Here at Dog Bed 360 we know a thing or two about hot dogs. Not the kind you eat, but the kind you desperately try to keep cool on a hot summer day. This is our late Cockapoo(RIP) who was always prone to overheating.
(Saki)
Saki was always running hot. We didn’t realize it until one day we took him for a walk in June. The combination of the hot air and the hot pavement almost ended his life too early.
Overheating can be very dangerous for dogs. You want to find something that can keep them cool on hot days. If you are here, you are probably looking for the best cooling mat for dogs. Today we have a recommendation that you can get over at Amazon, the Self-Cooling Mat for dogs by Arf Pets.
Saftey First!
Whenever you are looking to purchase something new for your fur baby, you want to be certain that it is going to be safe for them. This cooling mat has a lot of great features that make it a safer choice than similar products on the market.
Inside the mat, the cooling gel is arranged in sheets rather than in liquid form. This is great news if you are worried about what might happen if your dog punctures the outer layer. The mat is designed in such a way that the inside contents: won’t leak out if the outer layer does get punctured. The inside gel is also non-toxic and one hundred percent latex-free which makes it safe for dogs, kids, and humans, so eat up! (Just kidding.)
Even if your pooch punctures the outside and eats the contents of the mat you can still be rest assured that they are safe with this one.
Something you will notice immediately with this mat is that it is fairly heavy compared to other ones you may have tried in the past. This cooling mat is heavy enough that it doesn’t slip around on the floor when you step on it. You no longer have to worry about breaking your neck in the middle of night. Speaking of stepping on it, the inside material stays put and does not lose its shape if you do need to walk on it. We have seen similar mats that will get easily misshaped if stood on, so bonus for Arf Pets!
How it works
The nice thing with this cooling mat for dogs is that it does not require refrigeration or water which makes it great for traveling on those summer day trips. The cooling gel in the mat keeps it cold naturally without the need for electricity, batteries, or any additional products for up to 3 hours. On a side note you may also want to look into cooling vests as well which can be a big help to keep your dog cool.
What do the unhappy customers say?
We do our best to provide a fair and balanced take on all of the products that we review, so it would be disingenuous of us not to take a good look at the possible drawbacks. When we analyzed what users complained about with this product it was almost always an issue with durability.
“Complaints about dogs destroying the mat make up the vast majority of the negative reviews.”
With so many variables it is difficult for us to know if some of these issues are because of the owner and dog, or a defective product. Either way we highly suggest that you supervise your dog initially if you aren’t sure how it will react. Also make sure to provide lots of other attractive things to chew if you are going to leave them alone in a crate with this mat.
A few other issues cited were regarding a strong smell on the product when it arrived that was difficult or impossible to get out. It seems like this issue isn’t common among the majority of people who reviewed this mat. We also noticed that a few of the complaints about the smell are a few years old so it is very possible that it was just a temporary issue with their product.
The good news is that even if you do happen to run into any issues with this product, it is backed up by Arf Pets. This brand is making lots of fans with their top-notch customer support. Customers were pleased that in most cases the company offered immediate replacements for the products and were generally very friendly and easy to deal with.
Real tips from real shoppers
“Small size good enough for any medium sized dog like a beagle.”
“It works great up to a certain temperature” – The product began to not keep it’s cool in the high 30’s (Celsius)
“The 35 x 55 is perfect for a Golden Retriever”
“The material didn’t rub off or stain my dog’s coat”
“Works great, took a bit for my dog to get used to but now she loves it.”
The final word
Well, that is all for now. As always we do our best to dig up the most important points and questions you may have to help you make the best decision for you and your fur baby. If you are trying to penny pinch and watch your budget this cooling mat is definitely NOT the cheapest one on the market. The price point is a little higher, but when we listened to what customers say, the quality is worth the extra cost. Some of the more recent and updated reviews had customers excited that their cooling mat was still going strong 3 years after purchase!
Cheap cooling mats are more likely to rip, tear, get misshaped, and could be toxic for your pet if they chew and ingest any of the materials. A cheap cooling mat isn’t cheap if it lands you an expensive surgery with the vet, or the cost of constant replacement. If your dog isn’t a big chewer or doesn’t have other destructive behaviours, this mat very well could last you for years to come. Most importantly, it seems to be a big hit with most dogs, cats, and even humans! Happy shopping!
