Drinking from a river/puddle?

NateBazooka · #1 10-08-2009, 10:43 PM

I'm not sure if this is something I should stop/be worried about.

I've taken my furry buddy to dog parks several times lately, one of which is Auditorium Shores here in Austin, located right off of town lake. I always bring his portable bowl and bottle of water in case he gets thirsty, but, like treats at the dog park, it can be a little hard giving him a bowl of water without causing a scene, and plus it can be a bit hard to pull him away from the fun times to hydrate him, when I know he's thirsty (I'm really working on his recall - he's just so excited about both the dogs and the people at the park).

So, something that has happened several times is he'll go to the shore area where people with retrievers/labs/etc. will throw sticks into the lake, and run around looking somewhat concerned for the other dogs out fetching, but of course not getting anything but his paws wet (water? eww!). But, he'll also start drinking out of the lake (this is a lake/river that runs smack dab through the middle of Austin - not exactly Hudson Bay, but still...), or worse, a puddle that forms in the rocky area next to the shore.

I certainly wouldn't drink out of either of these sources of water. But then again, he's a dog. I'm just not sure if this is something I should stop/legitimately be concerned about, or if he's just having a good time, he's a dog, he doesn't need a brita filter, etc. Should I just be glad that he's not eating cat poop, or is this behavior I need to interrupt out of fear of him getting worms/diseases/etc.?

gordnbec · #2 10-09-2009, 01:58 AM

I can't see anything wrong with what he is doing he is just being a dog. Just make sure all your vaccinations and worming is upto date. When they drink salty water it can cause a bit of problem loose bowls but i've not had any troubles with dogs i've owned drinking any other kind of water.

Skywalker · #3 10-09-2009, 06:44 AM

Is it flowing water? We have found that drinking from a stream or river is often okay but other sources of water can cause upset stomach. We made the mistake of letting ours drink out of the lake in early summer and he had really bad diarrhoea and some sickness. We took him to the vets and got meds and were advised to stay away from the lake in the summer because of the high bacteria levels. We are cautious about it now and so carry a water bottle with us that he can drink straight out of (you tip it upside down and squirt the water into the trough type bowl I think its called a 'gulpy' and you can clip it on your belt).

Do all the other dogs drink from the water too? I normally talk to other owners to find out whether the water is safe or not. Sometimes it is difficult to stop them though!

LILYLARUE · #4 10-09-2009, 08:33 AM

Running water is ok. Bacteria has a hard time settling in to a flowing water source. Not that particles aren't floating by as your dog's tongue dips, but stagnant water is more risky to assess. If it has ANY green or dark algea growing in it, stay clear. But dogs can still get sick even if the algea isn't visible. The moment water sits, bacteria starts to grow. Good and bad kinds. Guiardia is a common illness that comes from stagnant water that has the bacteria in it. And it is transmittable to humans. Its like an extreme-symptom type flu.

My dogs will drink out of a toilet that was freshly used and not flushed yet. Yes, Buster will stick his head in between my legs and take a drink as I am getting up. Very pushy boy when he's thirsty and the two full water bowls aren't sufficient. LOL Of course I sway him from the task cause it's not only gross, but can't be safe for them.

It's tough to teach them to distinquish which water source is acceptable, so to keep an eye on them is the best way to be sure they don't pick up something in the water.

Gatorblu · #5 10-09-2009, 10:24 AM

We live near three dog parks. Two have lakes and the dogs at these parks are constantly getting sick. According to my vet, giardea is rampant at one of them. I suspect both, it's just my vet is closer to one park. We don't go to the dog park often, but when we go, it's to the one without a lake. I try to remember to bring water and have learned it is easier just to bring a gallon jug and share.

NateBazooka · #6 10-09-2009, 10:53 AM

Thanks for the responses!

I'm thinking in this instance, he's probably alright. Town Lake (which is actually now called "Lady Bird Lake") is really just a reservoir portion of the Colorado River (Yay Austin, having a thousand different names for things), so I'll would assume that that qualifies as moving water. The puddle is a bit ickier and I'll probably still try to interrupt him from doing that, but I don't think it's really a longstanding puddle (one that is there, composed of the same water, all the time), it's just a wet area that happens because there are a bunch of dogs running in and out of the water.

TwoDogs · #7 10-09-2009, 11:52 AM

Don't forget about the risk of Leptospirosis. It's more prevalent in certain areas and in stagnant or standing water, but still can pose some risk. Most vets recommend the vaccine, and it is usually given in the multi vaccines, but not every one, so double check if your dog gets it and discuss with your vet to see if they recommend it.

catdogbird · #8 10-13-2009, 06:46 AM

After drinking from a nearby lake, Bailey had a nasty bout of diarrhea. Turns out she had lapped-up some sort of bug (not giardia cysts, but can't remember what it was). A course of meds took care of it, but the vet said it was something that we all have in our systems that doesn't cause a problem until it gets out of balance (a bacteria of some sort, I believe). He cautioned that it would likely recur and recommended not letting her drink out of the lake or our pond.

Furface · #9 10-13-2009, 10:05 AM

you can also pick up lung worm from puddles

http://www.dfordog.com/didyouknow_lungworm.htm

argosrocks · #10 10-14-2009, 04:11 PM

i live on a lake and was concerned about giardia,,after talking to a few vets,i was told that,basically,if your dog comes in contact with giardia,a healthy dog can live with it and not show any signs or symptoms,and that its probably nothing to worry about. i know this may come as a shock,but at the end of the day,,,there are far more "nasty" things out there than you could ever imagine,and that worrying about everything you or your canine buddy will come in contact with ,will only make your life miserable worrying about them.i do let my guy swim in the lake,and yes ,he does drink from it,,i think not letting him enjoy it is more cruel than keeping him on shore watching all the action.