Water

nancyheinl · Post by **nancyheinl** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 3:22 pm

I give my dogs bottled spring water! Chlorine is not good for dogs or humans! But I have a well and you never know whats in the ground water these days!

Brisco · Post by **Brisco** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 3:19 am

I'm sorry, but I'm not sure what you're point is with this statement. I may sound a bit mean but I wouldn't be bragging about wasting money on bottled water for my dogs. My dogs drink from just about any source they can find including, puddles, pools, hoses, and even the ocean which certainly isn't good for them, they usually get the "runs" for the rest of the day, but just try to stop them. I doubt that you're dogs are any healthier or will live any longer from bottled water. Save the money and spend it on a high quality food or toys or maybe a water filter for your tap. Sorry.

Post by **Auddymay** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 5:27 am

Bottled water is essentially 'dead' water- void of any mineral value- your well water is probably a healthier choice, not to mention cheaper! We have well water, and get it tested regularly. City water should taste as good!

kiwani · Post by **kiwani** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 5:34 am

Here in the Eastern USA, we have water problems due to drought, population growth, and aquifer pollution due to underground oil tanks, radon, cesspools, mercury, and other toxic spills poisoning the water supply. Some wells have sulphur odors, and the taste/smell of water gets worse when the aquifers get too low. A lot of people with wells around here have resorted to using bottled water.

Brisco · Post by **Brisco** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 4:46 pm

Gee, it must get very costly if you have horses or any other large pets if every animal gets bottled water, or, aren't farm animals as important? If I thought that the water was poisening farm animals I'd stop eating any meat and I guess vegetables too, since the water is being used on them also. I'm not saying that I have a problem with people drinking bottled water, but ANIMALS, give me a break! I lived in the east back in the early 70's and the well smelled of sulphur and always did. We all drank it.

Post by **Auddymay** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 6:12 pm

I guess I'm the lucky one. My well has no sulfer or rust. We have a gas station almost directly across the street that is required to check my water, due to a previous spill. We have mapped water tables, and I'm on a different one than the gas station. If they ever have a spill that pollutes my well, they will be obliged to hook me up to city water. Let's hope that never happens. Anyway, my girl's drink out of mud puddles too.

Jeff&Peks · Post by **Jeff&Peks** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 10:10 pm

I don't give Pekoe bottled water unless we are out somewhere that doesn't have any water around but Pekoe is very picky about what she drinks out of, she will drink out of her own bowls at home and a folding water bowl I always carry, other then her bowls she will go with out. There has been a few times I know she has to be thirsty but she refuses to drink out of public bowls, it has to ber her bowl or we stand here and die of thirst.

I know if she is thirsty enough she would probably drink out of anything but she has never been in that position I always carry her collapsible water bowl. My back pocket is always wet but owell.

This topic came up before, theres some other Chows that are picky about what they drink out of, must be another Chow thing to add to the list.

Judy Fox · Post by **Judy Fox** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 1:25 am

Yes, Milly and Mabel are very picky - they have a big stoneware water bowl and they will only drink out of that. They like the water changed too!!

Especially in the summer when it has been standing - they will go to the bowl, sniff it and then just stand and glare at us until we rinse the bowl out and refill it.
However - when we are out in the park we pass a little stream that is not always as clean as it should be and we have to stop them drinking out of it and in the garden, if it has been raining and water is laying in the top of a plant pot or whatever, Milly will drink that. We stop her but it has never done her any harm!

wrat · Post by **wrat** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 1:48 pm

tap water (city source ) for Denali.. we also carry one of those collapsable bowls in the car for when we are out and about

willowchow · Post by **willowchow** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 6:37 pm

Well, we give Willow water from our filter at home. If we are out, she will drink straight out of a Poland Spring bottle and not spill any. YUPPY PUPPY!

Also, letting dogs drink out of stagnant, dirty water like puddles can cause something called giardia.

Brisco · Post by **Brisco** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 4:54 pm

Most puddles only exist shortly after a rainfall and don't last very long.
Have you known anyone who's dog has ever had Giardia? I don't.
I'll stop on this topic, because people believe different things and I'm stubborn, you will never convince me that it's is practical or warranted in giving a dog bottled water only. Of course I have known people that won't let there children ( as in humans) play in the dirt either, they are usually the ones always getting sick it seems. All germs are not bad.

Jeff&Peks · Post by **Jeff&Peks** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 5:28 pm

Just so you don't think us uppity Americans have nothing better to with our money then buy bottled water, In the US especially in the cities its almost a necessity to buy bottled water for health reasons, alot of our water systems are filled with crude topped off with fluoride to try and clean it.
As for drinking from puddles, Drinking from a puddle on a city street in the US would be worse then drinking from a public toilet before flushing.

I can understand nancyheins reasons for giving her Chows bottled water and I really doubt its because she's bragging or wanting to waste money.

ngraham · Post by **ngraham** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 7:08 pm

Well.... my Koda (and also Amber and I) drink water straight from the faucet. The only time I buy bottled water is when we are gone somewhere and I want water. But we also live in a small town and don't have the nasty things in our water system that the big cities have. And our water actually tastes ok. LOL Koda doesn't care where it comes from... in the car out of a bottle, or in his water bowl with water out of the faucet. All he cares about is having something to drink. LOL

Mandy · Post by **Mandy** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 8:04 pm

I've lived in chicago, the burbs and now in Peoria (medium size city) and I drink from the faucet all the time. So do my chows. I have a britta water filter that I sometimes use but it is no big deal for me.

Brisco · Post by **Brisco** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 5:23 am

I think you would find that there are, or at least were not 10 years ago, any regulations in place in the U.S. about bottled water. You can put water into a bottle straight from any faucet and sell it as "bottled" water. And if it comes from the ground as with most other water, there are many ways to call it "natural spring water" or something similar. They ( I believe that it was 60 minutes) tested over 200 different bottled waters (in the USA) and found that the majority of them did not meet the minimun government standards required for all cities to meet for the public water system. It is a misconseption by most people that it is better for you. You can just pick up many bottled waters and read ingredients other than water.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 7:26 pm

I give my dogs filtered water. We have a filter hooked on to our tap water. I don't drink the water in town. Neither does my husband, my kids, or my cats or my dogs. We have seen what comes out of that filter. It is nasty.
Sometimes there is so much chlorine in the water that the house smells like a swimming pool!
Outside, I have bowls set up to catch the rain water so that the dogs have water outside too. They are not really puddle drinkers.
We also buy bottled water. No real reason, just like it. We also have filtrated water on our fridge so we also like our filtered water COLD! LOL
I do not cosider myself snooty or uppity. I just don't like to drink the crap in the water systems. My daughter doesn't even drink the water at her school. She takes a bottle of water with her. It doesn't hurt anyone.

kumathechow · Post by **kumathechow** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 10:01 pm

we just drink tap water. kuma doesn't care what kind of water she drinks. plus it would get too expensive to fill her water bowl with bottled water 10 times a day, she drinks a lot!

Elaina · Post by **Elaina** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 6:09 pm

We drink tap water. Chicago's water is not so bad. When on our walks, we do carry bottled water, but that's because it is convenient.

peggybroome · Post by **peggybroome** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 6:11 pm

I have had Chow Chow dogs 25 years this is 4th one. I have a 3 year old white chow chow name Beaux Ling Broome. He will hardly drink water at all, He WILL drink out of the commode that's all. I changed his water bowl to a porcelin bowl in hopes that he would drink out of it but no. (should I try plastic, then glass ) He is an inside dog, sometimes he runs out under foot and is gone but comes back, tonite ( and this in the 3 time its happened) He came back very sickly, he stammers around with head down and will not look up, round and round and roaming house. When he does lay down its only for a moment then he makes this eek noise and gets up and stammers around again. Stays right under my feet as I walk. Since he only acts this way when he gets out, I cant help but think that the Creek across the street behind those houses is TOXIC, cuz he comes back with wet feet and belly. He drinking out of that creek. I wanted to know if there is something known to counteract such things ingested. I would like to have some epecac to give him and make him throw up. I have called Vet and am taking him in the morning.
Peg

Post by **chris** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 7:01 pm

mmmm, Steel drinks from his bowl, and yes it has to be clean too. He will drink from a bottle as well.. (when you tilt it to pour out).. but it is city water, bottled water, and he has also drank well water. doesn't matter.

Post by **Zhuyos mom** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 7:10 pm

peggybroome wrote: ...He is an inside dog, sometimes he runs out under foot and is gone but comes back, tonite ... He came back very sickly, he stammers around with head down and will not look up, round and round and roaming house. When he does lay down its only for a moment then he makes this eek noise and gets up and stammers around again. Stays right under my feet as I walk....Peg

Try to get him to an ER right away. His stomach may have filled with air or water and turned upside down. Sounds a little like early symptoms of bloat. Does his belly area feel like a large ballon? If so, get him to an ER vet.

Jeff&Peks · Post by **Jeff&Peks** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 7:26 pm

Lou didn't stress the point, TO AN ER VET RIGHT AWAY, if its bloat you are fighting minutes not hours or days.

Post by **Zhuyos mom** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 8:30 pm

Peggy (hopefully it wasn't) but FYI...

http://chowchow.org/forum/viewtopic.php ... ight=bloat

peggybroome · Post by **peggybroome** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 5:59 pm

Thank you so Much Lou. I am so glad to have found this site! I did not take him to ER because his belly was not destinded, (Swollen) He is much much better tonight! Now he is acting normal, My concern is when he does get out and does go to that creek, (gets sick EVERYTIME) What could it be? cuz like I said this is bout the 3rd or 4th time that he came back acting like this. Reason I did not take him to ER but called his VET.

Rogansmommy · Post by **Rogansmommy** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 5:38 am

There could be parasites in the water that are making him ill. Also, dogs have been known to get giardia from creek water.