Are you thinking of giving your dog distilled water? Is hydrating in this way a good idea?
Here’s the deal:
If your water source contains impurities or other harmful contamination, using distilled water makes sense — at least in the short term.
The removal of trace elements does not render water unsafe.
Dogs can have distilled water.
With that being said, relying on it to hydrate is not recommended. Keep reading to learn more…
Your Dog Can Occasionally Drink Distilled Water
But you should not provide it regularly.
H2O loses numerous beneficial properties, including valuable ions as well as key minerals, once vaporized and condensed back to liquid.
Two such examples are calcium and magnesium; both have a net positive effect on health.
The point is this:
Why give your dog distilled water if your faucet water is safe, basically free of cost and also healthier in the long run?
The Water Dogs Need And Want
While not conclusively proven, some canines may develop potassium deficiencies and even heart problems after years of consuming of distilled water.
That sounds like a contradiction, but not really.
Once again, it’s not that distilled water is dangerous. It’s that regular water is so nutritious!
For example, tap water contains electrolytes that will support your dog’s kidney function.
Besides, animals usually do not prefer distilled water as it tends to taste flat or dry.
In fact, it is been said that vaporized H2O is not as thirst quenching.
You may even notice your dog drinking more distilled water compared to the regular stuff for this very reason!
Spring, Purified and Tap Water
The truth is that hydrating your dog from the tap is not much different from spring water.
That’s right!
Your faucet draws mostly from a local reservoir which is likely sourced from a nearby river which, in turn, is probably fed from a spring.
But, the thing is, even fresh spring water has impurities which is why it undergoes a chlorination process. And even after carbon filtration, spring typically contains metals and nitrates just like from the tap.
Get a quality purification system if you really want to provide your dog with clean and healthy H2O. Distilled water won’t cut it.
It cannot be stressed enough:
Avoid frequently providing water that’s had its trace mineral content destroyed.
While it’d be fine to give your dog occasionally, distilled is not how you should achieve healthy hydration.
Concerned About Your Tap Water?
In most areas in the US, the tap water is totally fine for drinking.
You can leave it out for your dog without concern.
If you are worried about your tap water, simply buy a sufficient supply of a good bottled brand until you can get the proper testing done.
The Bottom Line
Distilled water won’t harm your dog.
Nevertheless, you should be giving regular tap water on the regular. Go this simple and easy route and your dog will benefit in terms of receiving the most minerals and ions.
As a rule, you should not hydrate with distilled water each and every day.
I always use distilled water for my dogs. In addition to their main diet, they are supplemented with chopped and cooked vegetables such as broccoli, burdock, carrot, sweet potatoes, tiny splices, parsley, bits of sauerkraut kraut, turmeric, ginger and kelp.
From what I gather, distilled water attracts and helps flush inorganic or hard to dissolve minerals. It does not alter organic minerals. Mineral water consumption just builds more harmful deposits.
At no time are they given tap spring or purified water.
My dog recently had bladder surgery for Struvite crystal stones. What water should she drink to prevent this from happening again? Thank you.
My Labrador bitch has a yeast problem on her paws and she keeps licking and chewing on them. I have started a hydrogen peroxide and water rinse as well as 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with her food. Should I also give her distilled water to drink? All info would be grateful received with thanks.
I have been trying to figure out what type of bottled water I should give to my dogs. Does anyone know if purified water is good for dogs? It goes through a reverse osmosis process removing contaminants and minerals from what I understand.
The amount of nutrients in water is so minimal that it does not matter. There is nothing wrong with distilled water.
In our town we have a lot of metal in our water and I can’t stand the taste. I can smell the chemical odor in it so we drink bottled water that is delivered. I sure hope you are wrong about it being tap water because we pay a good amount. Where do you get your info about that from? All I know is that it tastes a whole lot better.
My pups drink the tap water and I cringe every time. I tried using filtered water, however, they go through water too fast to keep up. It didn’t do anything for their eyes anyway. I am now concerned after reading all responses that I shouldn’t give them tap water.
Distilled water is not a big danger. Bottled “spring” water is just tap water. Tap water has minerals, which essentially turn into cement in your arteries. You’ve all seen old pipes, right? I’ve had my pets drink distilled water all of their lives and they’ve lived to 20+ years old.
Sure there may have been the occasional times when the power was out, or we went on a trip where they had to drink tap water, but that does not even account for 2% of the total water consumption in their entire life. Please, don’t drink the bottled water kool-aid.
I have been giving my 16 month old pup (part Pomeranian and part Shih Tzu) distilled water for a year because I was told it helped with tear staining. My former dog had terrible tear stains – same breed – so I was happy to hear that some dogs live long lives with it.
I have been giving my dog distilled water from the age of 9 weeks. He’s now 6 months old and he seems very healthy and no tear stains. I recently ran out of distilled water and haven’t had time to get more so for the last 2-3 days. He has been drinking tap water and all of a sudden he has massive diarrhea. I’m not sure if the two are related or if he just ate something he shouldn’t have.
I have used distilled water with my 3 year old Shih Tzu for the last 12 months, since I moved to a different town. The quality of tap water is horrible. He is doing great. Just two weeks ago he went to the vet for a regular check up and he is just fine. The reason I was reading this article is because a co-worker told me distilled water isn’t safe for pets.
My 5 year old Cocker Spaniel recently had a tennis ball size bladder stone removed. She has recovered nicely, but I’m still concerned about why the stone was present in the first place. We have a deep well and I’ve never had the water tested. I’m sure there are a lot of minerals, and think that probably it was a build up of those minerals that caused the stone.
I’ve been giving her more and more distilled water, but have been reading that it’s not a good idea, but that spring water (which still has minerals in it) would be better. My vet said the spring water would be fine when I mentioned distilled water.
I do not want my dog to suffer by getting another stone. I wish someone would give accurate information. One website says distilled is fine, the next says never to give it to them, and yet another said sometimes it’s okay. Which is it?
My vet says my dog should only drink distilled water because minerals caused her bladder stones. I think its probably best to listen to my vet but I am concerned by the information saying it is bad. My dog cannot digest minerals though and has a special food too. So I guess distilled is the best if the problem is minerals.