Is Hard Water Good Or Bad?
There’s been controversy about hard water for years and it gets really confusing if you try to research it online.
Over the years, experts have raised concerns about hard water and its impact on a variety of health issues including heart disease, fertility, Alzheimer’s disease, digestive issues and eczema.
Many formal studies just find that the evidence is inconclusive. This is partly because it’s really hard to isolate water from other factors that influence health, so scientists are reluctant to say that hard water itself causes (or prevents) disease.
A report on Hardness in Drinking Water by the World Health Organization (WHO) concludes that hard water doesn’t adversely affect health, and that the magnesium in hard water may even “have a protective effect on cardiovascular mortality.”
Some articles say hard water is neither harmful nor helpful … but it’s a nuisance because the minerals can build up in your plumbing, it prevents shampoos and soaps from lathering and makes your clothes stiff when you wash them in it!
Most holistic vets recommend giving your dog filtered or bottled water rather than straight tap water, but that’s primarily to avoid chemicals like fluoride that can be very damaging to your dog’s health.
But now, Trupanion has done some analysis that shows there may be a correlation between hard water and urinary health issues in pets.
It started when Trupanion noticed they were paying a high amount of medical claims for urinary issues in both cats and dogs. Cats are particularly prone to these issues, with 40% higher probability of urinary issues than dogs.
But dogs also suffer from urinary ailments so this is important information for you as a dog owner too.
When their in-house vets suggested that drinking water could be a factor in urinary illness, and especially crystalluria (crystals in the urine), Trupanion decided to dig a little deeper into their data.
So they mapped out hard water areas across the US, then mapped out their medical payments for urinary issues and compared the two.
Water hardness is expressed in grains of calcium carbonate per gallon (gpg), which is 1 grain (64.8 mg) of calcium carbonate dissolved in 1 US gallon of water.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ratings for hard water are:
Extremely Hard: Greater than 14 gpg
Very Hard: 10 to 14 gpg
Hard: 7 to 10 gpg
Moderately Hard: 3 to 7 gpg
Slightly Hard: Less than 3 gpg
Here are Trupanion’s maps showing the results.
This first map shows the hard water areas across the US.
Local water authorities are required to provide annual reports on water quality and chemical analysis. If you don’t know whether you have hard water or not, you can contact your local water supplier for the information.
The second map shows Trupanion’s claim payments for urinary conditions, overlaid across the hard water areas.
The map shows that claim payments are high in areas such as Florida, Illinois, parts of Texas and Michigan. Payments in California were extremely high, at $465,000.
Other cities with “extremely hard” water include Miami, Chicago, Minneapolis, Detroit and Cincinnati.
Trupanion’s study concluded that in areas with extremely hard water ratings, cats – and especially male cats – were three times more likely to have urinary complications, especially crystalluria, than male cats in areas with water ratings of slightly hard, hard or very hard. The areas with most incidence were Santa Cruz and Thousand Oaks, CA, Springfield, MA, Long Island NY, Baltimore MD, Tampa FL and West Palm Beach FL.
While the rates of urinary issues in dogs are lower than in cats, dogs are not immune from these problems.
Dogs can often suffer from problems like urinary tract infections, incontinence, cystitis and crystalluria.
Female dogs are 2.5 times more likely than males to experience these illnesses.
Crystalluria – crystals in the urine – is the primary condition that Trupanion found can be aggravated by hard water.
While crystals in the urine don’t necessarily lead to kidney stones, they can sometimes be a warning sign that your dog may be at increased risk for struvite or calcium oxalate stones (the two most common types of stones in dogs).
Crystals can also irritate the bladder wall and lead to bladder or urinary tract infections.
According to Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) expert Dr Chris Bessent, dietary magnesium can be a contributor to the formation of crystals and struvite stones.
So it makes sense that high magnesium in hard water could increase the likelihood of your dog getting painful urinary crystals.
If you live in a hard water area, what should you do?
Dear Readers: Susan K. in Rochester, N.H., sent a picture of her two Oriental shorthair cats, Chloe and Dora, who appear to have merged into one. They always sleep together, Susan says, but not quite like this!
Dear Heloise: Heres a new colder weather suggestion I dont ever remember hearing before: Open the doors below any sink on an outside wall to prevent pipes from freezing.-Richard E., via email
Veterinarians cant say for certain that straight tap water (also called hard water) causes disease, but many recommend giving your pet filtered or bottled water.
Terry, how right you are! Rice, when it gets wet, of course expands, which can spell trouble for your pipes. As for the baking soda and vinegar, this delightful duo may not clear a tough clog, but it can help drains to run smoother and smell fresh.
He also recommends a short name with a strong consonant, for training purposes.-Rebecca W. in Pittsburgh
Hard, Soft and Distilled Water…Oh My!
According to the Locust Valley Veterinary Clinic, its most important that your pups water is clean, fresh and free from harmful contaminants. Hard water is safe for pups, but may contribute to the formation of silica stones in the urine, warns the Whole Dog Journal. Distilled or softened water may be a better option in areas with hard water. However, distilled water is free of all minerals and electrolytes, which wont hurt your pup, but may not provide him with those that he needs to stay healthy. Water softened with salt, rather than potassium chloride, may contain small amounts of sodium, which isnt desirable for pups who tend to have calcium oxalate stones, according to the Bichon Frisee Club of America.
Give your dog fresh water, which is available to him at all times. While bottled or filtered water isnt necessary to prevent urinary tract infections, your pooch may prefer it because it tastes good. This is true especially if you live in an area where the water contains sulfur, which can make the water smell and taste unpleasant. Our canine companions also prefer moving water, so keeping a pet fountain around may encourage Fido to drink more water. Some of these fountains even contain charcoal filters to keep the water clean. While walking your pup, carry a bottle of fresh water for him to drink from along the way.
What is the Cause of Bladder Stones in Dogs (and how to prevent them) – Dog Health Vet Advice
Water is essential for life, whether we are talking about people or our pets. It is just as important that our pets get plenty of clean drinking water as it is for us. Did you know that 70-80% of a dog’s lean body mass is water? In veterinary medicine, we look at hydration as a marker of health and even use balanced water solutions (fluids) to treat disease. Water is used for patients with renal disease who need to have their kidneys flushed and even as supportive care for pets who are losing water or aren’t drinking enough due to other illnesses. We measure water output to assess kidney and bladder health. We use water as a tool in healthy animals to promote satiety for weight management and to ke
ep our pet’s electrolytes in balance. Healthy pets get their water internally – by metabolism of macronutrients, through food, and, most importantly, through the water we provide as part of their diet.
In the U.S. there are many options for water filtration systems, devices, and sources including tap and bottled water. But which should our pets drink?
The internet provides us with many forums and groups with suggestions about water sources and filtration types that are “best” for pets. Some sources talk about contaminants and toxins in tap water. Others mention minerals and heavy metals which might affect a pet’s system. Much of the evidence is conflicting and there are even studies that show that bottled water can be loaded with many of the same contaminants that can be found in tap water. There is a lot of science to sift through.
One concern about water has to do with pH and how that might affect the gastrointestinal or urinary tracts of our pets. Concerns about alkaline water might stem from the understanding that alkaline pH urine increases an animal’s likelihood of developing kidney or bladder stones but there isn’t any peer-reviewed literature to support that the pH of water will directly impact the pH of urine. Urine pH is determined by other physiologic processes; primarily by renal tubular function (healthy kidneys).
The World Health Organization released a global compendium on nutrients in drinking water where researchers discussed the importance of minerals and micronutrients in drinking water. They can improve the taste, help us get more of the essential minerals we need in our diet and even improve our health. Several studies have even shown that hard water can reduce the risk of gastric and cardiovascular diseases in humans because of its high calcium and magnesium content.
Sometimes modifying our water can cause other trouble. For example, water softeners have been implemented in cases of hypernatremia (high blood sodium levels). Water softening is a process which removes hard minerals like the magnesium and calcium mentioned above. The process uses salt and can cause high sodium content in water when they malfunction and even when used properly.
At Vet’s Here, we are dedicated to the highest standard of care for our pets. In terms of oral water, in most cases our verdict is that tap water is a great safe, cost-effective and readily accessible option.It is generally perfectly safe to give pets the same water we drink, including tap water. Municipal water companies work to filter, test, and treat water to meet internationally established minimum and maximum concentrations of minerals, salts and metals. If you are concerned about your municipal water, you can contact your water supplier and get more information about how they ensure they meet state standards.
If an animal is healthy (no urinary disease, renal dysfunction, and normal system function) then we expect their body to maintain appropriate homeostasis. The biggest risk with water for our pets is that they don’t like their water and don’t drink enough.
In short – your pet should be able to drink the same water you do, tap, filtered or other. If they don’t like the taste of it or if they seem to have a preference, we recommend catering to that. Reduced water intake is proven to affect health, especially renal health, while changing water sources has not been proven to make a significant difference in healthy pets.
Routine blood work evaluation (annually in a healthy animal) is always a great idea to ensure normal organ function. That would be the best first assessment or your pets ability to handle the water they take in. If your pet has an aversion to water, drinks excessively or is having urinary problems (changes such as increased/decreased drinking and urination, difficulty urinating, abnormal colors like red, brown or orange), it is a good idea to seek veterinary evaluation. Vet’s Here can provide comprehensive veterinary exams and testingin the comfort of your home with our mobile vet service. Call us to make an appointment to assess your pet’s health status today!
Adams, Craig, et al. “Removal of antibiotics from surface and distilled water in conventional water treatment processes.” Journal of environmental engineering 128.3 (2002): 253-260.
Sengupta, Pallav. “Potential health impacts of hard water.” International journal of preventive medicine 4.8 (2013): 866.
Skelton, Harold. “The storage of water by various tissues of the body.” Archives of Internal Medicine 40.2 (1927): 140-152
Sockett, Donald. “Sodium Toxicity in Neonatal Dairy Calves.” https://www.wvdl.wisc.edu/index.php/806/ , Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, 24 July 2013 Titles 22 and 17 of the California Code of Regulations. World Health Organization. Nutrients in drinking water. No. WHO/SDE/WSH/05.09. World Health Organization, 2005.