How Bizarre!

[Rio]

I have been looking around again for some reason why Rios eye periodically runs (just his right eye) and have found a few (and I mean maybe a handful) owners of dogs (not just Chows) that had exhausted allergies and intolerances, and had had numerous tests done, discovered that their dogs were intolerant of the chlorine and fluoride that is in tap water!!!!!
They went on to remove tap water and replaced with bottled or filtered and the eye problems thus far have not returned.
Our vet has assured us that Rio at this time does not have entropia and she had a really good look at his eye (literally nearly climbed into his head) she told us that intolerances can present in just one eye and that maybe he would just always be like that.
Have any of you heard of this before? (the water being a problem)

[SleepyFilipy]

I've heard of that problem but on us humans, so I can see how it could affect our friends too. Here at home, just to be safe we use a carbomax filtering system, which we replace every 6 months. Our Molly only drinks the same water as us, never regular tap water. Here in Brazil it's common pratice to always have some sort of filter, which only makes me even more suspicious about regular tap water. Water quality control in Europe is alot better, but they also use alot more chlorine...

[Rio]

Thanks sleepy for replying,I wonder if it is just dogs in Europe that are affected,I have never given tap water a second thought, though I must admit I cannot drink a lot of it, I generally go for bottled.

[Tippsy'smom]

Huh... That is bizarre. Maybe that was why Tippsy always had one watery eye...? Vet never mentioned it to us, but she definitely didn't have entropian.

[SleepyFilipy]

Thanks sleepy for replying,I wonder if it is just dogs in Europe that are affected,I have never given tap water a second thought, though I must admit I cannot drink a lot of it, I generally go for bottled.

Tell you what, tomorrow I'm calling my parents and I'll ask them if Cindy drank regular tap water back in Portugal or not. I don't remember her ever having running eyes... But since I was a kid I didn't pay attention to where the water came from, my parents did the feeding and watering, I was in it for the love and affection

As soon as I find out something more I'll post it here for you.

UPDATE:

I talked to my parents, and Cindy only drank bottled water like the rest of us, apparently when she was a bit over 2 she started having some stomach problems and it turned out it was chlorine poisoning, the vet told them to switch to bottled water. From what my parents told me, it took just two weeks of bottled water for her stomach to stop acting out.

It has nothing to do with eye problems... But it can't hurt to try and switch your chow to filtered or bottled water, can it, even if you don't solve the eye problem, his digestive system will thank you for the change.

[Rory's Dad]

Great post, never would have considered this issue. We haven't personally run into it, but will throw it into the memory bank. Could prove very useful to others as well.

[Rio]

I do find some odd things on the internet, hope it helps someone.