Dog Community

toilet water vs. fresh water

Posted : 10/11/2006 9:46:53 PM

ok, here's an admission.

given a fresh bowl of water and toilet water, sparky goes for the toilet water...i gave up trying to change him.

he seems healthy...is in great physical conditioning...any research on this subject?

ColleenC

Posted : 10/11/2006 9:48:41 PM

Can't you just keep the lid closed or the door shut? Toilet water probably isn't going to kill him, but fresh water would be much better.

fuzzy_dogs_mom

Posted : 10/11/2006 10:02:59 PM

Max has never expressed any interest in the toilet at all - maybe because he has a bowl of water in the kitchen and another one in our room where he sleeps.

Joyce

brookcove

Posted : 10/11/2006 10:09:16 PM

Try putting ice in the water dish. Toilet bowl drinkers seem to be seeking really cold water, at least in my experience. The water in your toilet is substantially cooler than that in a dish, even fresh water.

Luvntzus

Posted : 10/12/2006 1:24:52 AM

I don't think it's very healthy for dogs to drink toliet water. I know I clean our toliet with bleach and most people use cleaners of some sort in there- the residual chemicals can't be healthy.

I would just keep the lid down, or if you have a dog that can lift the lid, I'd keep the bathroom door closed. That's what I have to do because Gingerbread will unroll the toliet paper and shred it, get into the trash, etc.

nwmountaingirl

Posted : 10/12/2006 3:30:14 AM

I guess my dogs are totally domesticated, because they'll stand at their water bowl if they want fresh water. At least they aren't as bad as my previous cat who used to come inside to use the liter box.[sm=proud.gif]

glenmar

Posted : 10/12/2006 5:36:15 AM

I do have a couple who will head for the toilet if given the chance. They don't get the chance. I keep the lids down and fresh water in the bowls always. In warmer months I add ice cubes as well. Even if I've just CLEANED the toilet it's still gross for them to be drinking out of it, and I don't like the idea of the chemicals either.

Deb

Posted : 10/12/2006 6:52:28 AM

I don't use bleach to clean, so I just don't worry about it. My dog does this too, I just make sure I flush...

mudpuppy

Posted : 10/12/2006 8:19:49 AM

I keep the toilet lid down because some of the dogs like to do the "splash water everywhere thing". But we have a nasty muddy stagnant pond at the far end of the property. On more than one occasion I've carefully filled up the buckets with fresh cold water, and had all the dogs sniff at them and then head off to visit the pond for a good old warm muddy drink instead.

faramir denethor

Posted : 10/12/2006 8:25:34 AM

I do have a couple who will head for the toilet if given the chance. They don't get the chance

well, with a houseful of children and their friends, certain rules cannot be so easily enforced.

glenmar

Posted : 10/12/2006 8:34:30 AM

The worst that I ever use in my toilets is scouring powder...typically a bit of baking soda and white vinegar to disinfect. But, in MY bathroom, I keep a rug in front of the toilet....the kind that goes sort of around the toilet......and only because whoever installed the latest tiles didn't cut them properly so there is old tile showing there.....I don't especially LIKE stepping in cold toilet water on the rug.

My youngest "child" is 27. His bathroom door gets kept shut! One I refuse to clean a grown mans toilet, and two, putting the lid down is not something he even considers.....so I just keep that door shut.

magilacudy

Posted : 10/12/2006 8:40:47 AM

I clean the toilet only with a brush and spray aorund with disinfectant. I get sick using alot of different cleaners so i use natural cleaning supplies, like vinager, baking soda, soap. My toilet is clean. There are no harmful chemicles. I figure if she's going to lick her butt, or eat cat poop why would toilet water hurt her? The water from the toilet is the same as drinking from the tap. It's not like pee or poop is in the bowl when she's drinking it.

Firestorm

Posted : 10/12/2006 8:51:26 AM

Harley is too small to reach the toilet. Anyways I clean my toilets with white vinegar and backing soda. Safe for kids and pets. Not that I want my kids or dog drinking toilet water, but if a toy falls in their or whatever I know that they won't get poisoned by my cleaner.

KCSO

Posted : 10/12/2006 9:00:48 AM

Someone told me they had luck using the stuff that turns the toilet water blue. Once it was blue the dog wouldn't drink it anymore. (Not useful advice if you aren't into toxic chemicals, but might work for some people!)

probe1957

Posted : 10/12/2006 9:10:17 AM

Odie doesn't even like to go into the bathroom. Terrible, gawd awful things happen to him there, like the dreaded bath. Then, as if that isn't enough, there is the smell that my wife leaves there that would repel even the most determined doggy.