Are LED Lights Bad For Dogs? Let’s Find Out!

Last month I reconnected with one of my primary school buddies and had a great time. I really understood what people mean when they say childhood friends last forever. Though we hadn’t met for years, we got along really well together and decided to catch up at least once a month.  We had endless conversations about our school-time mischiefs, adulthood crisis, and of course, our dogs. She is as crazy a dog mama as I am! Hence, I invited her and her dog for a sleepover at my place last week. 

She arrived at my place with her 3-year-old beagle and two bottles of wine. You can imagine what a gala night we had! I took some diet tips for my dogs from her, and she was utterly impressed with the strip lights that I recently installed to revamp my pet room. However, she was a bit unsure and asked, ‘are LED lights safe for dogs?’

Well, she isn’t the first one who asked me this question. There are a lot of dog owners who wonder, ‘are LED lights bad for dogs?’ Obviously, everyone tries to be extra cautious with electric items as nobody would want their dogs to be harmed or injured by them. Hence, the dog-lover lighting expert in me decided to clarify this doubt for my fellow dog parents.

Though it depends on each case’s specific circumstances, LED lights are generally considered safe for dogs. Ensure that there are no trailing and frayed cables. Also, look out for any flickering that is invisible to the human eye, as it can cause distress in your dog. 

In this article, I will throw light upon the safety of LED lights with respect to dogs and how you can use them without bothering your pets.

Are LED Lights Bad For Dogs?

There are various reasons why dog owners wonder whether LED lights are safe for their dogs. The concern can vary from LED lights being harmful to dogs’ eyes to LED strip lights causing a shock to the dogs. I am listing below the significant concerns why most pet parents wonder whether LED lights are safe for their dogs.

• Do LED lights hurt dogs’ eyes?
• Do LED lights bother dogs by affecting their sleep?
• Do LED lights hurt dogs by overheating?
• Can dogs get an electric shock from LED lights?
• Do dogs change their behavior in LED lights?

In this section of the article, we will address the above concerns individually.

Do LED Lights Hurt Dogs’ Eyes? 

In general, LED lights do not cause significant harm to the eyes of your dog. However, if the LED light is flickering, it can damage the eyes of the dog. Some old or cheap quality LED lights flicker so fast that the human eye cannot notice. However, since a dog’s senses are much more sensitive than ours, it can notice the flickering, which can be very disturbing and make them feel scared. And are flashing lights bad for dogs’ eyes? Well, yes! The flickering can even lead to long-term damage to the eyes of the pet.

A simple solution for this issue is to ensure installing good quality LED lights by manufacturers that adhere to the industry standards. The better the quality of the LED lights, the less likely it is to flicker.

To read more about the effects of LED lights on the eyes, read the article I wrote in the past.

Do LED Lights Affect Dogs Sleep?

Well, there isn’t a definitive answer in yes or no to this question as different colors of light affect not only our pets but also our bodies. While some of these effects are good, some are bad. Hence, it is not the LED lights that are bad for our dogs’ sleep, but the lack of understanding of how lights affect them.

Prolonged exposure to crisp white or very bright light can affect the sleep of your dog, while the warmer mellow tones of LED lights should not bother their sleeping pattern. Blue and violet lights are emotionally calming for the dogs and are known to reduce their stress levels.

Can Dogs Get An Electric Shock From LED Lights?

If you have LED lights installed in lower areas of your home that your dog can reach easily, this can cause some unprecedented damage, especially if the cables of these lights are frayed. LED lights on the underside of kitchen cabinets, TV cabinets, or underneath your bed are quite accessible for dogs. 

If a dog ends up chewing upon an LED light strip or the cable that powers the LED light, it is unlikely that it’d suffer fatal electrocution. However, the dog can get a severe burn on its mouth that can lead to complications as bad as organ failure. The consequences depend upon the severity of the case. If your LED strip light is loosely pinned, the dog can even get strangled.

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You can avoid such accidents simply by ensuring that the LED strip lights are installed at a secure place that is out of the reach of the dogs. Either installing the LED lights at a higher reach or pinning them to the wall close enough so that there are no loose sections will ensure that your dog doesn’t hurt itself.

Do LED Lights Hurt Dogs By Overheating?

In the era when we used incandescent bulbs to illuminate our house, overheating of the bulb, causing short circuits or even fire, was not rare. But the case is not the same with LED bulbs. Since LED lights function differently than incandescent bulbs, these lights produce much less heat. Moreover, LEDs lights from reputed brands contain heat sinks to draw the excess heat away from the bulb. Despite this fact, if an LED light overheats, the bulb will simply dim rather than melt or cause any damage. Hence, LED bulbs are safe and ideal for homes with dogs as they rarely catch fire due to overheating.

However, I do not guarantee this for unrequited and unregulated LED light manufacturers. As long as you’re purchasing your LED lights from reputed manufacturers who adhere to product criteria associated with the industry, the overheating of these lights is not a concern.
To read more about LED lights catching fire due to overheating, read the article I wrote some time ago.

Do Dogs Change Their Behavior Upon Exposure To LED Lights?

It is a matter of fact that dogs can’t see colors the same as humans see. Studies show that lights appear much brighter to dogs than they do to humans. Hence very bright lights can cause discomfort to your pets, and they may end up showing more aggressive behavior than usual. Very bright LED lights attract spiders and bugs that can make your dog irritated.  It is recommended to keep the lights mellow so that your dogs are comfortable. 

There are a few colors that have a calming effect on dogs. The calming colors for dogs are blue and violet as they help reduce their stress levels.

Most LED strip lights are fully RGB, letting you choose the color from around 16 million different shades. This can be really helpful in setting a pet-friendly mood in your home.

How To Ensure That Your Dog Is Not Affected By LED Lights?

For somebody who is a pet lover like I am, having doubts about whether LED lights are safe for dogs is obvious. LED lights should not be a problem if you have pets at home, provided you take care of certain aspects. The following precautions will ensure that you do not have to worry about whether LED lights bother dogs.

• Ensure that your LED strip lights are installed in an area that is out of the reach of your dog.

• Ensure that the strip light is properly pinned with no loose cables as loose cables pose a threat of strangeling of dogs.

• Install light colors that have a calming effect on your canine. Blue and violet are emotionally calming light colors for dogs and can help to reduce stress levels.

• Do not install cheap quality LED lights as they may flicker, making the dog disturbed and uncomfortable.

FAQs

Q1. What is meant by red light therapy for dogs? Do red lights hurt dogs’ eyes?

Answer – Red light therapy is exposing the dog to red LED light for some time. It is a highly beneficial treatment for dogs due to its ability to promote a  strong healing response in muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones. The eyes of dogs do not hurt under exposure to red light.

Q2. I am planning to install colored LED lights at my home but am unsure about the suitable color for my dog. What color calms dogs and makes them sleep peacefully?

Answer – Violet and blue are calming colors for dogs as they reduce their stress levels. If you are wondering what color makes dogs sleepy, violet and blue should be your go-to LED light colors.

Q3. Are grow lights safe for pets?

Answer – Grow lights are safe for pets as long as they are not cheap quality lights. Cheap quality LED lights flicker at a rate that the human eye cannot notice, but a dog can. This can be very disturbing for them, make them feel scared, and cause long-term damage to their eyes. I have also covered the effect of grow lights on plants here.

Conclusion

LED lights have taken the market by storm. With a high-efficiency performance and a modern look, these lights have taken a place in most American homes. However, since these lights are relatively newer, a few people are yet to be sure that they do not affect our lives adversely. If you are an insanely possessive dog parent like me, these doubts can stress you more than usual. 

I hope that the article must have helped you understand how you can install LED lights in your home with certain precautions so that you don’t have to worry about the safety of your pets. If you have any more doubts about LED lights, write to me in the comment section.