Water, Water Everywhere by Bud Stuart DVM
Water, Water, Everywhere by Bud Stuart DVM
Every one of us grows up knowing that all forms of life depend on water. Right now NASA is looking for signs of water on the planet Mars in order to prove that life may be or have been there.
So all of us who have pets know instinctively that water is an essential part of the diet, no matter what kind of pet it may be. But there are some things about the water supply that you may not know. So that is what we will discuss in today’s blog.
Ordinarily, veterinarians will instruct that a supply of good clean water be available at all times to any domestic animal, large or small, furred or feathered. Back on our horse farm in Virginia Lynda and I took great pride in the installation of automatic water bowls in the horse barn stalls and the pasture as well. They were heated to prevent winter freezing so our horses always had clean, fresh water available.
For cats and dogs there are many cute water dishes sold in pet supply and other stores. But one caution we give is that we advise against the use of plastic dishes for food and water. As plastic ages it can begin to allow polymer particles to get into the food or water, which can produce low grade illness in some animals. Plastic dishes can also produce a form of acne, which is a skin pore infection, on the chin of some kitties. We recommend you stick to china, Pyrex, glass, stainless steel or, as we do with our little Yorkshire, Trinket, an antique, silver, dog show trophy bowl.
Two further recommendations that we make on water supply have to do with breath and bladder. The term “doggie breath” has real meaning for some pet owners and as long as the teeth are not the culprit due to tartar, etc. there is a simple way to help mouth odor problems a lot. For years I have recommended the addition of just a small amount of apple cider vinegar to the drinking water of dogs and cats.
Just a few drops in the case of cats, up to a teaspoon or so in dogs, will be sufficient. This will acidify the water and result in lowering the bacteria count in your pet’s mouth, just as a mouthwash would. This is especially important in those breeds with heavy folds in their lower lips, which stay wet most of the time. Acidic water will also assist in retarding tartar formation on the teeth.
Should you have a pet which has been subject to bladder stones or crystals in the urine you might wish to consider not using tap water. Santa Barbara, where Lynda and I live, may be a paradise in a lot of ways, but the tap water leaves a lot to be desired. The mineral content of our tap water is very high, so many of our clients use bottled or filtered water for themselves as well as their pets. It adds a little safety factor.
So with a constant supply of water available at home, you should always discourage drinking from other sources. Just recently our clinic has had a number of very sick dogs which were observed drinking from stagnant pools of ground water. The most serious incident involved some standing water in the area of the Taguias land fill. The poor dog drank from it, became very ill and almost died from what was probably a combination of bacterial and chemical poisoning. So when camping, be sure to carry your pet’s water supply with you and do all you can to have them use it exclusively.
For as we all know, a good diet and a clean sparkling water supply is the basis of a healthy pet or person.
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Thank you to Cherie for the great illustrations to the article.
You ALWAYS have some great advice for us pet lovers, Dr. Stuart, and I’m honored to have you as a part of the Pet-Peeves posse. Can’t wait for your new book to come out. Please let me know when it’ll be available on Amazon!