Home made doggy water fountain for constantly clean water?

[FlyingNimbus]

Hello, weird maybe dumb idea... but I got this idea from previously owning aquariums....


In aquariums, before you can even put fish in you have to have a "matured" or "Cycled" aquarium. If you put a fish in an uncycled aquarium, the tank will explode with ammonia as there are no ammonia eating bacteria present-- later on the stage if you still put it in half way, the ammonia might be lower, but your nitrites will be a lot higher which will still make the fish ill.... If the whole nitrogen process is complete you will only be seeing nitrates which are not harmful to fish and are used by live plants.

This helps keep the water quality good.

But my idea is making a dog water fountain that keeps the water clean, clear, and free of heavy metals. I don't trust my tap water but with this I wouldn't have so much of a problem...

My tap water I have to fix before i even give it to her.


My question is this a good idea? Like if a dog drank out of say-- a clean pond.. well maybe not a pond... but say something like a clean stream or a river(cleanest you can think of-- since I know some look gross) and say there were no "bad bacteria" because it's kept in check. Would this work? She's sometimes picky about drinking water, but for whatever reason prefers to drink out of a puddle or water on the ground...


Also thought of this as I started noticing rust in one of the plates I used(I got it from petsmart the day I got her in a hurry-- I got that over ceramic because unluckily for me I tend to break things as I am clumsy, and it's not a matter of being careful-- because if you have poor eyesight and sometimes things are not where you think you see that they are .. well you know).

Any ideas to keep a fresh stream of circulating water? I know they sell little water pumps which I can fashion into a filter (I could use a sump system), and for aquariums they sell things which physically remove impurities from the water(I am not talking about chemicals, I am talking about special filter padding that are extremely dense, and carbon, and there's another thing used which works like carbon and it's like a white stone and it sucks up all the crap out of the water and when its dirty it turns darker).

I mean technically, animals in the wild would be drinking from streams, ponds, or whatever source of water they can get.. which of course comes with its own risks... but I am asking this because she seems more comfortable drinking from puddles, water on the floor(when she sees the water move she starts to drink it).

I change her water often. But even if you change it often, if it's not properly filtered and kept clean...


Not sure if my ideas are good or just plain ol' dumb... but I thought I'd ask before I tried anything. She seems to not want to drink much recently.

[matese]

I don't have an answer to your question, but that sounds like a lotta work, have you tried bottle water for your pooch?

[Lovetodream88]

They make pet water fountains and they are a huge pain keeping everything clean is an issue. You can put a filter on your sink. Nothing honestly is cleaner and fresher then a bowl you can clean and put fresh water in daily. Dogs really shouldn't be drinking out of pounds or streams because their are several illnesses and bugs they can get from doing that so not a great example because those things are pretty germy even if clear. Real stainless steal bowls should not rust so you might want to look for some real ones.

[canana]

Originally Posted by matese

I don't have an answer to your question, but that sounds like a lotta work, have you tried bottle water for your pooch?

This is so funny to me, because whenever I have any ideas, my fiance will say this to me.

Originally Posted by Lovetodream88

They make pet water fountains and they are a huge pain keeping everything clean is an issue. You can put a filter on your sink. Nothing honestly is cleaner and fresher then a bowl you can clean and put fresh water in daily. Dogs really shouldn't be drinking out of pounds or streams because their are several illnesses and bugs they can get from doing that so not a great example because those things are pretty germy even if clear. Real stainless steal bowls should not rust so you might want to look for some real ones.

I would agree the best thing to keep water fresh is to use a clean bowl with fresh filtered or bottled water. Try to wash the bowl every day too. They'll have build up even if you're only filling it with water every day.

Those pet water fountains are big, clumsy, and look like they'd be a hassle to clean. Or maybe I just try to be a minimalist.

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by canana

This is so funny to me, because whenever I have any ideas, my fiance will say this to me.



I would agree the best thing to keep water fresh is to use a clean bowl with fresh filtered or bottled water. Try to wash the bowl every day too. They'll have build up even if you're only filling it with water every day.

Those pet water fountains are big, clumsy, and look like they'd be a hassle to clean. Or maybe I just try to be a minimalist.

Trust me they are a pain! For about 5 years of Callie's life we had several different ones and they all were hard to clean. When we moved we packed it to move but couldn't get to it the first few days so just used a bowl and she was much happier with the bowl. Water makes things slimy so it has to be cleaned very often.

[Wylie's Mom]

I would just find a bowl she likes and clean it regularly.

[anakarydas]

Has anybody tried those bottles that you hang on the crates???
I remember someone recommending them for keeping the face hairs dry.....

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by anakarydas

Has anybody tried those bottles that you hang on the crates???
I remember someone recommending them for keeping the face hairs dry.....

They don't seem to get enough water with those in my opinion

[FlyingNimbus]

Originally Posted by matese

I don't have an answer to your question, but that sounds like a lotta work, have you tried bottle water for your pooch?

Work? I call it a hobby. lol. Looking for ways to improve my pets life and somewhat making it easier on me in the long run.

[FlyingNimbus]

Originally Posted by canana

This is so funny to me, because whenever I have any ideas, my fiance will say this to me.



I would agree the best thing to keep water fresh is to use a clean bowl with fresh filtered or bottled water. Try to wash the bowl every day too. They'll have build up even if you're only filling it with water every day.

Those pet water fountains are big, clumsy, and look like they'd be a hassle to clean. Or maybe I just try to be a minimalist.

It's debatable to be honest. I mean if you never change the water in the fountain then I would think so.


But I mean a DIY water fountain with better features....

[FlyingNimbus]

Originally Posted by Lovetodream88

Trust me they are a pain! For about 5 years of Callie's life we had several different ones and they all were hard to clean. When we moved we packed it to move but couldn't get to it the first few days so just used a bowl and she was much happier with the bowl. Water makes things slimy so it has to be cleaned very often.

It's not particularly that water is the culprit-- it's the fact that bacteria are everywhere and the slime you feel is the beneficial bacteria growing on the side of the water container. Well beneficial to say things like aquarium, but to avoid any of that one could say theoretically use an aquarium grade UV sterilizer-- which can also be found for the water you drink. It basically works like chlorine-- excepts it wont harm you nor anything other than the bacteria in the water.


On the subject of that, there are germs everywhere... and no amount of cleaning will remove them unless you use a heavy dose of chlorine each time you clean your pets stuff... that or boiling it at really high temperatures could kill 90-99% of bacteria, viruses, etc.

But I do get what you mean. Bottled water isn't something that makes much of a difference...

Bottled Water Comes From the Most Drought-Ridden Places in the Country – Mother Jones


They're the same thing you would find in your tap water.

I don't know I only ask because my dog doesnt want to drink water often like she should... But then again she's been having problems recently like soft stool, and after she eats she coughs like shes gonna regurgutate.

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by FlyingNimbus

It's not particularly that water is the culprit-- it's the fact that bacteria are everywhere and the slime you feel is the beneficial bacteria growing on the side of the water container. Well beneficial to say things like aquarium, but to avoid any of that one could say theoretically use an aquarium grade UV sterilizer-- which can also be found for the water you drink. It basically works like chlorine-- excepts it wont harm you nor anything other than the bacteria in the water.


On the subject of that, there are germs everywhere... and no amount of cleaning will remove them unless you use a heavy dose of chlorine each time you clean your pets stuff... that or boiling it at really high temperatures could kill 90-99% of bacteria, viruses, etc.

But I do get what you mean. Bottled water isn't something that makes much of a difference...

Bottled Water Comes From the Most Drought-Ridden Places in the Country – Mother Jones


They're the same thing you would find in your tap water.

I don't know I only ask because my dog doesnt want to drink water often like she should... But then again she's been having problems recently like soft stool, and after she eats she coughs like shes gonna regurgutate.

I didn't say anything about bottled water. No mater how you make the fountain it's going to get gross and hard to clean it's just how it is. I have used many. If there is water in her food like wet or moist food she is getting water that way.

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by FlyingNimbus

... But then again she's been having problems recently like soft stool, and after she eats she coughs like shes gonna regurgutate.

If she's having chronic soft stool, then you very likely need to change foods or something in her diet.

Is she "coughing" bc she's eating too fast? If so, try putting a golf ball in her dish, or you could one of those food dishes that's made for fast eaters.

If it truly seems like she is regurgitating (not vomiting, that's different), then perhaps she is having reflux/GERD and needs Pepcid.

[FlyingNimbus]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

If she's having chronic soft stool, then you very likely need to change foods or something in her diet.

Is she "coughing" bc she's eating too fast? If so, try putting a golf ball in her dish, or you could one of those food dishes that's made for fast eaters.

If it truly seems like she is regurgitating (not vomiting, that's different), then perhaps she is having reflux/GERD and needs Pepcid.

She coughs shortly after eating, sometimes it lasts a few minutes sometimes a little longer. Dont actually count or keep tabs because I feel it might just be her eating fast.

Shes a bit weird sometimes, eats at her own pace but once she starts eating she gobbles it down.

As for dishes I uhh I sort of got her a smaller dish today so I would give her food in limited quantities-- but mostly because I thought it was adorable and it's made of ceramic.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....nL._SY355_.jpg

http://i.ebayimg.com/thumbs/images/g...lE-/s-l225.jpg


there's another one I got for her too (those two images are of the one food dish it just has images on the side and inside) which is a different pattern.

In retrospect I probably should had gotten the one that was tumble proof. But they didnt have it (I found this at walmart).


Was thinking it would be easier for her because its more shallow. One for water and one for food.

[Russpilot]

We have terrible water here so we have gone with bottled spring water from the start. Also it comes from a natural aquifer here in FL which hasn't got any worries about drought!