# Can my dog drink the water?



## terrybahena

Maybe this is a silly question, but if I need to drink bottled water, what about my dog? Currently he drinks from a bowl or the toilet! So will he get sick at first from drinking the water and then get over it? I mean I can give him bottled water but he is going to drink from wherever he finds it...he's a big boy, 100lb black lab. 

I did try searching threads, but honestly I didn't research every thread; they seemed to be more about shots, etc. I appreciate any info...thnx


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## makaloco

It's going to depend on the water quality in your exact location. Your best bet is to ask a vet there. Our water is hard, heavily chlorinated and not particularly tasty for humans. Opinions are divided on whether or not it's "safe", but Mexicans and foreigners alike drink purified water. My dog happily drinks tap water and hasn't been sick, but he was born here. Of course, as you mention, we're talking about critters who are perfectly okay with drinking out of toilets!


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## AlanMexicali

*Potable water*



terrybahena said:


> Maybe this is a silly question, but if I need to drink bottled water, what about my dog? Currently he drinks from a bowl or the toilet! So will he get sick at first from drinking the water and then get over it? I mean I can give him bottled water but he is going to drink from wherever he finds it...he's a big boy, 100lb black lab.
> 
> I did try searching threads, but honestly I didn't research every thread; they seemed to be more about shots, etc. I appreciate any info...thnx


My opinion is it depends where. The water that leaves the water source after treatment is potable water. When it arrives at it's destination I have to think some water pipes in some places might be up to 100 years old and made of cement, stone or cast iron underground. The tanks in some places might also be very old in some systems and sometimes are large cement things [sort of like a deep swimming pool] covered with more cement or even wood etc. The systems water pressure pumps in some places might also be very old. Taking that into account has me worried about drinking tap water. In many cases it would be safe to drink. In other cases it might not be safe to drink. Some places have cisterns and tinacos and they might not be clean either. That is why I don't know anyone here who drinks tap water. I would think a Vet would know, but knowing dogs I would guess no harm would come to him usually. I had a dog of mine that I caught eating a flatted skunk on the road when she ran away for 24 hours. She didn't even have gas that night.

"Have a Coca Cola instead." LOL


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## terrybahena

makaloco said:


> It's going to depend on the water quality in your exact location. Your best bet is to ask a vet there. Our water is hard, heavily chlorinated and not particularly tasty for humans. Opinions are divided on whether or not it's "safe", but Mexicans and foreigners alike drink purified water. My dog happily drinks tap water and hasn't been sick, but he was born here. Of course, as you mention, we're talking about critters who are perfectly okay with drinking out of toilets!


Oh actually there is no water in my town. I believe it's coming; but right now every day a huge water truck comes, and another big truck with bottled water. The water in houses is collected during the rainy season in the cisterns, and used for showers, toilets, etc. I did hear however that piped water is coming....


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## makaloco

Well, the principle still applies. You just need to figure out the source of the water in the trucks. 
My dog licks bird poop off the patio and drags disgusting slimy dead things out of the ocean, but he'll throw up if he eats a perfectly clean leaf. Go figure.


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## dongringo

I guess if you have a super cared for pet, you would treat it as yourself. As for me, I provide tap water, except after she tries eating one of the huge local toads. Then I consider bottled water, medicine.


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## RVGRINGO

Your dog will decide, and there is nothing you can do to change that.


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## diablita

I have a 14 year old cat that has been drinking the water here since she was born.


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## Retired-Veteran

My goodness I love this thread and it's been a good laugh this morning!

OP I have also wondered this. My dog is highly spoiled, expensive and sort of rare. Barney is a 245 pound English Mastiff that does not drink out of a toilet. I fill a five gallon drinking bowel for him and with that I also have to change it no less than 10 times a day. :spit:



AlanMexicali said:


> I had a dog of mine that I caught eating a flatted skunk on the road when she ran away for 24 hours. She didn't even have gas that night.
> "Have a Coca Cola instead." LOL


I wish I could be so lucky!!! Last night I had to open up both windows in my bedroom and point a fan out of one to draw the air in from the other. :jaw: Alpo makes my dog fart! Ever hear a 245 pound dog pass gas?  Think big bad Dallas Cowboy linebacker at a poker game with a bunch of buddies. Yup! That's it.

I woke up this morning at it was about 40 degrees in my bedroom AND Barney was no place to be found.

Bad dog! Bad Dog! :nono:



makaloco said:


> Well, the principle still applies. You just need to figure out the source of the water in the trucks.
> My dog licks bird poop off the patio and drags disgusting slimy dead things out of the ocean, but he'll throw up if he eats a perfectly clean leaf. Go figure.


I'm lucky, my dog don't do any of that and he don't even clean himself like most dogs do........ He can't reach that far back. 



dongringo said:


> I guess if you have a super cared for pet, you would treat it as yourself. As for me, I provide tap water, except after she tries eating one of the huge local toads. Then I consider bottled water, medicine.


Is that some sort of supersize bottle of water? Or are you just kidding?

What is the cost per bottle of water? And is there a limit that you can order?


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## AlanMexicali

*Dogs are all different*



Retired-Veteran said:


> My goodness I love this thread and it's been a good laugh this morning!
> 
> OP I have also wondered this. My dog is highly spoiled, expensive and sort of rare. Barney is a 245 pound English Mastiff that does not drink out of a toilet. I fill a five gallon drinking bowel for him and with that I also have to change it no less than 10 times a day. :spit:
> 
> 
> 
> I wish I could be so lucky!!! Last night I had to open up both windows in my bedroom and point a fan out of one to draw the air in from the other. :jaw: Alpo makes my dog fart! Ever hear a 245 pound dog pass gas?  Think big bad Dallas Cowboy linebacker at a poker game with a bunch of buddies. Yup! That's it.
> 
> I woke up this morning at it was about 40 degrees in my bedroom AND Barney was no place to be found.
> 
> Bad dog! Bad Dog! :nono:
> 
> 
> 
> I'm lucky, my dog don't do any of that and he don't even clean himself like most dogs do........ He can't reach that far back.
> 
> 
> 
> Is that some sort of supersize bottle of water? Or are you just kidding?
> 
> What is the cost per bottle of water? And is there a limit that you can order?



My same dog that likes flattened skunk jerky always and I mean always got gas every time we fed her too much people's food. One time we were driving back from Christmas - New Years at my buddy's in Palm Springs to Mexicali with my ex sister in law and her daughter and we fed her the left over turkey, she loved it naturally, we weren't going to try and risk it. Once on the road on a cold day with the heater on she entertained us all the way and at one point we could not spot laughing it got so bad, even with the windows down a bit.


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## Retired-Veteran

AlanMexicali said:


> My same dog that likes flattened skunk jerky always and I mean always got gas every time we fed her too much people's food. One time we were driving back from Christmas - New Years at my buddy's in Palm Springs to Mexicali with my ex sister in law and her daughter and we fed her the left over turkey, she loved it naturally, we weren't going to try and risk it. Once on the road on a cold day with the heater on she entertained us all the way and at one point we could not spot laughing it got so bad, even with the windows down a bit.


Risky giving dogs turkey ever hear of turkey trots LOL I gave barney about three pounds of it one time and the poor boy had the poops for three days. :-( 

Turkey won't hurt them but it does make their tummy work overtime.
Since then I use that if Barney eats to many bones and gets stuffed up.


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## terrybahena

Retired-Veteran said:


> Risky giving dogs turkey ever hear of turkey trots LOL I gave barney about three pounds of it one time and the poor boy had the poops for three days. :-(
> 
> Turkey won't hurt them but it does make their tummy work overtime.
> Since then I use that if Barney eats to many bones and gets stuffed up.


Ha ha thanx all for all the replies- especially RV Ringo who said my dog will decide where to drink from and I will not be in control! If he had been born in Mexico I wouldn't have been worried, but I guess it will just be one more tiny adventure in our big new life. 

I know this- he is a water crazy lab and when he finds out he lives at the beach!!!- he gonna love his mommy sooooo much!!_ It's getting closer!![/I]_


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## mickisue1

Heh. 

Both cats and dogs lick their own nether regions, and drink from toilets. A little questionable water probably won't hurt them.

Even though our move is at least two years away, I can still hear my son's cat, crying all the way to Austin TX, when I drove him down for college.

Lucky us, we'll be going twice as far!


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## PieGrande

Here in the country we pay 25 pesos for a 20 liter garafon of Electro Pura purified water, exchange. Out here there are transportation costs for water which one assumes would be less in the cities.


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## ronb172

I wouldn't expect my dogs to drink something I wouldn't.


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## TundraGreen

PieGrande said:


> Here in the country we pay 25 pesos for a 20 liter garafon of Electro Pura purified water, exchange. Out here there are transportation costs for water which one assumes would be less in the cities.


In the city, you can take a 20 liter garafon to a refilling station for 9 or 10 pesos. People have a little 2 wheel shopping cart for this purpose.


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## TundraGreen

ronb172 said:


> I wouldn't expect my dogs to drink something I wouldn't.


Does that work both ways? Do you drink everything your dogs do?


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## ronb172

No way.....lol. My little mini beagle gets into some pretty nasty stuff.


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## mickisue1

Dogs evolved with vastly different digestive systems. And their metabolic needs are significantly different from ours.

I would seriously reconsider thinking that they need to, or even would thrive, from eating a human diet, including the liquids we consume.


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## TundraGreen

mickisue1 said:


> Dogs evolved with vastly different digestive systems. And their metabolic needs are significantly different from ours.
> 
> I would seriously reconsider thinking that they need to, or even would thrive, from eating a human diet, including the liquids we consume.


I hope we are not going to start on a diet-for-dogs thread to match the human one.


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## ronb172

My dogs may be spoiled, but they eat dog food. Oh oh, did I just start a diet for dogs thing??


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## makaloco

LOL, maybe it's as simple as letting our pets eat our table scraps instead of eating them ourselves


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## Retired-Veteran

makaloco said:


> LOL, maybe it's as simple as letting our pets eat our table scraps instead of eating them ourselves


When a dog eats between 8 to 11 pounds of food a day, table scraps can be a must for afordability. That is when or after the second to the third time served.

http://www.expatforum.com/expats/members/retired-veteran-albums-me-my-dogs-picture1818-s100-1603.jpg

Barney says; So there!


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## makaloco

What a sweet face! Whatever Barney says is okay by me.


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## mickisue1

What a big boy!


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## Retired-Veteran

mickisue1 said:


> What a big boy!


He's my little pony 

I now have a video up to see him kids photos | kids photographs,kids images,kids pictures



A few more here
kids photos | kids photographs,kids images,kids pictures


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## Dray2

I have an 11 year old Jack Russell Terrier That my wife and I brought here from the states 5 years ago. I had some concerns about him drinking tap water also. I figured he's a dog and probably wasn't going to hurt him. From day one he never had a problem. I had more concerns of tarantula bites or scorpion stings. I think he got a scorpion sting a few years ago but was fine. His biggest problem was getting into his first fight with a street dog. Pretty funny as he didn't have much in him for the street tough dog and ran all the way down the street back to the house with his tail tucked between his legs.


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## edub

Since most dogs eat poop I'd have to imagine the water wouldn't pose a problem. But I'd ask a vet just to be sure.

By the way, if you live in Mexico why don't you have an RO filter hooked up? Then you don't have to worry about your dog or you.


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## terrybahena

edub said:


> Since most dogs eat poop I'd have to imagine the water wouldn't pose a problem. But I'd ask a vet just to be sure.
> 
> By the way, if you live in Mexico why don't you have an RO filter hooked up? Then you don't have to worry about your dog or you.


ha ha my dog drinks from the toilet, puddles, creeks, standing water, did I say puddles? As RVGringo commented, my dog is gonna drink from wherever he wants and i can't do anything about it.


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## edub

terrybahena said:


> ha ha my dog drinks from the toilet, puddles, creeks, standing water, did I say puddles? As RVGringo commented, my dog is gonna drink from wherever he wants and i can't do anything about it.


That's a good point. Mine actually preffers puddles with dead things floating in them. To him it's a free bowl of soup.


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## ricopozole

terrybahena said:


> Maybe this is a silly question, but if I need to drink bottled water, what about my dog? Currently he drinks from a bowl or the toilet! So will he get sick at first from drinking the water and then get over it? I mean I can give him bottled water but he is going to drink from wherever he finds it...he's a big boy, 100lb black lab.
> 
> I did try searching threads, but honestly I didn't research every thread; they seemed to be more about shots, etc. I appreciate any info...thnx


Your dog can drink the water, in fact a dog will prefer to drink water out of a muddy puddle if you give it the chance. By the way, dogs eat chicken bones, they love the marrow.


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## Salto_jorge

Our dog drinks from and rolls in anything, anywhere and eats and smells things that make me sick if I watch him.

When I can, I try to keep him away things that look or smell bad when on walks.

If your water is so bad looking or the smell is real bad the dog may want to drink it, then keep then away from it.

The main issue is would you want your dog to give you a quick kiss after rolling, eating or drinking from questionable places. If no is your answer, keep the dog away from the the water or other things. (that is what I do)


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