Dogs will drink from the toilet when they’ve emptied their regular water bowls and need to quench their thirst. Others simply prefer the cool water, especially during the peak of summer.
Some of our canine companions are selective about their water sources and may find drinking from the toilet convenient. This dirty habit can place your dog at risk of disease because of the bacteria in the bowl. In this guide, we look at why dogs drink from the toilet and why it isn’t safe for them.
There Are Many Reasons Behind Toilet Drinking
Most dogs will happily lap water from their drinking bowls, an outdoor water source, or even the garden tap. For others, the toilet becomes their choice of hydration. While it certainly is a gross and unusual habit, there may be plausible reasons for their behavior. Dogs are natural scavengers, and they will search for food or water in easily accessible areas, the bathroom being one of them!
If your dog’s water bowl is too shallow, and they consume water quickly without it being replenished, they have to find an alternative water source. The toilet bowl is close and convenient, preventing heatstroke and dehydration. In summer, the water in the lavatory is cooler than in drinking bowls, which helps your pooch reduce their overall body temperature.
Your canine companion could be sensitive to the chemical taste that results from water standing in a plastic bowl all day. The toilet offers them a constant fresh water source, which reinforces their behavior.
Is Toilet Water Safe for Dogs?
The water in your toilet is refilled each time you flush, but this doesn’t mean it is safe for a dog to drink. The water that makes its way into the bowl may include bacteria from the surrounding pipes and bowl. But even if the bowl is regularly disinfected, lavatories are designed to remove waste, and where there’s waste, there’s bacteria. The most common bacteria you will find in and around the toilet are E. coli, Salmonella, Staphylococcus, and Campylobacter.
Apart from bacteria and germs that make pets very sick, toilets are a haven for chemicals. Products used to sanitize the bowl range from harsh bleaches to fragrant deodorizers. Unfortunately, dogs will be at risk of consuming chemical residue when they make their way to the bowl. Because these chemicals are diluted by water, pets that come into contact with the remaining substances may experience irritation around their mouths and a bit of digestive upset. If you are cleaning the toilet, keep the door closed to prevent your dog from popping their head into the bowl.
Recognizing Signs of Illness in Your Dog
For dogs that have the misfortune of getting sick after drinking from the toilet, you’ll notice a change in their behavior, activity levels, and appetite. A stomach infection caused by E. coli causes abdominal cramps and lethargy. Severe infections lead to vomiting and constant diarrhea. These symptoms cause listlessness, which increases their risk of dehydration. Dogs in this condition must see a professional veterinarian.
If they have suffered from chemical poisoning because they’ve drank undiluted cleaning agents, you’ll have to rush them to the vet as an emergency. Household products used to clean toilets will irritate their esophagus and stomachs. These abrasives are responsible for nausea, drooling, vomiting, and lethargy. If it becomes life-threatening, you’ll notice that the color of your dog’s gums will turn pale, and your dog could even develop a fever. If you think that toilet disinfectants have poisoned your fur friend, call the vet and see them immediately.
Stopping Your Dog from Drinking Toilet Water
If you don’t intervene when your dog chooses the toilet as a beverage, they will simply continue to dip their heads into the bowl. You need to step in and stop this behavior because it increases the risk of illnesses caused by bacteria along with the ingestion of chemicals. Worse yet, symptoms can become life-threatening depending on the extent of the infection or chemical consumption.
To break this habit, you must determine why your dog seeks toilet water in the first place. Have you noticed that their bowls empty quickly, leaving them with no alternative water source? Perhaps the summer temperatures cause heat exhaustion and prompts your dog to seek cold water. These are easy to fix as you can provide a larger bowl to accommodate more water or refresh their drinking water on hot days. Always keep the toilet seat down, and if you spot them moving into the bathroom, you can correct them with a firm “no”!
What to Do if Your Dog Drinks Toilet Water
If you catch your dog drinking toilet water, pay attention to signs of infection or chemical poisoning. If you have just added chemicals to the bowl to clean the toilet and your pooch laps up the water, take them to a vet. Have them professionally evaluated to avoid dire consequences.
The good news is that canine toilet drinkers can be rehabilitated. Ensure that fresh water is always available, which is made easier with products such as water fountains for dogs. Give your pet a cool spot to rest on a hot summer’s day. Be consistent when you see them making their way to the bathroom, and let them know that drinking toilet water is not allowed.
Once your pooch discovers the water in the toilet bowl, they’ll simply go back for more. Be sure to keep the toilet lid down, and they should eventually quit this unhealthy habit.
