Water Bowls

I've always washed the water bowl in washing-up liquid and rinsed well and dried it, then put fresh water in.

I've recently read that you can taint the bowl this way, although it is recommended in another book. Sometimes my cavs used to go outside to drink from our pond and I wonder if this is why.

I've just been refreshing on puppy care, as I might be having a new friend soon and I came upon the water bowl issue.

Would salt and vinegar be better to wash the bowls? Or bicarb? What would you advise please.

Mary

I'm interested in this too. We wash Sally's bowl in very hot water with fairy liquid in then rinse well in cold water. We then fill it up with cold water from the tap. I'm curious as to whether the soap can leave a taste in the bowl or cause any harm. Sally drinks well so it's not exactly a problem for us.

HI! I'm new here. I have 3 dogs. Stella - cavalier, Lucy - border collie mix, Desi - shih-poo. We do the same here. I wash their bowl with dishwashing liquid and dry it thoroughly. Then I fill it with cold tap water. So far, nothing seems to be bothering them. May be next time, I'll get another bowl and alternate them cleaning in the dishwasher so they'll be sterilized...I don't know.

Interesting. Bandit doesn't really like to drink out of his inside bowl (it is stainless), but he will go on the porch and drink out of the stainless bowl there (that I usually only wash out with the hose) like he is thirsting to death after being in the house with his inside bowl all day. I wash it with dawn dishwashing liquid.

I'm going to try this

Thanks for your replies. It was in "Essential Dog" that I read this.

"Refill the water bowl each day. Scrub it out regularly with clean water (do not use detergents which could taint the bowl), otherwise the bowl will become slimy with saliva."

As I've just bought a new spaniel bowl I shall do this. Considering dogs can detect a drop of vinegar in a barrel of water, (or something like this), I think that if you do use detergent they know even if you think you have rinsed it out very thoroughly.

It used to puzzle me why they used to refuse the clean bowl of water and want to go outside to the pond, but this must have been the reason.

Perhaps bicarbonate of soda would be all right, as you can use that to clean the fridge out if you felt the water bowl needed something abrasive.

Thanks again for your advice and experiences.

Mary

I read in Dog Fancy magazine that the water bowl should ideally be run through the dishwasher daily.

It might be a good idea to rinse your dog bowls with boiling water to kill germs.

Stainless or ceramic bowls are recommended over plastic.

I can't imagine normal washing with detergent is going to be a problem. Plastic dishes are the only ones that could absorb anything -- most people use stainless for water dishes or glazed ceramic and neither would absorb anything. Plastic dishes are not generally advised because some of the chemicals can leach into the water over time -- but you can get inert plastic dishes too. I would think that would be a far greater concern -- leaching plastics -- that the minute chance that plastic would absorb detergent ( and perhaps only if left soaking for hours?).

I run my dishes, food and water, through the dishwasher regularly. The cats and dogs all use the same water dish.