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Many of us strive for healthier lifestyles, from healthy food to quality exercise to how much water to drink. Chances are, if you have a furry family member, they are a big part of your life, and you want to ensure they lead a healthy lifestyle too! Dogs and cats are prone to the same diseases and ailments that affect humans. A significant part of ensuring your four-legged friend stays healthy is making sure they get excellent quality drinking water to stay hydrated. Maybe you have heard about the many health benefits of drinking alkaline water for people and wonder, “Can my dog drink alkaline water?”
Luckily, the water purification experts at Crystal Clear Water have a detailed answer to your question!
Summary
The short answer for if alkaline water is safe for dogs is that, in most cases, alkaline water is safe for your dog to drink. One study revealed that alkaline water encouraged pets to drink more water. In addition, drinking alkaline water can improve your dog’s digestion and metabolism, helping them feel happier, healthier, and more energetic. However, there are some instances where alkaline water is not the best choice for your pup: with medication, an hour before meals, and if your dog is nursing.
What Is Alkaline Water?
The pH level defines alkaline water. The pH scale ranges from 0 (where 0 is acidic) to 14 (where 14 is more alkaline, also called basic). A neutral value is 7; anything below is acidic, and anything above is alkaline. Regular tap and spring water usually have a neutral pH of 7, while most alkaline water has a pH of 8 or 9. In addition, alkaline water contains numerous minerals, such as:
- Calcium
Most important, during the growth and suckling stages of young puppies and kittens
Your dog’s and cat’s bones store 99% of calcium
- Potassium
Helps create energy
Helps keep a balance of pressure with sodium
- Sodium
Helps balance the pressure in your dog’s and cat’s cells
Regulates water intake
Encourages your pet to drink water, flushing out toxins and other minerals that may become stones
- Magnesium
Helps build your pet’s bones
Produces energy
Needed to promote a working nervous system
Dogs and Alkaline Water
There is not a considerable amount of scientific research concerning the impact of alkaline water on dogs. However, many pet owners report that implementing alkaline water as a part of their pet’s everyday diet has improved their dog’s health in several noticeable ways.
1. Helps With Smelly Poop
Alkaline water can help improve the smell of your dog’s poop because the higher pH level can neutralize odors. Try alkaline water if you’re tired of the stinky smell of your dog’s poop!
2. Better Hydration
Alkaline water tastes sweeter, meaning it is more appealing than regular water. This often encourages your dog to drink more and stay better hydrated.
3. Improves Bad Breath
Alkaline water improves hydration and blood viscosity which restores body hydration faster and aids in proper blood flow resulting in better breath and a shinier coat!
4. Higher Energy Levels
Alkaline water can boost energy levels because the higher pH level makes it easier for a dog’s body to absorb nutrients and hydrate cells! So if your dog is feeling a little sluggish, alkaline water may be just what they need.
5. Stronger, Denser Growing Bones In Puppies
Once your puppy is no longer nursing, alkaline water can help ensure your puppy continues to get adequate calcium levels!
6. Improved Joint Health
Dogs are similar to humans in many health aspects. They also face joint discomfort and issues as they age. Alkaline water helps improve joint health by maintaining cartilage health and preventing osteoporosis – a condition where bones become weak and brittle.
7. Helps Treat Dog Allergies
Alkaline water has higher levels of calcium. Calcium helps treat common allergies your pet develops due to the abundance of corn in many dog food brands.
8. Fights Hair Loss
Alkaline water helps fight the microbial growth that results in alopecia. In addition, it helps reduce the stripping of acidic sebum, which leads to hair loss. Finally, alkaline water helps flush out harmful free radicals that expedite the hair loss process. So if your furry friend is dealing with hair loss, alkaline water may help!
9. Kidney Benefits
In addition, a study did find that alkaline ionized water was a valuable component in treating metabolic acidosis, which results in renal (kidney) failure in dogs. Researchers need to conduct more experiments concerning the health benefits of alkaline water on dogs, but many observations reveal positive results!
When Dogs Shouldn’t Have Alkaline Water?
Knowing when giving alkaline water to your dog could damage their health is essential. See below for all the instances where alkaline water is not the best choice for your furry friend!
1. Don’t give your dogs alkaline water with their meals.
Don’t give your dog alkaline water for at least one hour before giving them a meal. Dogs have powerful hydrochloric acid in their stomach to digest raw meat and even bones. So giving alkaline water may result in poor digestion as the alkaline water neutralizes your pet’s stomach acid.
2. No Alkaline Water With Medication
Alkaline water can boost your dog’s metabolism, so mixing it with your dog’s medication isn’t a great idea. Because the alkaline water can induce faster digestion, it will cause your pet to metabolize its medicine faster. This poses a problem scientists design medications to release into the body at a medically prescribed rate. You don’t want to rush it!
3. Alkaline Water Is Not Good For Nursing Dogs
Vets recommend only giving purified water to a nursing dog. Giving your nursing dog alkaline water can result in calciuria (calcium in the urine), which results in higher levels of calcium absorption for the puppies who are nursing.
4. No Alkaline Water For Nursing Puppies
Do not give alkaline water to your nursing puppy. Puppies already get high calcium levels from the milk their mother provides them. Alkaline water will increase calcium levels, which can result in calciuria.
What Is A Safe pH Water Level for Dogs?
Most vets recommend a pH value of the lowest alkaline level of 8.5. Know it is not wrong to give your dog tap water. It is the most popular choice for pet owners due to its accessibility, convenience, and cost.
How To Give Alkaline Water to Your Dog?
If you feel alkaline water is the best choice for your pet and your family, the most cost-effective way to provide this water long-term is through a quality water filtration system. A water filtration system can raise the pH level of your tap water, ensuring your dog gets all the benefits of alkaline water without costing you a substantial amount of money in bottled water every month. Simply turn on your faucet, fill up their water bowl, and let them drink all the benefits to their heart’s content.
Give the team at Crystal Clear Water a call today! We are happy to answer any and all questions you have concerning the quality of your water and how to help make every family member happier and healthier.
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