[PlaYtiMe24_7]

Xena must hate good water.  I always have a supply of fresh clean FILTERED water in her bowl at all times....yet she chooses the toilet water. Often times we have come in from a nice long jog and shes panting like crazy, and even though her water is fairly clean, ill clean it out right there, put some filtered water from the fridge, and show it to her...and she just looks at me like, "ok, mom....what would u like me to do with that?" Then when im not paying attention, she'll slink off to the bathroom and drink from toilet. I'll get her out, shut the bathroom door and direct her to her water and again shell give me the look.

Also, when were outside in the backyard, ill bring her bowl of water out there with us and yet she chooses the pool water! It is sooo rare that i see her actually choose to drink from her own bowl. I'm afraid all this bad water she's drinking might upset her stomach or have some other negative impact on her health. It hasnt so far...but maybe it'll catch up with her??

Any idea WHY she's doing this and what to do to stop it?? Thanks.

 

[Nexu]

I actually looked it up on the internet a little while back, lol.  Not that anyone knows for sure but I think the thought process is that the toilet water is changed out more frequently (when you honestly think about it, a bowl of water lasts all day for Lola, the toilet might get flushed 5-6... 10 times).  It probably stays colder too.

Who knows for sure why they do it but Lola loves to drink out of the toilet too, or stick her head in the shower while I'm in it!

Just make sure you don't add anything to the toilet water like those little disks that make the water blue or add bleach to the water - that could be bad!

 

[samsonsmom]

Samson was a toilet drinker when I got him, but broke him of it simply by making sure I left the seats down....Now, when I lived in Cali, we had a pool and Buck & Tia always drank out of it, even the cat did, never had any problems, but we didn't keep the chemical levels real high...I was actually more worried about how the chlorine would effect their coats, especially Buck as he was in the pool soo much....Don't know why I worried, he had a gorgous glossy coat...

 

[lulu]

I have the same problem with Ekim although he has a fresh bowl of water off to the toilet he runs. I wish my problem was easily solved by putting down the lid, but the little stinker knows how to open it.

 

[Mastray]

Well unless you add tablets to your toilet water like I do... it's just as clean as the water you get from the faucet. Your shower, toilet, faucet water... all the same so that's not a big deal. I mean it is because well, a toilets a toilet but you know lol. Odin started drinking out of the toilet months ago. We just kept the lids down and doors closed. Now he doesn't even bother. You and Lulu... you should try buying those child proof locks that they sell for toilets... bet that would work.

As far as the pool goes... don't have any experience with that... just a kiddie pool and that's just regular water... sorry.

 

[TinkerbelleNdMaddy]

For the longest time all of our dogs would drink out of the toilet. When people would come to visit and saw thats where they drank they were disgusted! It was pretty normal around us, its clean water! But now we have a water cooler type thing that dispenses water. But when there isn't any water left, they head straight for the toilet.

 

[CrazieKC]

Both of our dogs drink from the toilet. We actually prefer it b/c they make a HUGE mess when they drink from a bowl. I don't find it gross b/c I clean my toilet and it's just water that happens to be in a toilet bowl...but come on...they lick themselves, I'm sure they don't care. haha

 

[SummerLuv]

I noticed that with summer but she just started it and I have no idea why.

 

[PlaYtiMe24_7]

Our bowl does get cleaned often but i still worry about the bacteria and stuff that could be lurking. Wouldn't want my baby getting sick from it. And as far as the pool goes...we have people come and clean the pool for us. I don't know if they use alot of chemicals...i would assume so being that they recommend waiting a few hours after they clean it before getting in. If the toilet water doesnt get em sick, cant the chlorine cause some problems?

 

[Honeyec]

Your shower, toilet, faucet water... all the same so that's not a big deal.

In Ireland the cold tap in your kitchen comes directly from the mains but all other taps in the house are fed from a tank in your attic (this also comes from the mains, obviously, but via the tank).  My mum (and now Emmet) constantly tells me not to drink out of the upstairs taps in case there's rust or anything in the tank (we even had birds bathing in it in my parents house once!) but I always do because A) if I wake up during the night I'm not going all the way downstairs for a drink, and B) I think it's way nicer!

Anyways, it hasn't killed me yet and the way I see it is that between flushing toilets, using the washing machine, shower, bath, whatever, the water in the tank is constantly getting refreshed and replaced - it's not like it's sitting there for days on end and stagnating!  The tank is also covered.

 

[Zhanna]

There maybe something in the "tap" water that he likes.  Some sort of chemical or mineral or something.  I would not give filtered water.  Regular tap water is fine.  My grandma used to collect rain water and the dog really preferred the rain water to tap water.