If you’re an animal lover, you probably try to do everything you can to ensure your dog is as happy and as healthy as possible. From taking them for regular walks to giving them the best food you can afford, you probably spend a significant amount of time and money every week caring for your family pet.

However, one aspect that a lot of dog owners overlook is the quality of the water they give to their pet. In many parts of the country, tap water contains high levels of contaminants. In humans these can cause a range of long term health problems, and the same may well be true for dogs.

Reducing levels of copper

As tap water travels through our water systems, it picks up all sorts of contaminants from the pipes. As many of the pipes that make up our water networks are copper, high levels of the metal are found in most homes in the country. A water filter will remove the vast majority of the copper in your system, leaving your water healthier, tastier and safer.

Reducing chlorine

The water that’s pumped into our homes via the mains is dosed with chlorine in order to make it safe to drink. As dogs have much more sensitive noses and taste buds than we do, it’s very likely they register this powerful chemical in their drinking water. This may be one of the reasons why dogs like drinking from toilets, as chemicals in H2O disperse the longer water is sitting stagnant. To give your dog a tastier treat, swap their tap water for filtered and watch them enjoy the fresher, less pungent flavour.

Regulating temperature

Though dogs are generally not very fussy when it comes to drinking water (muddy puddles are just as tempting to them as fresh mineral water), they will appreciate cooled water during the summer months. Not only is cold water more refreshing, as pet health website PetMD says “water also serves to cool the body down and works to maintain a normal body temperature”, helping your pet to stay more comfortable when it’s hot outside.

Reduce the harm your dog does in the garden

If the ingredients going into your dog are purer, it follows that the waste that comes out will contain fewer chemicals and contaminants. This can help to take the corrosive edge off of your dog’s wee, preventing brown patches appearing on your lawn and giving your garden a new lease of life.

As well as being great for dogs, filtered water has a range of other benefits, explore our site today to find out more.

[Photos by Didgeman and skeeze]