Are you the owner of a pet who will happily drink from a muddy rain puddle but turns its nose up when presented with a nice clean bowl of drinking water?
Maybe the reason is that our pets, rather than just being picky drinkers, are more in touch with nature - and as such are more sensitive to the chemicals added to keep consumers safe.
By accident or design, some owners have found their pets will only drink filtered water.
Why do some pets prefer filtered water?
The main issue our four-legged friends tend to have with water is the chemical content, which affects the smell and taste and puts them off drinking. This is down to chlorine, which is added at the disinfection stage.
However, with their smaller bodies and susceptibility to all sorts of conditions, some pet owners believe that the contaminants and chemicals found in drinking water are best left out - or reduced - from their pet's diet. To this end they serve up tasty filtered water.
And it's not just dogs that enjoy filtered drinking water. Cats enjoy a fresh, cold supply while some owners of guinea pigs and rabbits choose to give their pets filtered water believing that tap water can cause bladder issues.
Fish owners will be well aware of the effects of added chemicals on their pets as chlorine in tap water can be harmful to fish and needs to be removed with the aid of a dechlorinator.
Dehydration affects pets too...
As many families choose to use water filters to provide a better quality of drinking water for themselves they cannot see why they would offer anything less to their pet.
And, just like humans, pets are vulnerable to the effects of dehydration so it is important they have ready access to drinking water that they will enjoy. Dehydration is a serious problem in animals and pets displaying the symptoms should be taken to a vet.
In dogs and cats the signs to look out for include:
- Loss of appetite
- Lethargy
- Sunken eyes
- Dry nose and gums
- Loss of skin elasticity
Why get a water filter for you pet?
To make sure your pet always gets enough water to drink, make sure they have ready access to fresh filtered water. Make sure this is changed regularly as pets also have a tendency to only enjoy fresh, cool water - unless it's a stagnant puddle of course!
Let your pet enjoy the best quality water by installing a Doulton Water Filter - the rest of the family will benefit too!
