Is Hard or Soft Water Best for Your Pets?
Every living thing requires water, which is why a full bowl of H2O is vital for your pet. While your pet may enjoy a cool, refreshing drink, which water is best for them? Should you give your pet water from the tap, even if you have hard water? Or should you provide your pet with soft water?
Let’s explore this topic further to ensure you can keep your cat or dog properly hydrated.
Hard Water for Pets
Most experts agree that providing your pets with hard water is not likely to cause any issues. Hard water minerals including magnesium, iron, and calcium are not likely to lead to any health problems. Unfortunately, you can’t assume that your tap water is safe for your pets. Some veterinarians advise against providing dogs and cats with untreated tap water. This is not because of any hard water minerals, but rather the chemicals used during the water treatment process. Holistic vets believe that cats or dogs should not consume chlorine, fluoride and other trace chemicals in tap water.
Additionally, there is a potential for issues from other contaminants that may be lurking in unfiltered tap water. Since your cat or dog has such a small body mass compared to a human, even low levels of certain contaminants could cause significant health issues from exposure.
A 2016 Trupanion study did document a correlation between areas of the U.S with very hard water and medical claims for pets suffering from urinary issues. According to the research, there is a “significantly higher risk” for pets developing urinary health issues in “extremely hard water” areas.
It is important to note that there has been no decisive evidence about water hardness levels and health issues, but this study does highlight a potential red flag, particularly if your cat or dog is prone to urinary problems. Cats are 40 percent more likely to have urinary issues compared to dogs, while female dogs have a 2.5 times greater likelihood compared to male dogs.
Soft Water
If you’ve installed a water softener in your home, it’s likely to use ion exchange; swapping the hard water minerals for sodium ions. The level of sodium added to your water supply is considered low. Unless you are on a very sodium restricted diet, it is not likely to cause any health issues for humans. Unfortunately, as your pets are much smaller, the concentrations of sodium could have adverse effects if your veterinarian has recommended a low sodium diet. The levels of sodium are generally very minimal, but it will depend on the water hardness level of your untreated water. The harder your water, the more sodium will be needed.
An Alternative
Fortunately, you don’t need to find yourself in a quandary of hard or soft water, as there is an alternative. Reverse Osmosis systems can remove up to 99% of contaminants from water supplies to provide great tasting, clean water. RO systems can remove chemicals, metals and even bacteria from your water supply for the entire family to enjoy including your furry friends.