Is Drinking Lake or River Water Bad for Dogs?
Dog Breeds
Many outside dogs and cats like to drink water from sources other than their fresh clean water bowls. When dogs go with their family on vacations they often drink out of nearby lake and river waters.
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Introduction
Many outside dogs and cats like to drink water from sources other than their fresh clean water bowls. When dogs go with their family on vacations they often drink out of nearby lake and river waters. In most cases drinking water from these sources will not harm a pet, but from time to time a pet can become ill if the lake and river waters contain certain types of organisms or hazardous chemicals.
Threats of Outside Water
Parasites
The biggest hazards that lake and river waters pose for dogs and cats are the small microscopic protozoan organisms that live in these waters. These protozoans, such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium, affect the gastrointestinal systems of dogs and cats if they are ingested. Exposure to these protozoans can cause severe diarrhea and intestinal bleeding. Healthy pets can often carry the protozoan without showing symptoms, but if a pet has an underlying illness, is very old or very young, or has an impaired immune system, the protozoan can be dangerous to the pet’s health.
Toxins
Sadly many of our lake and river waters also contain high amounts of hazardous chemicals such as pesticides. If a pet regularly drinks from toxic lake or river water, the toxins can build up in the animal’s system and slowly poison the animal’s body over a long period of time. The kidneys and liver can be particularly affected by these chemicals if they are exposed to them on a regular basis.
While the dangers of drinking lake or river waters are not high for pets, it is best that they do not drink from these sources. It is not always possible to completely stop an animal from drinking out of a lake or river, but in this case the less they drink the better. Always bring fresh water sources with you if your pets are going to be around a lake or river, and if you see them drinking water from these sources direct their attention to their bowl of clean water.
Overview and Facts