Best Dog Crate Pans

When it comes to dog crates and crate training, you shouldn’t overlook cleanliness and overall hygiene. A big part of crate training is attempting to create a cozy, safe, and comforting nook for your four-legged companion – and you certainly would not want it to be moist, smelly and dirty. And that’s where crate pans come in handy.

What are dog crate pans? Well, it is quite simple – these important accessories are designed to fit snugly beneath your pet’s crate and contain all the dirt and food that accumulates. It helps you to keep a clean environment for your pupper, which is a big part of maintaining good health–and eliminates unpleasant odors and mess in your home, too. But choosing a proper pan is not as easy as you might think. A few key aspects are important to consider, in order to be satisfied with your purchase.

As all dog owners know, keeping hygiene up to standards can be difficult when you have a pet. Of course, when you share your home with a four-legged roommate, you don’t want it to look like a mess just because you have a pet. From hair everywhere to nasty smells if you’re in the process of housebreaking, there is a lot of work to keep everything tidy and neat. To boot, if you are relying on the denning method of dog training, and you are out of your house daily, then you surely know those times when you return home to a messy and dirty apartment. But with the popularity of dog crates and their efficiency in reducing stress and anxiety in dogs, this problem can be easily kept under control – with some smart accessories. Crate pans are certainly one of these accessories that are an absolute must. They’ll help you avoid further work in your weekday, by reducing the needed maintenance of your pet’s crate to just a few minutes per day. With simple designs and easy to clean materials, your job will be as easy as can be. Pull out the pan, clean the dirt, hairs, and all the spillage, quickly wash it up and slide it back in – a few minutes of work that ensure cleanliness throughout the day.

Benefits of using crate pans

Crate pan materials also play a big role in the overall quality, with the better ones offering a much longer service life and an easier time cleaning it. While plastic is widespread and lightweight, it lacks the durability of other materials. Dogs that are particularly restless and have a tendency for mayhem can often chew on the pan edges and ruin the plastic. You can also opt for galvanized metal and stainless steel pans – these have their own pros and cons and can provide you with a much longer service life – albeit being a bit heavier than plastic.

What to consider before buying a dog crate pan

Depending on their quality and the materials used, dog crate pans can have a very short “lifespan”, or serve their purpose for years. Of course, a lot will also depend on the level of maintenance, and the possible inquisitive chomps from your pupper. And you can’t leave out the crate itself, of course. Small, plastic and resin travel crates often don’t have a tray slot, and that means that a lot of cleaning will have to be manual – which can become tedious after a while. On the other hand, square wire crates that have tray slots will come in various shapes and dimensions, and your choice will have to carefully fit – so exact measures are important. Lastly, some unique, one-of-a-kind crates will have no option for a pan, so it will either require more cleaning, or some careful, imaginative out-of-the-box thinking to find the best solution. Either way, when purchasing your dog crate pan, you will want to keep the following features in mind.

Material

There are several different material choices for crate pans on the market, but in truth, not all will work out so well. Of course, the price has a big role to play in this. If you choose the standard hard plastic pan, you might find to your surprise that it won’t last as long as you’ve hoped. Plastic pans and large dog breeds might not be a good mix – and dogs with a temper will find a way to chew up the edges. But on another note, plastic pans are the easiest to clean, and least absorbing as well.

Resistance to odors, spills, and stains

When choosing your pan, you have to keep in mind its intended role. A crate pan is there to contain all sorts of nasty things – from paw dirt, hair, and food, to water spillage and all sorts of other…spills. That is why you would want to have a pan that won’t absorb these nasty smells, soak up liquids, or become stained. Stainless steel is the best solution here, but all three materials can work well – depending on the brand and the overall quality. Another important aspect here is the lip. All pans need to have a raised edge – or a lip – which will help you pull it out more easily, and also contain the spills inside the pan. Fitting a deep lip onto a pan is a hard task for designers, so choose the pan with the best depth- because shallow pans equal mess and spillage.

Size and crate style

Last but not least is the size and the style of your crate. Depending on the crate you have, you might or might not be able to use a pan. Small travel crates usually require different solutions or have some incorporated solutions. On the other hand, designer crates and stylish furniture style crates will have no options for pans. These will need some more work from you to keep them neat and clean. But the classic wire crates or kennels will be the best for pans. Most of them have pre-designed pan slots, and you can exchange these in whichever way you like. The size will dictate your purchase. Luckily, most brands produce crates in industry standard measurements, and you can choose a pan relatively easily without worrying about a proper fit.

Dog crating and hygiene

It’s no secret that our puppers aren’t really the image of cleanliness – especially after that fun exercise in the yard or in the park. Many a pooch loves to roll around in the dirt or dig a hole, crawl into those forbidden places or simply get wet. And in the end, a part of that dirt will be transferred to both your home and their cozy crate. Besides this, there are the shed hairs, food spills and crumbs, and all sorts of other nasty tidbits. Luckily, with a good crate pan, you can contain most of these and dispose of them efficiently, but overall hygiene is still very important. By caring for your pet and his environment, you ensure that no airborne bacteria can thrive. Also, you eliminate the possibility of other nasty critters coming to your home – like ants or roaches.

How often and how should I clean the crate pan for my dog?

As a rule of thumb, you should thoroughly clean your pet’s crate tray on a weekly basis, or at least every two weeks. If they pee or poop in the crate, then you’ll have to clean up immediately to discourage your pet from continuing this habit and to make sure that everything is hygienic, of course. Cleaning a crate pan is easy, as all it takes is a bit of scrubbing and rinsing. Use pet-safe products to clean: most pet parents opt for a water and white vinegar mix, or pet-safe cleaning solutions. Diluted bleach might be counter productive as it tends to give pets a whiff of urine-like smell and might entice them to go potty in their crate. Once you thoroughly scrub out all the grime, use a shower head or a hose to rinse it all out, air dry thoroughly, and then return under the crate.

Why does my dog’s crate stink?

You need to clean your pet’s crate (and everything in it) regularly and thoroughly. If there are toys, bed, and food and water bowls inside it, wash them on a regular basis to prevent bacteria and mildew buildup as well as odors. If it’s the crate itself that’s been giving off an unpleasant whiff, it might be moisture, dried up pee, or mildew to blame. In either case, a thorough cleaning is required: use pet-safe products to give the crate a good scrubbing, rinse it off, and thoroughly dry to prevent further odors.

Can I put a crate pad on a crate pan?

There’s no reason to do this, as crate pads are meant to provide comfort to your pet and crate pans are situated under the crate – this way, a crate pad would have no purpose whatsoever as your pet wouldn’t be lying on it. If you are thinking about a pee pad, that might work, but again, it is not needed as it would only make the cleanup more difficult without any need for it. Crate pans work best when used as intended, on their own and placed snugly under the crate.