Why Do Dogs Drink from Toilet Bowls?
To humans, drinking directly from the toilet is gross. We prefer clean water shipped overseas from pristine mountain streams. Or at least purified tap water.
You’ve probably wondered why on earth your dog would choose the toilet bowl as their version of a clear mountain stream? They have a perfectly good water bowl available.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) points out that dogs frequently seek out toilet water for the following reasons:
If you live somewhere warm, your pup might prefer the cool water found in the privacy of the bathroom. Other pups prefer moving water and, unless you have a pet fountain at home, the toilet may be the closest thing they can get to a fresh, trickling stream.
Why Do Dogs Drink From the Toilet?
If given the opportunity, most dogs will take a drink from the toilet. Obviously, we can’t ask them why they are lapping at that particular bowl, but there are some common reasons why your dog might develop this habit.
First of all, it’s there—which for some inquisitive dogs is reason enough, especially if the water smells interesting or enticing. Dogs may also start drinking toilet water if their regular water bowl is empty or the water in it is too warm. Some dogs are pickier than others about the temperature and the freshness of their water. If your dog doesn’t have access to fresh water, it’s natural they would go looking for another source.
But even if they have access to fresh water in their bowl, the toilet water is still often appealing. Some dogs might be drawn to drink from the toilet because the water is cold and is continually refreshed every time it’s flushed. Additionally, the water is often in motion (if the toilet has been recently flushed) and moving water can be particularly appealing for dogs.
Why Are Pets Attracted to Toilet Water?
The fact that your toilet is running (complete with sounds of flowing water) may very well speak to the primal nature of your pet to seek out running water in the wild. According to Dr. Coates, running water tends to be a healthier choice than stagnant water in a natural setting. “Perhaps some of our pets have an instinctive pull towards running water and that’s why they’re attracted to water that ‘moves’ in our homes,” she says.
Ask anyone who has a cat that hangs out on the kitchen counter. Turning on the faucet can be an irresistible temptation for the cat to saunter over and have a sip. Similarly, many dogs love to drink water running from the hose when you’re washing your car or watering the lawn. Even knowing this, pet owners still scratch their heads when, after they go to the trouble of providing fresh water—perhaps even water of a trendy and imported nature—their fur kids still line up for a crack at the toilet when they’re feeling parched.
Coates has another hypothesis. “It could be that some pets prefer the relative solitude of the bathroom. If their water bowl is in the middle of a chaotic home, they might not feel comfortable settling down to drink at that location,” she says.
So, are the dangers of drinking out of the toilet real, or are we worrying ourselves over something that is harmless for our pets?
“I think [the dangers] are real,” says Dr. Patrick Mahaney, a holistic vet who practices in Los Angeles, California. “I’m not a fan of letting your pet drink out of the toilet.”
Dr. Mahaney says, “if you were to swab your average toilet there would be an issue. If you don’t clean your toilet very often, you are going to put your dog or cat at risk for coming down with an infection, such as E. coli, because our feces can contain that—as well as other bacteria.”
The risk of infection increases greatly when we ourselves are sick. According to Dr. Mahaney, humans can pass diseases like Giardia to their animals, and the consumption of toilet water can put your pet on the road to illness. And intestinal bacteria and parasites aren’t the only risks. Humans who are undergoing medical treatments such as chemotherapy can also shed toxic chemical substances in their urine and stool. While the chances of such exposures may be low for pets, there remains a potential for it to happen.
Another danger associated with consuming toilet water come from the chemicals that we use to clean our toilets—with chlorine bleach products being one of the main offenders. Toilet cleaners can contain sodium hypochlorite, hypochlorite salts, sodium peroxide, sodium perborate, and other chemicals that can be lethal when directly consumed.
Restricting your pet’s access to the bathroom for a few hours (and a few flushes) after you’ve cleaned is a good rule of thumb. And never use the types of cleaners that are added to the toilet reservoir. They continuously release chemicals into the water with every fill of the bowl. Of course, it is also a good rule to be vigilant for symptoms of any sort of poisoning.
Poorly diluted toilet bowl cleaners can cause chemical burns in the mouth and throat while going down, as well as other serious complications once fully ingested. Symptoms of bleach ingestion in pets can include vomiting, drooling, redness in and around the mouth, abdominal pain, and a sore throat.
“Any toxin is not good for a pet to ingest,” says Dr. Katie Grzyb of One Love Animal Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. Dr. Coates agrees but adds, “when used properly in a toilet bowl, bleach is usually so diluted that healthy animals would be expected to show only mild gastrointestinal upset after ingestion.”
Is Toilet Water Safe for Dogs to Drink? | It’s Me or the Dog
As most dog owners know, the sight of a dog with their head in a toilet bowl is not unusual. However, that doesn’t mean the sight won’t turn our stomachs or cause concern, especially if there’s toilet cleaner in the water. Understanding why your dog is so attracted to drinking toilet water, what the impacts of that indulgence can be, and how to curb such compulsions can help put your mind at ease.
Though the idea of drinking from a toilet might be confusing if not revolting to us humans, our dogs have a very different opinion. They don’t see the toilet as a waste receptacle but as a source of refreshment.
Dogs – like humans – prefer chilled water. So even if you make sure to keep their water bowls full, the odds of your pup drinking all of it at once are low. That means that the water will likely be closer to room temperature by the time they get back to it. The water in the toilet, on the other hand, is almost always cold, making it preferable to what they find in their bowls.
It can be a matter of taste, too. While metal bowls are often seen as more durable, they can transfer an unappealing taste to their contents. That metallic flavor can prompt dogs to seek out better tasting alternatives. A porcelain toilet can offer just that.
This preference may also be primal. Most animals in the wild, including canines, instinctively seek out running water. It is not only often cleaner than stagnant water but tastier, too.
Though our lovable pets may not be quite ready to run with the wolves, some of those natural instincts remain. The running water in your toilet might be triggering their attraction to the bowl.