Distilled Water

Distilled water for humans is packed with a long list of benefits to the health (and for the pocket book too, when compared to bottled water), and Distilled Water for Dogs is no exception. Distilled water is known to purify the body, helping the kidneys, cleansing the body from of all its toxins and it’s no secret that many people start a fast or a diet by drinking distilled water first (also those who want to make a positive change in their lifestyles).

For dogs, benefits range from improvement of the fur to possible prevention of urinary tract infections. However, dogs’ bodies are not made like humans. While distilled water does have many benefits for pets as well, those benefit only happen if used in moderation. Humans get all of our nutrients from foods, so water doesn’t need to have minerals for us to enjoy. But for dogs, they need the minerals not only in their water but they also process pure water differently than humans do.

So, while a healthy human can be drinking pure distilled water all the time, a dog can’t do that consistently. For dogs, pure water is like medicine; it’s good when taken when needed but if taken in too large quantities then even medicine can make you sick. So, couple of times a week dogs can drink the distilled water and be totally fine and actually it will improve their overall health; more than that amount, and you risk making your dog sick.

We all have good intentions and we probably want to do the right thing and give our dogs, cats, and other pets the best we can afford. Clean pure water, free from contaminants is obviously something we want to give our pets but not water that’s completely void of nutrients and minerals.

Thankfully, minerals can always be added at the end of any purification process, whether that’s Reverse Osmosis, Distilled water, or any kind of water. Minerals come in a small concentrate bottle that must be added to larger amounts of water. Usually a drop or two is enough to mineralize a whole gallon (4 liters) of water. So, if you still want to give your dog the benefit of clean water, without the impurities, but with the minerals, you can use Distilled Water or RO water and then add the minerals at the end of the process.

Mineralized distilled water allows for fast and full rehydration, which is even better if you have a very active pet (and it’s good if you’re active too!). It’s a win-win situation, because you get super clean water with nothing else but the good nutrients.

One of the things you’ll notice if you’re drinking clean water, regardless whether it has or not any minerals is that your urine will be extra clear instead of yellow. Usually, the more impure liquids you drink, the more you’re putting your kidneys to work to get rid of all that junk. So, that’s another benefit of drinking distilled water with or without minerals: you’re giving your kidneys a break.

We want the best for Fido. Dogs are our best friends, our most loyal friends and of course, we want the best for them. We drink distilled water because that is, without a doubt, the best water a human can drink. But what about our furry friends with the wet nose? Is Distilled Water the best water they can drink?

Yes and No. And by the way, for a more exhaustive explanation, look at our article Distilled Water for Dogs. First, let’s talk about the bad stuff. Your dog’s diet is not as complete and diverse as the diet from a human. In fact, it can’t be. We all know what happens when we give a dog human food, also known as table food. The dog’s digestive system doesn’t process it very well, usually you can tell by your dog’s behavior (sickly, lethargic), by his stool (diarrhea), vomit, and in extreme cases death. If you give your dog nothing but distilled water, day in and day out, all day, every day, it’s likely to cause your dog some problems.

Now let’s talk about the good stuff. Pure water actually helps cleanse the body, not just of humans, but of some pets as well, including dogs. It may even help prevent infections in the urinary system of the dog. So, definitely distilled water is good for dogs as long as it’s given in moderation. A couple of time as week of distilled water should be OK for most dogs.

The other days of the week, you can still give your dog distilled water but you’ll have to add minerals, which is pretty simple. Distilled water with minerals is way better than any other kind of water because it kills two birds in one shot. One the one hand you have clean water that has been stripped of all the bad stuff: contaminants, chemicals, impurities, etc, etc. All components that over time may make you and your pet sick. On the other hand, by adding minerals to water you now have water that’s clean and pure and it only contains the good nutrients, the minerals, which are essential for everyone.

Now most healthy humans get all of their minerals and nutrients from food so, you don’t have to add minerals if you don’t want to for your own consumption, but for your dog and other pets, you’ll have to add it most of the times. You can add minerals to your own water if you prefer the taste, if you want the extra minerals (hey, it makes you healthier!), or if you workout a lot and need to replace your “fake” sports drinks with your own re-hydrating water; you can even add some citruses and make your own flavored super healthy sports drink.

Speaking of working out, if you have a very active dog, a dog you take for long walks or who runs around the yard frequently, adding minerals to his distilled water will help him re-hydrate quickly as well, it will work wonders for the health of your pet.