Drinking Standing Water From Rain Collection Outside?

[Guest lynne893]

Here in LA, we've had the most insanely rainy winter (in 11 years, we've never experienced anything like it). We bought our first home 8 months ago, and don't have gutters on the home. We'd like to get rain-capture barrels to use for plant/flower irrigation, but since we don't have those yet, DH set out several large plastic storage box/bin things to catch water.

 

They're full to the brim, and the dogs LOVE going out and drinking from them. I keep shooing them away, but DH insists there's nothing wrong with letting them drink that standing water.

 

It's got a few bugs in it, dirt at the bottom, etc.

 

Safe or stupid to let them slurp it?

 

TY!

[OwnedBySummer]

Up here, I wouldn't worry about it so much. But I see you're in LA... what kind of chemicals could the rainwater pick up on the way down?

[BootsyCollins]

I wouldn't worry about it at all.

[AKennelFull]

Standing water is a breeding ground for mosquitos. http://www.ehow.com/how_4450990_kill-mosquitoes-standing-water.html

[Guest sirsmom]

I wouldn't worry about fresh rainwater--only if its been standing for a few days. Our 2 drink from a lake in summer and I usually wind up giving Panacur at least once.

[macoduck]

Low probability that pythiosis might appear in a rain collection barrel, but this organism kills - quickly and ugly.

8/2009

Pythiosis alert in Jacksonville NC Recently a necropsy performed by the NC Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory System in Rose Hill NC revealed the cause of death in a 2 year old Labrador to be from the disease Pythiosis.

 

A fungus-like organism, Pythiuminsidiosum inhabits wetlands.

 

Whether a coincidence or not, this particular dog had recently been swimming in the man-made pond at the Jacksonville Commons Recreation Center.

 

Pythiosis is not usually at the top of the list of suspects when the symptoms present, but it certainly something to consider now that it has been diagnosed in North Carolina.

 

Janie Norris from Dunbury TX has lost 3 dogs to this disease and is participating in a research program.

 

 

[GeorgeofNE]

Standing water is a breeding ground for mosquitos. http://www.ehow.com/...ding-water.html

 

 

Lived in LA for four years. Did not see one mosquito.

[macoduck]

Standing water is a breeding ground for mosquitos. http://www.ehow.com/...ding-water.html

 

 

Lived in LA for four years. Did not see one mosquito.

Looks like LA does get mosquitos. linky

[BootsyCollins]

Does it matter if a dog drinks a mosquito?

[Burpdog]

I would never knowingly allow a dog to drink standing water. Go a round with h pylori once....nasty

 

Contracting Leptospirosis

<LI id=jsArticleStep1 itxtHarvested="1" itxtNodeId="9">Leptospirosis is contracted by drinking or swimming in water that has the bacteria. If your dog swims frequently or drinks from standing water, he is at a higher risk for getting the disease

 

Read more: Leptospirosis Shot for Dogs | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_5272606_leptospirosis-shot-dogs.html#ixzz1G2jsE98P

 

 

Helicobacter pylori colonizes 30 to 50% of the world's population. While colonization with the organism is asymptomatic in most individuals, infection with H. pylori is now recognized as a causative agent in chronic gastritis, as well as peptic and duodenal ulcer disease (1, 4, 13). In addition, infection with this organism is associated with mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma and adenocarcinoma (21, 33). Despite the medical importance of H. pylori and its widespread occurrence, little is known about the natural history of the organism.The mode of transmission of H. pylori remains an unresolved and controversial issue. Epidemiological data support either direct person-to-person transmission or transmission through a common source, such as food or water (3, 6, 11, 17, 25, 34). Several investigations have provided evidence that H. pylori may be transmitted by contaminated drinking water (5, 7, 14-16, 19, 24, 26, 30, 31, 32). Recently, the USEPA Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water included H. pylori in its contaminant candidate list (7a), reflecting concerns over possible waterborne transmission. The potential presence of H. pylori in water necessitates the study of the efficacy of treatment processes against H. pylori in drinking water supplies.

 

H pylori

[Guest Scouts_mom]

I would let you dogs drink it as it is in your yard and is in containers, not mud puddles. I would not let my dogs drink standing water in an area with a lot of dogs or other animals around as their poop may have contaminated it.

[Guest 4dogscrazy]

Isn't that why I give my dogs that "mud puddle shot" as I call it, Leptospirosis or whatever? They get it every six months, somthing about standing water?

[Guest lynne893]

I'd rather play it safe than sorry... will share your comments w DH.

Thank you!

[silverfish]

I think there's a difference between rainwater collection water and puddles, ponds, and water that's been sitting around in flower pots or old tin cans for long periods of time. If the boxes you're using for storage are clean, and NOT accessible by rodents or other wildlife I wouldn't worry too much, although I'm in England and things are different in different countries.

 

Here, I don't worry about my dog getting Lepto because all dogs in England are vaccinated against it. More than fifty percent of our wild rodents carry it, according to the last figures I read, and since there are mice and rats everywhere, we have to assume that our dog is going to contact it. So, yes, my dogs have always drunk rainwater from the watering can with no ill effects. As far as Lepto goes, if your dogs swim in rivers or ponds, they have far more chance of catching Lepto than from drinking rainwater in your garden - they can even pick it up from eating grass if infected animals have peed on it.

 

However, there may be parasitesfungal spores/bacteria where you are that are unknown here in England.

[Guest kydie]

all dogs that have here,, have drank rain water,, here I don't worry about it,,

[Yamaha_gurl]

If a bird poops in that water you will have pudding poo for weeks!

[Guest lizmego]

I'd be more concerned with birds using the puddles as baths and then if any fleas are on them, they get washed off in the water, then when your dog drinks they ingest the fleas and then those fleas may turn into tapeworms in your dog. or is that just some old wive's tale? anyone know?

[Guest Wasserbuffel]

I'd be more concerned with birds using the puddles as baths and then if any fleas are on them, they get washed off in the water, then when your dog drinks they ingest the fleas and then those fleas may turn into tapeworms in your dog. or is that just some old wive's tale? anyone know?

 

A flea can't turn into a tapeworm. But if a bird with tapeworms poops in the puddle, a tapeworm will turn into a tapeworm.

[Guest LindsaySF]

Dogs can get tapeworms from eating larval fleas infected with it. (In the "flea tapeworm", Dipylidium caninum, the flea is the intermediate host). Birds can have mites and lice, I do not know if they get fleas? Other local critters/mammals can have fleas obviously.

In the Taeniid tapeworms, dogs get them by eating infected undercooked rabbit or rodent meat. No fleas needed.

The species of tapeworms that affect birds are not the same as those that affect dogs and cats, so a dog can not get a tapeworm directly from a bird.

Edited March 25, 2011 by LindsaySF

[Guest twoskinnydogs]

I live in a City and would never let my dogs drink from rain water. I've seen what the rain has done to the paint on my car, I don't want my hounds drinking acid rain......

[Guest d0ggiem0mma]

Giardia breeds like rampant in standing water. Wouldn't let my hounds near it!!!

[4My2Greys]

You started a thread early March about bad gas and smelly poops. I wonder if the cause is not the foods but bacteria they have picked up from drinking this water.

[Guest Cris_M]

Giardia breeds like rampant in standing water. Wouldn't let my hounds near it!!!

 

Totally agree. And, believe me, you do NOT want your dog to get giardia. He will have the Big, Big D about once every 4-5 days, but you have to catch a sample right before or as the diarrhea begins. That is when the giardia sheds. In other words, you can rack up a large vet bill because tests done at the wrong time show up giardia negative. Then there are more costs if the vet thinks it's not giardia.

 

Having said all that, Duncan still gets an outside slurp every once in a while. It's pretty hard to keep him away from it 100% of the time. Luckily he's been fine. His two buddies who slurp more did get giardia -- twice.