Filtered water fountains?

[sanford]

Does anyone have a recommendation for a filtered water fountain?  (I have convenient access to an outlet for the plug, but I can't use a fountain that must be attached to a sink faucet... I will fill it manually).

Many fountains are advertised with charcoal filters that improve the taste of the water, but that is not my concern... I'm looking for a fountain that filters out bacteria and inhibits the build-up of "slime".

From what I've read online, some are noisy, some are hard to clean and others are unreliable and stop working.

Any info would be greatly appreciated!?

[Hillscreek]

You mean a filtered water fountain for a cairn? I don't know anything about those. I just wash out Angus's water bowl each day and fill fresh. I have good well water and never have slime and don't bother about bacteria. Should I?

[sanford]

Yes, I was asking about a filtered water fountain for a cairn. In attempting to keep my post short, I left out details:

For several years, Ruffy has had "gravel" in his urine, which could be a precursor to stones, so as per the advice of my vet, in addition to an herbal supplement, I've been boiling Ruffy's water for approx. a year now and his last 2 urinalyses show no further evidence of gravel, which is reassuring. The vet also encouraged me to get Ruffy to drink more water. I understand that dogs tend to drink more from "pet fountains", because they like the moving water, which gets aerated and tastes fresher. I don't know if this is true, but the cost of a fountain is not huge so I thought I'd try it.  As I mentioned in my post, the fountains can come with drawbacks, but the inconvenience of boiling water all the time is a drawback as well. Also, the filter eliminates fluoride, etc., which dogs don't need. The slime build-up I mentioned comes from the bacteria that is naturally on the dog's tongue and can cling undetected to the side of a plastic or stainless bowl unless the bowl is clean and carefully washed each time the reservoir is refilled every few days.

Edited August 12, 2016 by sanford

[Sam I Am]

Would distilled  bottled water work? If it does I know up here one can my them in gallon jugs. If you want Duffy to drink more, add extra water to his dinner. I home cook so there is lots of water in the veggies already but I still add water every time I feed Rosie.

[Lynn in TN]

I don't know about the fountains, sorry.

I can tell you though, Prissy would not drink water. I would rarely see her going to the bowl and the few times a day she would just take a couple of sips. The vet recommended that I feed her 2 or 3 times a day smaller amounts and put water on her food, at least a fourth of a cup. She drinks every bit of it and of course eats every bite of her food. It has worked perfectly. The vet did say to throw out the food if any remained. I've never had to throw it out and there is never water left in the bowl either. She also still takes her few sips a day.

 

[shergry]

Just my 2 cents. We had a filtered fountain when we had 3 cairns and a cat. The dogs drank from the bottom of the fountain and the cat preferred hers to be running from the top.

Yes, there can be slime built up and yes you should wash or change filter often. We tended to wash the filter once a week and the fountain was also washed. I must say I loved it....they drank and did their business with no problems. Felt they drank more from fountain than bowl.

Now we have a RO (reverse osmosis) and that is the water put into the bowl. I feel that if I can drink it so should they. Healthy, healthy

I have looked at some recently....just can't decide which I would like. I don't think I would ever get one I had to boil or do something to water before filling it. Just saying my 2 cents is over......

Edited August 12, 2016 by shergry

[hheldorfer]

I was  unfamiliar with these products so I checked them out.  Interesting!  If I was considering one I think I'd buy one of the less expensive models to see if Ruffy liked it.  Boiling all that water has to be a pain.  I imagine that distilled water would be fine except it's still annoying to haul the bottles home.

[_whits_]

You aren't supposed to drink distilled water (as opposed to bottled, tap, or well water) for extended periods of time (any longer than an emergency basis). Longer-term drinking of distilled water is bad for human health (and I assume pet health) because it's entirely stripped of any of the minerals and electrolytes that are necessary for our survival.

Here's a World Health Organization article on long-term risks of distilled water: http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/nutrientschap12.pdf

I wish I could advise on the fountain! I've seen them in pet stores and been tempted, but I worry about maintenance and mold/grime build-up. If you find a good one, please let us know. 

Addie drinks city tap water filtered through a Brita pitcher. I'm not too impressed with charcoal filters because I haven't seen much proof they actually filter out the dangerous stuff (I used to live in an area where it was necessary to filter for safety reasons and they said Brita works but charcoal doesn't). 

[Sam I Am]

Good to know Whitney! Although there do seem to be a lot of different opinions on distilled water. It sounds like bottled spring water is the best if dealing with urinary issues . 

[hheldorfer]

We use a Brita for our drinking water and it's not a lot of trouble.  Maybe that would work for you Sanford.  At least it doesn't require electricity.

[Hillscreek]

Is it possible to tell what minerals etc are removed from your parti cular water b y boiling?

Isn't most bottled water just tap water with chlorine removed? And stored in plastic bottle? Never fancied it for me or Angus.

 My brother living in a town used Britta filter.

Looked up drinking fountains. Think cleaning  and filling regular bowl daily just as easy.

[Pepper Bug's Mom]

We've had two electric water fountains...hard to clean and we gave up.  Now use filtered water - easier to clean the water bowl too.