Fresh Water – Essential for Hydration and Hygiene in Pets
WATER – the most precious thing in the world and without which the life lines on earth cannot sustain, is an important entity for all living beings – from plants, humans to animals. Scientifically proven as a perfect nutrient for humans as well as animals, water keeps life throbbing in all seasons.
Everybody knows the importance of water as it is useful in digestion, provides hydration, makes 70% of blood, and without adding up the calories, it works like an excellent diet. Still, how many of pet parents are aware of the importance of water in their pet’s life. Normally, water is a forgotten nutrient and necessity sometimes, leading pet to critical conditions like dehydration or diseases caused due to contaminated water.
Pet owners ought to know that whether it’s winter or summer, pets do require water and that too fresh water for their good health. You need to be always proactive when it comes to supplying water to your pets no matter what the season is.
Here are the few things that you should always consider when providing water for your pets
- Be careful when providing water to your pets as it is more essential to look for that you are not making mistakes in either contaminating the water or providing the tap water, which is not fit for drinking.
For outside pets, if you are having troughs or water buckets in the yard, clean them thoroughly regularly.
- It these containers have any form of micro-organisms or dry leaves in the water or any remaining mosquito larvae, remove the water, rinse the vessel properly and again store fresh water in it. Pets can stay healthy if you follow this on a regular basis.
If your drinking water supply is from a private well, make sure to have it tested every alternate year for contamination or presence of toxic minerals.
- Most of the houses have water filters that remove all the sickness-causing organisms. Providing filtered water for your pets is beneficial as it prevents harmful microorganisms or metal from being ingested.
Especially in winters, look for water heaters if you can provide for outside animals or you can arrange to supply warm water to your pet at least once in a day.
- During seasonal changes, at times government bodies declare “boil water” order. If you are following this order as a precaution for yourself, your pets should not be an exception. Boil water for your pets and provide them in a clean container.
When the weather changes too hot, most of the pets do love to have a cool drink. Check that you are providing cool water to your outdoor pets during summer lest they may heat up due to hot weather. The opposite is true during the cold weather.
- Cats and dogs both require plenty of fresh water. Cats are little squeamish when it comes to water. They avoid drinking the water stored for longer time. So, remember to provide fresh water.
Moreover, if you find that your dog or cat is not drinking enough water, attract them by pouring water from a tuna can to the bowl or add chicken and beef flavors to the water.
- For sick or elderly pets, add some flavor into their water and encourage them to drink as they mostly avoid drinking water at this stage.
Some horses disagree to drink water due to unknown reasons. Adding any flavor like apple tang into their water makes them readily agree to drink water.
- Fond of fishes and have those in your aquarium, then the water in the tank can greatly affect them if it contains high amount of chlorine or ammonia. Consider testing water and ensure to have certain pH value, which is essential in tank water for fish to have a healthy environment.
Water is the most crucial part of pet’s health, which makes it important for us that we should not ignore the importance of water for pets. Whereas it becomes part of our pet parent responsibility that we supply them fresh, clean and hot/cold water according to season daily. Seeing them quenching their thirst contentedly is what makes us happy.