed to fit in your dog crate and has slits on each corner to allow a snug fit into most crates of different sizes. The K&H Pad comes in 4 sizes that will work for dogs sized from toy to giant. The top of this pad is a soft microfleece, and the bottom is made from a non-slip fabric to keep it in place. The inside of the pad is made with a metalized plastic used in space blankets, allowing your dog’s own body heat to be reflected back to her.

While this pad is machine washable, you cannot put it in your dryer as it needs to air dry, making the washing process a little longer. It’s also a thinner pad than you may expect, and some dogs may reject it or chew it to pieces.

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3. K&H Pet Products Lectro-Soft Outdoor Pet Heating Pad – Premium Choice

The K&H Lectro-Soft Pad is touted as the first outdoor heating pad in today’s market and the only one on our list. While this is one of the more costly pads available, Chewy has it at a reduced price, and many of its qualities make it worth the extra cost. It is covered in a soft PVC that is water-resistant and dries quickly, making it perfect for outdoor use. It can be used in dog kennels, garages, porches, or inside the home and has a removable and washable fleece cover. It is low wattage and will not overheat but will gently warm your dog as it has a built-in thermostat that helps to regulate the temperature. The cord is wrapped in steel wire and is safe-listed by MET.

We found that the pad did not always warm up enough to make a noticeable difference because of the low wattage. It is also not suitable for any dogs known to chew on things, particularly because of the wires. This pad also does not have an on/off switch and should be unplugged when not in use, which makes it somewhat inconvenient.

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4. petnf Heating Pads For Pets

The petnf Heating Pad comes in 3 sizes and has a temperature regulator with 6 different levels for a range of 86 to 131°F, and has been MET safety listed. This pad also has an auto-off timer that can be set to ‘always on’ or for 2, 4, 8, 12, or 24 hours. The inner pad is made of PVC that is waterproof and flame-retardant and can be cleaned with a damp cloth, and it has an outer fleecy cover that is machine washable. It also has a temperature control wire that will cause the pad to automatically shut off if the temperature goes over the set temperature.

However, the pad does not appear to be chew-proof, so beware if your dog tends to chew on things. It also doesn’t seem to get as warm as expected, and there were some cases where the pad stopped working after a short period of time.

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5. FurHaven ThermaNAP Plush Self-Warming Mat for Pets

The FurHaven ThermaNAP Mat is self-warming and covered in a soft, plush velvet material that will make for a cozy spot for your dog to nap. It comes in 3 sizes that will fit your toys up to your giant breeds and comes in green, blue, beige, and dark brown colors. It contains a reflective material as well as polyester fiber that helps to retain and reflect heat while your dog naps and is machine washable. One side has a rubber-like material, which will keep it from slipping.

This is definitely more of a mat than a pad or blanket as it’s quite thin and not as soft as expected, and it’s a little pricey. You can only air dry it, and it won’t withstand dogs that like to chew.

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6. Paws & Pals Self-Warming Dog Pad

Paws & Pals Self-Warming Mat is designed to be placed in your dog crate and does not need any electricity for it to warm up your dog. It has a soft microfleece on top and a textured rubber material on the bottom that prevents slipping. It does not include any dyes, parabens, or chemicals, which is an extra safety feature for your dog. It does have the metalized plastic used in space blankets, which helps to radiate body heat.

However, this mat is not machine washable, and it’s advised you just spot clean. It only comes in one size, which will be too large for smaller dogs but the right size for medium to large breeds. It’s also quite thin and seemed to be pretty flimsy as many dogs are capable of chewing it up or ripping it to pieces.

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7. RIOGOO Heating Pads For Pets

The RIOGOO Heating Pad is an electric pad that comes in 3 different sizes and is blue in color. It has an auto power-off function that allows you to set an hourly timer for 1 hour and up to 12 hours if you forget to turn it off, and you can also set the temperature between 80 to 130°F. The cover is a soft polyester material that can be removed and machine washed, and the inner pad is made from water-resistant PVC.

While the timer is convenient and is an extra safety feature, you can’t override it, which means after 12 hours, you need to reset the timer, or the pad just turns off. The cord is not chew-proof, so this could be a hazard for a dog that likes to chew on things, and we found that even when set at the highest temperature of 130°F, it wasn’t as warm as expected.

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8. NICREW Pet Heating Pads

The NICREW Heating Pad comes in 2 sizes and has a dual internal thermostat that creates the perfect warmth for your dog at 96 to 108°F. It has a soft fleece cover that is removable and machine washable, and the inner pad is a waterproof PVC material. It has a 5-foot cord that is steel-wrapped to ensure it is chew-proof.

This heating pad does not have an on/off switch, so when not in use, you need to unplug it. Because it doesn’t have any way to control the temperature, there are times when it doesn’t seem warm enough, and other times where it was too warm. This could be a safety issue for older pets.

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9. Furrybaby Heat Pad For Dogs

The Furrybaby Heating Pad comes in one size that would work best for smaller dogs and has 3 time (3, 6, and 12 hours) and 7 temperature modes (68 to 122°F). The steel-wrapped cord is chew-proof, and the pad itself is durable and resistant to scratches and is fireproof. It’s covered in a polyester fabric that can be cleaned with a damp cloth, and it’s protected with a temperature control chip that will automatically turn off the pad if it overheats.

This pad is on the thin side, and it essentially only has 3 temperature settings, which are off, low, and high. At the highest temperature, it isn’t as warm as it should be. It also does not come with a thick and soft cover like most of the other pads on this list, so your dog may not be interested in sleeping on this one.

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10. Snuggle Safe Microwave Heating Pads For Pets

The Snuggle Safe Heating Pad is a safe way to warm up your dog without any wires to worry about. It’s a bit expensive, but if it works for your dog, it will be worth every penny. It’s a round pad that contains Thermapol, which is not toxic and can be cleaned by wiping it with a damp cloth. It comes with a soft cover that can be removed and is machine washable, and comes in a number of patterns and colors that you will receive at random. The pad arrives with instructions that provide guidelines on how long the pad should be heated depending on what wattage your microwave is and will stay warm up to 10 hours.

If the instructions are not followed, the pad could be too hot to handle. There have been reported cases of the pad actually exploding inside the microwave while being heated. Your best option is to only heat it a little at a time to avoid overheating. Once the pad has been heated, it needs to be completely cooled off before reheating, or leaking may occur. The pad is also fairly hard and should only be used under a pillow or blanket, or your dog will not find it very comfortable.

Buyer’s Guide: Heating Pads For Pets

There are probably a number of reasons you might want to find a heating pad for your pup, but some of the more common ones involve vulnerable dogs. Pregnant or nursing dogs, young puppies, dogs that are ill or recuperating from surgery, and senior dogs can all benefit from a heating pad. There is definitely a therapeutic effect when you give your senior dog that suffers from arthritis some extra warmth to sleep on. Of course, some dogs just love a warm place to snuggle up in (if your lap isn’t available) so let’s look at what some of the options are before you make that purchase.

Heating Pad Types

Self-Warming Pads

There are several different kinds of pet heating pads, all of which are represented in our reviews. The self-warming pads use different types of materials and insulation to absorb and reflect your dog’s own body heat. This can maintain a consistently warm temperature for your pet, but these pads are reliant on the insulation they use for the most effective warmth.

Microwaveable Heating Pads

The microwaveable heating pads usually contain a special gel that will retain heat for hours after being heated up for a few minutes in a microwave. The danger of these pads is overheating, and you run the risk of accidentally burning your pet. Always heat under the required minutes in the instructions and wait for several minutes before taking it out and placing it under a blanket for your dog.

Electric Heating Pads

Lastly, the electric heating pad uses electricity to heat up, so there will always be wires and a cord involved. Some are just on and off, while others will let you pick a temperature and provide a timer in order to turn itself off after a period of time. Dog heating pads differ from human heating pads mainly through temperature. Human heating pads tend to reach higher temperatures, which isn’t safe for pets. Plus, a dog’s heating pad tends to be waterproof and typically has chew-proof cords.

Heat Pad Sizes

This is an obvious one. Always check the measurements before purchasing a heating pad, and don’t trust the pictures that the manufacturers usually provide. A small pad for a small dog and a large pad for a large dog is usually best, particularly for the self-warming pads.

Pet Heating Pad Safety

If your pup tends to be a chewer, you should probably avoid the electric heating pads or look for one that has a cord wrapped in steel. Other considerations are for your incontinent dog or a puppy that hasn’t been housebroken yet. You’ll want to be sure the pad is waterproof. You can also look at other features such as auto-shutoff timers and for it to be flame-retardant. You’ll also want to check if the electric pad has any added safety features such as shutting off automatically if it overheats.

Heat Pad Cleaning

Some of the heating pads in our reviews are machine washable, and others are not. Obviously, you’ll only be able to use a damp cloth on the inner pad of an electric heating pad as that part is usually made of some kind of PVC, and you shouldn’t turn it on until it is completely dry. They typically have an outer cover that is machine washable. Some of the self-warming pad can also be placed in your dryer after being washed, but most need to air dry.

Conclusion: Pet Heating Pads

The best overall heating pad for your dog is the Frisco Self Warming Pillow because of its reasonable price and the cozy and warm comfort that it will provide for your dog. The only real flaw of this product was it can get chewed up, but the same can be said for any heating pad out there if you have a chewer on your hands. The best heating pad for your money is the K&H Self-Warming Crate Pad, which is designed to fit in many different sizes of dog crates. It also comes in 4 different sizes and has a soft top and non-slip bottom that will make it work very well in your crate.

Well, we’ve given you 10 reviews of some excellent and some not-so-excellent heating pads for you to consider. We hope that you’ll find just the right one that your dog, and maybe even your cat, will enjoy a warm and comfortable snooze on. After all, happiness is a warm puppy.

• Related Read: Heating Pad for Dogs with Arthritis – Vet Reviewed Benefits

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Featured Image Credit: jklugiewicz, Pixabay