When Pets Shouldn’t Share a Water Bowl
Specific pets, however, should not share water bowls with other pets, even if they’re in the same house. Generally, if a pet has its own separate environment, such as a cage or enclosure, for example a turtle, snake or bird, those animals should have their own individual water.
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When you’re out and about at a dog park or on an outdoor adventure, it’s convenient to spot a communal water bowl available to hydrate your precious pup.
However, communal water bowls come with some hidden risks. Your dog may be lapping up bacteria, viruses, or parasites when they quench their thirst after an outdoor adventure.
Obviously, it’s really important to keep your canine companion hydrated — dehydration can lead to heatstroke, a dry nose, vomiting, loss of appetite, and more. But are communal water bowls the best option for your dog?
Here’s what you need to know to keep your dog cool and hydrated safely when you’re out and about.
All communal or public water bowls pose a potential health risk to your canine companion. It is possible for dogs drinking out of communal bowls or fountains to be infected with diseases or parasites.
While contagious diseases in dogs are more commonly spread through coughing or sneezing, it is possible for dogs to be exposed to pathogens when communal water bowls are contaminated. In general, it is safer to have a separate water source for your dog.
During the experiment, the dog in the enclosure was periodically swapped. So, sometimes the enclosure contained a roommate of the dog being tested with the tokens; other times, it was an unfamiliar dog; and occasionally, it was empty. In some trials, a third dog was next to the dog being tested when they were choosing whether to touch the token to give food away. Sometimes they were alone when making their choice.Related article
To be fair, the dogs were not literally sharing the food out of their own bowl. (Food aggression is a real problem with some dogs.) They were choosing to act so that food would be given to another dog, but they didnât lose out on any food by providing food to the other dog. Still, itâs nice to know that dogs can share food, even if what we most appreciate about them is their ability to share love.
Karen B. London, Ph.D., is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and Certified Professional Dog Trainer who specializes in working with dogs with serious behavioral issues, including aggression, and has also trained other animals including cats, birds, snakes, and insects. She writes the animal column for the Arizona Daily Sun and is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Northern Arizona University. She is the author of six books about training and behavior, including her most recent, Treat Everyone Like a Dog: How a Dog Trainerâs World View Can Improve Your Life.
Your dogs might not seem to share at home but dogs can share food, well sometimes. A study of sharing behaviors in dogs found many things influence whether dogs choose to give food to other dogs or not. Researchers investigated âprosocialâ behavior in dogs â voluntary behavior that benefits others â aka sharing and found some interesting results.