Fish water makes dogs sick?

[Silvermist80]

Hey all. I've seen similar posts before, and everyone says fish water is usually safe to drink. My roommate's dog got into my buckets of fish water, more than once, but all of the sudden the dog gets diarrhea and the roommate is blaming my water. I've had it in my mouth before, starting a siphon.... my cats drink it frequently and my fish aren't dead... what could make a dog sick? Supposedly her vet told her it was the water also. I have a vet tech degree and I can't think of a single organism that would go from fish water to dog and create illness. They prescribed Metranidazole. I'm betting vet had no idea and just prescribed that as a general med to hopefully eradicate whatever it is making the dog sick. I think my roommate is lying about this. Anyone have experience with this before?

 

[jonny-5]

I doubt anything would be wrong from the fish tank water unless medications are being used of course.
Dogs drink water from puddles outside and eat anything found on the floor, So i doubt fish water will harm it.
Prob the food the dog is being fed

 

[Silvermist80]

I doubt anything would be wrong from the fish tank water unless medications are being used of course.
Dogs drink water from puddles outside and eat anything found on the floor, So i doubt fish water will harm it.
Prob the food the dog is being fed

Kind of what I was thinking. The owner feeds the dog leftover human food also, I would think this would be more likely to cause it. I just want to be certain, so I know to keep the other animals out of it. She keeps saying the vet won't tell her what it is, so I'm frustrated and think it's a lie. I'm open minded though. Figured fish people would know more. ?

 

[jonny-5]

My dog used to always be in my old tank or drinking whilst i was water changing and that never had the squits. If the dog is eating human left overs of course its going to have a dodgy tummy. Thats why dog food was invented ?

 

[Silvermist80]

My dog used to always be in my old tank or drinking whilst i was water changing and that never had the squits. If the dog is eating human left overs of course its going to have a dodgy tummy. Thats why dog food was invented ?

Lol I agree. That's just asking for food poisoning, but wanted to be sure.

 

[finfayce]

Hey all. I've seen similar posts before, and everyone says fish water is usually safe to drink. My roommate's dog got into my buckets of fish water, more than once, but all of the sudden the dog gets diarrhea and the roommate is blaming my water. I've had it in my mouth before, starting a siphon.... my cats drink it frequently and my fish aren't dead... what could make a dog sick? Supposedly her vet told her it was the water also. I have a vet tech degree and I can't think of a single organism that would go from fish water to dog and create illness. They prescribed Metranidazole. I'm betting vet had no idea and just prescribed that as a general med to hopefully eradicate whatever it is making the dog sick. I think my roommate is lying about this. Anyone have experience with this before?

i found a company that makes clear acrylic pieces of any size. i bought one for my betta tank. the top that came with the desktop tank had gaps that my bird used to take drinks. ??
they are reasonably priced. i ordered 2 round pieces for my moss gardens.
if you are interested i can find the name if that company.

 

[Colin_T]

There are things found in water that can make any animal sick. Medications, protozoa and bacteria can all do it. (Typhoid, Cholera, Giardia, Dysentery, E. coli).
However, unless someone who has these diseases is spitting, peeing, pooping or washing their hands in your tank, it's unlikely they will be in the aquarium.

Heavy metals, herbicide, pesticide, fertiliser will all make dogs sick if they drink contaminated water but they usually kill any fish, shrimp and snails in the water.

If you do big regular water changes, gravel clean the substrate and have a clean filter, there shouldn't be anything major in the water that is going to cause problems.

This doesn't mean that aquarium water is safe to drink. Some animals have sensitive stomachs and might get sick from drinking aquarium water. But it is more likely to be from another source, and not from the aquarium.

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See if you can find out what the dog has been eating. Dogs can eat most foods that humans eat but some foods we eat can kill dogs. I used to feed my dogs the same food I ate (meat & veges) and they never had a problem. However, some dogs have food allergies/ intolerances just like people do.

If the dog has been bitten by ticks, it might have MMA (mammal meat allergy). Dogs with this issue cannot tolerate red meat and have to be fed on chicken or fish so they don't get sick.

Most dogs are lactose intolerant and can't tolerate cows milk. Does anyone give the dog milk or dairy products?

Foods that dogs should not eat include: grapes (including sultanas & raisins), onions and onion relatives (garlic, spring onion, shallots, leeks), chocolate, coffee, paracetamol or aspirin, cashews, macadamia nuts, avocado, artificial sweeteners like xylitol, and mushrooms.

There are also plenty of plants that make dogs sick including: ferns, palms, lavender, aloe vera.

There might be things around the house the dog is eating or chewing on that could make it sick. Does anyone use bug sprays or use roach baits, ant powder, etc, around the property?

Hairsprays, perfumes, deodorants, paints, cigarettes, hand sanitiser, etc are all poisonous to dogs and if the animal licks or eats it, then the dog might get sick.

 

[Silvermist80]

i found a company that makes clear acrylic pieces of any size. i bought one for my betta tank. the top that came with the desktop tank had gaps that my bird used to take drinks. ??
they are reasonably priced. i ordered 2 round pieces for my moss gardens.
if you are interested i can find the name if that company.

My roommate's dog was taking drinks out of my buckets while I was cleaning. I clean into buckets, cause I use it to water my indoor and outdoor plants. Then I refill from the sink. So far the doggy hasn't drank from the tank itself.

 

[Silvermist80]

There are things found in water that can make any animal sick. Medications, heavy metals, herbicide, pesticide, fertiliser, protozoa and bacteria can all do it. (Typhoid, Cholera, Giardia, Dysentery, E. coli).
However, unless someone who has these diseases is spitting, peeing, pooping or washing their hands in your tank, it's unlikely they will be in the aquarium.

If you do big regular water changes, gravel clean the substrate and have a clean filter, there shouldn't be anything major in the water that is going to cause problems.

This doesn't mean that aquarium water is safe to drink. Some animals have sensitive stomachs and might get sick from drinking aquarium water. But it is more likely to be from another source, and not from the aquarium.

-------------------
See if you can find out what the dog has been eating. Dogs can eat most foods that humans eat but some foods we eat can kill dogs. I used to feed my dogs the same food I ate (meat & veges) and they never had a problem. However, some dogs have food allergies/ intolerances just like people do.

If the dog has been bitten by ticks, it might have MMA (mammal meat allergy). Dogs with this issue cannot tolerate red meat and have to be fed on chicken or fish so they don't get sick.

Most dogs are lactose intolerant and can't tolerate cows milk. Does anyone give the dog milk to drink?

Foods that dogs should not eat include: grapes (including sultanas & raisins), onions and onion relatives (garlic, spring onion, shallots, leeks), chocolate, coffee, paracetamol or aspirin, cashews, macadamia nuts, avocado, artificial sweeteners like xylitol, and mushrooms.

There are also plenty of plants that make dogs sick including: ferns, palms, lavender, aloe vera.

There might be things around the house the dog is eating or chewing on that could make it sick. Does anyone use bug sprays or use roach baits, ant powder, etc, around the property?

Hairsprays, perfumes, deodorants, paints, cigarettes, hand sanitiser, etc are all poisonous to dogs and if the animal licks or eats it, then the dog might get sick.

She feeds the dog everything. Let's it drink the milk from her cereal. I told her animals are lactose intolerant, didnt listen. She feeds it leftovers she doesn't want to eat. So I think this is more likely the cause than the water. All those things are in the tap water if they wind up in the fish tank though... I can't think of something that the fish would have naturally that'd make a dog sick...

 

[Colin_T]

Left over food isn't a problem as long as it doesn't have any items that dogs can't tolerate. However, if she has cows milk on her cereal, and the dog gets that every day, it could be the cause. It could also be the cereal, depending on what that is and what's in it. A lot of cereals have wheat in and the dog might be wheat/ gluten intolerant. It could be bread or any other grain, especially if the dog has been on anti-biotics any time during its life. A probiotic (available from a vet) might help.

Realistically you would have to make a food diary and write down everything the dog eats and when it eats. Then monitor the dog and see how it does. If it eats certain foods every day and has runny poop each day, cut out those foods for a few weeks and see if it helps. If it does then one of those items is causing the problem and the owner should add one food item into the diet for a week and see how the dog reacts. If it's fine for a week, then add another food and monitor for a week, and so on until you find the trigger food.

It could also be something on the owners skin if the dog licks her hands or arms. Perfumes, moisturising creams, hand sanitiser, etc, can make dogs sick if they ingest it.

 

[finfayce]

My roommate's dog was taking drinks out of my buckets while I was cleaning. I clean into buckets, cause I use it to water my indoor and outdoor plants. Then I refill from the sink. So far the doggy hasn't drank from the tank itself.

oh i see. my bird has plenty of water dishes but prefers to visit the fish tanks. they all have covers and now he tries to sip water from the condensation on windows ? go figure.

 

[Colin_T]

oh i see. my bird has plenty of water dishes but prefers to visit the fish tanks. they all have covers and now he tries to sip water from the condensation on windows ? go figure.

The condensation probably tastes better than tap water because it doesn't have chlorine and other chemicals in. Condensation being pure water vs tap water, which isn't quite that pure these days.

 

[FishGuest5123]

My dogs drink my fish pond water while it’s draining. Never a problem.

 

[finfayce]

The condensation probably tastes better than tap water because it doesn't have chlorine and other chemicals in. Condensation being pure water vs tap water, which isn't quite that pure these days.

i would agree except the window sills get moldy. being in an old house without forced air heat - i fight mold all the time. my husband inherited his parents’ house. old and draughty. but i digress. ?

 

[Colin_T]

white vinegar to kill mould, or get in the professions and have a look behind the walls.