Both humans and dogs are predominantly made of water, which makes H2O one of the most important ‘ingredients’ in their daily diet. Adequate hydration is vital for regulating the majority of bodily organs and countless other functions essential to a healthy life.
With this in mind, it only stands to reason that dog owners want to provide their companions with the best quality drinking water possible. This guide helps dog owners discover which type of water is best for pet health: unfiltered tap water, bottled water, distilled water or filtered water.
Should Dogs be Drinking Unfiltered Tap Water?
While it’s inexpensive, many public and private unfiltered tap water sources are notoriously laden with any number of hundreds of known common contaminants. Some of these include:
- Heavy Metal Toxins
- Industrial Chemicals
- Volatile Organic Compounds
- Pharmaceuticals
- Viruses, Bacteria and Parasites
- Pesticides and Fertilizers
- Radioactive Contaminants
- Wastewater and Sewage Overflow
These types of water contaminants are known to cause adverse health effects such as neurological disorders, gastrointestinal illness and reproductive disorders. Though many dog owners fill up the water bowl with tap water or let them drink from the hose while watering the lawn, there are better options. Dog owners seeking to avoid exposing their pets to the potential risks of tap or hose water should consider other options.
Filtered Water for Healthy Dogs
Home filtration systems are an easy way to ensure that both pets and family members have a supply of fresh, potable drinking water available at all times. There are many types of filters that effectively remove many types of contaminants. While homeowners often think of smart technology and improvements from the angle of routine convenience and energy efficiency, a lot of these same principles can be carried over to personal (and pet) health optimization.
Dog Health and Bottled Water
It’s no secret that dog owners love their dogs and want the best of everything for their long-term health. For example, the healthiest types of dog food cost a bit more than most discount dog food. While bottled water isn’t “free” like tap water, it’s a small investment in a pet’s health in the grand scheme of things. Furthermore, buying large bottles through a delivery service is economical and Eco-friendly, as the bottles are sanitized and reused. Nelsonwater offers several types of bottled water including re-mineralized distilled, purified, and reverse-osmosis processed H2O.
Is Distilled Water Good for Dogs?
Distilled water is boiled to temperatures that destroy contaminants and create steam, which is then condensed back into liquid form. While this is excellent in itself, the downside in some cases is that the beneficial minerals are also distilled out of the water. In dogs, long-term consumption of distilled water without minerals can cause imbalances in chloride and sodium that are essential to kidney function and the prevention of atrophy of the glomeruli. With this in mind, re-mineralized distilled water is the recommended choice for regular pet consumption.
Popular options include countertop carafe filters, under-sink filters, faucet-mounted filters, reverse-osmosis filters and even whole house filtration systems. It’s important to note that different filtration systems remove different types of contaminants, so owners should have their water tested to determine the best system to meet their needs. Those looking for a whole house solution for healthy, clean water should give a home water filtration system or bottle delivery service serious consideration.