Damp Dog Bed

[wagsalot]

Im having problems with Riley's bed - he has one of those plastic beds, with a quilt and a quilt cover. He's had the same set up for 9 years.

His bed stays in doors only - in our lounge, bedroom and in the laundry during the day.

The other week I gave him a pillow in a pillow case under his quilt to make it more comfy for him. A few days later I went to wash his bedding and noticed the pillow was quite wet and had gone mouldy. I chucked it out straight away along with the cover and washed everything else. I presumed he's got wet in the rain and it soaked through.

Then I put a polar fleece blanket down, with his quilt on top. Went to wash the bedding and a week later and the polar fleece was really wet. This time it hadn't been raining. Smelt it - but no scent of wee. I thought maybe the polar fleece got damp? so I washed everything and went back just to the quilt with the quilt cover.

Tonight Riley wouldn't go in his bed - so I checked his bedding and the bottom section of the quilt was damp (the quilt is folded over). Only the bottom bit was damp - the bit on the bed, the top half that Riles lies on was ok.

So its all in the wash again and Rileys now sleeping on a towel with my polar fleece blanket on top to make it soft!

Has anyone got any idea if this sounds like its getting damp?? I can't think of any other reason as I really don't think its wee as it doesn't smell and there is no yellow stains etc. As far as I know its only started happening in the last few weeks as its never been wet before when I've washed it. I feel horrible that he's been sleeping on a damp bed Since i've changed it tonight he's been fast asleep in his bed

Anyone had the same problem??

My parents have a spare bed up there and that plastic one has vent type holes in the bottom so Im going to get that on Thursday and try that. Im also going to go out and buy a new quilt as his is getting old, then start afresh!

Edited June 29, 2010 by wagsalot

[J...]

I'm having the same issue, any bed I put down on the board floors is getting very damp underneath because of the cold floor and a warm dog.

I've just bought yet another trampoline bed to put Zee's bedding on so the underneath gets some ventilation and hopefully it won't happen any more.

[persephone]

No idea why it should be so damp-- not as if dogs perspire everywhere

I suggest placing several layers of newspaper or thick cardboard under his blankets This will absorb moisture .

Edited June 29, 2010 by persephone

[~Anne~]

Moisture and winter strangely go hand in hand, although cold air in Winter is actually physically dryer. Ventilation is the key.

I had a very similar conversation with my eldest step daughter only the other day. She was asking what she could do to dry out her unit that she lives in with her gorgeous little boy and partner. Since she has started using a heater regularly with Winter, and not opening windows and doors becuase it is cold, her walls and the galss on her windows has started to literally drip with water.

[Kirty]

I changed my dogs beds the other day and the bottom of them was damp too. They are definitely not getting wet from wee or rain, so I guess it is just condensation?

[wagsalot]

It must be when he's in the laundry. Our house is always quite warm, and his bed is normally on the rug in the lounge or on the carpet in the bedroom.

In laundry though, that room gets cold in the day when he's in there, and his bed is on tiles. Nothing else gets damp in there though.

Tomorrow Ill put a mat down (Carpet offcut) in the laundry, and put his bed ontop of that and see if that helps.

Ill check his bed morning and night too to see if I can work out when it happens.

[macka]

Cold floor and warm dog = wet bedding. I was having the same problem with the underside of Leia's snooza futon in her crate. Solved the problem but putting a doubled-over rug underneath her crate to insulate from the floor.

[spottychick]

Wagsalot. I have had that problem every since I got the plastic bed. Mine has ventilation holes in the bottom but still does it when the weather is cold.

I've just developed a winter habit of stripping the bedding out every morning and letting the bottom layer in particular dry out (the bottom layer is one of my old pillows - they get recycled to the dog bed whenever I get a new pillow). That seems to prevent the mould issue (I too have thrown out bedding because of mould) but it doesn't stop it getting wet overnight. But I haven't had a mouldy pillow in quite a while as a result.

I would have thrown the bed out ages ago except the dogs seem to like it and often argue over who will have the little cheap plastic bed instead of the nice, large Snooza soft comfy snuggly bed LOL Go figure!

I won't get another one tho, it only happens to the plastic one.

[DerRottweiler]

I'm having the same problem.

My dog has a thick bed in his kennel, I went to flip it over the other day and it was damp.

Will try putting cardboard and/or newspaper underneath.

[Alyosha]

Condensation. Imagine the moisture that accumulates on a cold drink bottle in summer. The same process is at work with the bed. Where the warm meets the cold it causes the moisuture from the air to condense into liquid.

Little ventilation holes in the plastic bed won't really help, you'll need to air out/dry the bedding each day. Or you can try putting it on something with a higher airflow so the moisture can re-evaporate in the daytime - like a mesh trampoline bed etc.