3 reasons your dog wants you to change HVAC filters

Image via Flickr by benmacaskill

Your HVAC filters play an essential role in keeping your home feeling clean and healthy. Without them, your home’s internal environment would quickly build up pollutants, allergens, and other unwanted components that would leave you feeling stuffy and unwell. The same thing goes for your dog, who could be even more sensitive to dust mites, debris, and allergens than you!

Here are some reasons why you’ll want to keep your HVAC filters clean for the sake of everyone.

1. Poor Air Quality Fuels Allergies 

Almost every dog is sensitive to some type of environmental allergen, and most react to more than just one. Dogs who have been diagnosed with allergies will prove particularly sensitive, and that’s why keeping your air filters clean is a must for the health of your four-legged friend. Unfortunately, because dog’s can’t talk, it can be hard to recognize when allergies are causing them discomfort.

Generally, dogs afflicted by allergies will scratch often. Their skin will itch due to the environmental exposure, and their lungs may be irritated and grow inflamed. It’s a very uncomfortable situation for your dog, but a simple, well-maintained filtration system can do wonders for keeping them away from the source of distress. In addition to cleaning your filters, make sure to change them every so often as Krantz Kooling recommends. 

2. Chemicals Are Lurking All Around

Another reason why your dog would appreciate clean filters is because of the myriad of chemicals that lurk in the air we breathe. Just some of the common indoor air pollutants include lead and formaldehyde. The latter can be present not only in paint but also in plastics, furniture, and and even bedding. Overtime, these chemicals leak from the products you own into the air you breathe, but a proper filtration system can effectively remove them.

Over time, long-term exposure can get the best of anyone, including your dog. While it’s ideal to avoid bringing these chemicals into your home to begin with, it’s almost impossible to do so because of today’s mass-produced products. Still, good air filtration can help you make the best of it and minimize exposure. 

3. Their Sense of Smell Is Heightened

We have long adored and appreciated dogs for their great sense of smell, but sometimes that trait can work against them in the human world. Specifically, their good sense of smell makes them even more sensitive to harsh chemicals and pollutants that can buildup in the home from daily activities like cooking or smoking.

By keeping your HVAC system’s filters clean, you can help reduce your dog’s exposure to the things that can leave them in distress and discomfort, making for a happier and healthier home.