Pet Heat Pads

What a pet heat pad is, and why 38°C matters

The KozeePet pad is thermostatically held at a regulated 38°C. We set it there because 38°C is the temperature of the womb of most animals before birth, so it is a warmth that puppies and kittens already know. Because the temperature is regulated, the pad stays gently warm rather than getting hotter the longer it is switched on. Warm, never fierce, is the whole idea.

That is the difference between a pet heat pad and an ordinary heating pad made for people, which we do not sell. Ours is built for an animal that lies on it for hours. The temperature is fixed at 38°C and backed by two thermal cut-offs set at the same point, the pad runs on a low-voltage 12V DC supply, and it comes with a fire-retardant fleece cover. It measures 44 × 33cm (17 × 13in), which is room for a litter, or for an adult dog to settle.

Who a pet heat pad is for

Warmth matters most to the animals least able to make their own. Newborn puppies and kittens struggle to keep their temperature up, and a heat pad in part of the whelping box gives them somewhere warm to crawl to and somewhere cooler to crawl away from. Older or poorly pets can struggle in the same way, and a heat pad for dogs in an old dog's bed gives gentle warmth that may help a stiff dog settle. A warming pad for dogs is for any dog that cannot hold its own temperature well: old, unwell or convalescing.

It is comfort, not medicine. A dog heating pad does not cure or ease arthritis or any other condition, and it is no substitute for your vet. If your dog is stiff, slow to rise or seems to be in pain, see your vet for a diagnosis and for proper care, and use the pad for what it is: a warm place to lie.

Safety built in

We built the pad to the same high standards as if it were for human use. No hazardous materials are used, and it is made to meet a long list of British Standards.

None of that replaces common sense. As with any electrical product, supervise your pet, keep the cable and transformer tidy and dry, inspect them regularly, and never use the pad without its cover. It is intended for household use only, not for commercial or industrial use.

Using a heat pad in a whelping box

A puppy heat pad, a whelping heat pad and a heated whelping pad are the same thing: a pad that warms the box from below. Put the KozeePet pad at one end of the whelping box with its cover fitted, either on its own or under a layer of vet bedding, and run the cable out of the box to a transformer kept dry and out of reach. Because the pad is held at 38°C and, at 44 × 33cm, covers only part of the floor even in the Small box, the puppies can crawl on to the warmth or away from it as they need, and mum can lie on the cooler side. Warm one end of the box, never all of it.

A cut of Original Greenback vet bedding over the pad keeps the surface soft and lets liquid drain down through the pile rather than sitting against the puppies. The Greenback washes at 40°C and cuts to fit without fraying. Ask your vet what your litter needs. Everything else for a home litter, the box, the bedding, the collars and the weaning bowl, is in our whelping category, and the whelping kit puts the pieces together with the heat pad.

A heat pad in a dog bed or crate

The same pad turns your dog's own bed into a heated dog bed. Put it at one end of the bed, basket or crate with its cover fitted, and lay a cut of vet bedding over the top. The fleece keeps the surface soft, its deep pile helps hold the warmth, and it lifts off to wash at 40°C.

The pad's size does the rest. At 44 × 33cm it covers roughly half the floor of a 24 × 18in crate, about a quarter of a 36 × 24in crate, and one end of most baskets, so your dog lies on the warmth when they want it and moves off when they are warm enough. That choice matters more than anything else about a heat pad for a dog bed. We have grouped the pad, a cut of Original Greenback in the size you choose and a spare cover as the Heated Dog Bed Kit. The Greenback cuts follow standard UK crate sizes, so measure the inside of the crate floor and pick the nearest.

Cats and kittens

The pad was designed for newborn kittens as much as for puppies, and 38°C is the womb temperature of most animals, cats included. In a kittening box it goes at one end with the cover fitted, exactly as in a whelping box, so the litter can move on and off it. A heat pad for cats is used the same way as for dogs: an older cat that feels the cold can have it in its bed, under a piece of Greenback, which suits cats as well as dogs. A cat that chews needs the same care as a dog that chews: the lead is chew-resistant, not chew-proof, so run it out of reach and supervise.

Care, and the spare cover

The fleece cover comes off and goes in the washing machine. The pad underneath is splash proof but does not go in the wash: keep it, the cable and the transformer tidy and dry, inspect them regularly, and put the cover back on before the pad is used again. A cover in a whelping box, or under an old dog, is washed often, so keep a genuine spare cover and there is always a clean one on the pad while the other dries. It is the same fire-retardant cover, cut to fit the 44 × 33cm pad exactly.

What we do not sell

We do not sell heat lamps: a lamp heats from above, so everything beneath it, mum included, gets the heat. We do not sell microwave heat pads either: a microwave pad cools as it goes. The KozeePet pad is a 12V heat pad held at 38°C for as long as it is switched on, and it is the one heated pet pad we sell. If you are not sure it is right for your dog, cat or litter, ring us on 01262 606100 and we will help.

Frequently asked questions

What temperature is a pet heat pad?

The KozeePet pet heat pad is thermostatically held at a regulated 38°C, which is the temperature of the womb of most animals before birth. It is a warmth puppies and kittens already know, and it does not climb the longer the pad is switched on. Two thermal cut-off switches, each set at 38°C, back up the thermostat, so the pad stays gently warm rather than fierce.

Is a heat pad safe for puppies?

The KozeePet pad was designed for newborn puppies and kittens. It is held at 38°C with two thermal cut-offs at the same temperature, and it has a fire-retardant cover, a splash-proof pad, a chew-resistant cable and a low-voltage 12V DC supply through a protected transformer. No hazardous materials are used and it is built to a long list of British Standards. Use it with the cover fitted, in part of the box only, and supervise as you would with any electrical product.

Can a dog sleep on a heat pad all night?

The pad holds a steady 38°C for as long as it is switched on, backed by two thermal cut-offs and an overheat cut-out in the transformer, and it is always used with its fire-retardant cover. Put it in part of the bed rather than all of it, so your dog can move off the warmth whenever they choose. As with any electrical product, supervise your pet, keep the cable and transformer tidy and dry, and inspect them regularly.

Where should the heat pad go in a whelping box?

At one end of the box, with its cover fitted, either on its own or under a layer of vet bedding, and never across the whole floor. At 44 × 33cm the KozeePet pad warms part of the floor even in a Small whelping box, so the puppies can crawl on to the warmth or away from it, and mum can lie on the cooler side. Run the cable out of the box and keep the transformer dry and out of reach.

Heat pad or heat lamp for puppies?

A heat lamp warms from above, so everything beneath it, mum included, gets the heat, and it has to be hung at the right distance, fixed securely and checked often. A heat pad warms from below, and because the KozeePet pad is held at 38°C and covers only part of the floor, the puppies choose how close to the warmth they lie. We sell the pad, not lamps. Whichever you use, warm one end of the box and ask your vet what your litter needs.

Is a 12V heat pad safe?

Low voltage is the point of it. The UK three-pin plug feeds an AC-DC transformer, and the pad your pet lies on runs at 12V DC. The transformer is double insulated, splash proof and has its own overheat cut-out, the pad is splash proof, the cable is chew-resistant and the cover is fire-retardant. It is built to a long list of British Standards and is intended for household use only.

Can I use a pet heat pad for a cat or kitten?

Yes. The pad was designed for newborn kittens as well as puppies, and its 38°C is the womb temperature of most animals. Use it in a kittening box or a cat bed the same way as for a dog: cover fitted, at one end so the cat can move off it, with the cable run out of reach and the transformer kept dry. Supervise a cat that chews, because the lead is chew-resistant, not chew-proof.

Does a heat pad help an old dog?

It gives gentle warmth, which may help a stiff or older dog settle, and older or poorly pets that struggle to keep their own temperature up are who the pad was made for. That is comfort, not medicine. A heat pad does not cure or ease arthritis or any other condition, and if your dog is stiff, slow to rise or seems in pain, see your vet for a diagnosis and proper care. Put the pad in part of the bed so your dog can move off it.

How do I clean a pet heat pad?

The fleece cover comes off and is machine washable, and that is the part that gets dirty. The pad underneath is splash proof but does not go in the wash: keep it, the cable and the transformer dry and inspect them regularly. A cover in a whelping box or under an old dog needs washing often, so keep a genuine spare cover and a clean one is always on the pad while the other dries. Put the cover back on before the pad is used.

Do you sell bigger heat pads?

No. We sell one size, 44 × 33cm (17 × 13in). A heat pad should warm part of a bed or box, not all of it, so the animal can move off the warmth, and one pad does that in anything from a Small whelping box to a large crate. If you want a warm dog bed rather than a bigger pad, the Heated Dog Bed Kit puts the pad under a cut of Original Greenback vet bedding sized to the crate or bed.