Is drinking out of the toilet bad for dogs?

Question

Even if we keep a pretty clean household?

Answer 1

Most people keep their toilets cleaner than their kitchen sink. True! There are often more bacteria in a dish cloth than on the toilet rim. So if you don't use chemicals in your flush tank, it is unlikely that drinking from the toilet will hurt your dog, but it doesn't seem very nice. Personally, I would try to prevent my dog from drinking from the toilet just because of the idea of it. However, harmful? Probably not.

Answer 2

I would not allow my dogs to drink out of the toilet (probably the same reasons why don't humans drink out of the toilet). Your dog can be cross contaminated and obtain an illness perhaps. Or the chemicals that you clean the toliet with can be in the toliet from when he drinks and it can get into your dogs system. Even if you clean the toilet once a week or twice a week or more you still have to use it to relieve yourself there and the bacteria can stick.. Like all animals dogs should be given freshwater (or if you're like me filtered water). It could be healthier for them.

Answer 3

If your dog drinks out of the toilet bowl, it may not be bad. But you should try to prevent her/him from drinking out of the toilet bowl incase they ingest bacteria from the toilet water.
The smells of the toilet bowl attract dogs, you know how they are when the try to eat/ roll in poop outside. But this is almost the same, they smell it and they want to drink it! So you should stop your dog from drinking that water before it gets sick.
One: Try to leave to toilet lid up anyways, because if you flush and shut the toilet lid, mold and mildew will form on the lid because of the evaporated bacteria.
Two: If you try to stop your pooch from drinking the water, maybe just shut the bathroom door.
three:If you feel that the bathroom needs airing out, open a window. If the bathroom has no windows, then try spraying antibacterial incence, or incenced candles, etc.

Answer 4

A properly cleaned toilet is likely the cleanest spot in the whole house. You have to watch out for cleaners though, if you have the one that stays in the tank it should be removed. Any other cleaner, flush the toilet twice. Your dog is fine.

Answer 5

All my dogs drink out of the toilet, that is not the problem. The problem is when my fila, a 200 pound male, develops a sense of humor and has a mouth full of toilet water and comes over to say "HI" by putting his huge head with his huge MOUTH on your lap, and lets go of about a gallon of water on it. He seems to enjoy it more and more as he gets older too.

Answer 6

if you flush regularly and clean a few times a week, then there should be no problem... I see a lot of people have forgotten that a dog is an animal.. not a human. I've see dogs eat poop... I don't think clean toliet water would hurt them.

oh.. and I wouldn't suggest it if you use those dissolving fresheners in your toliet... or the ones that hang down in the bowl.

Answer 7

I don't think so unless you have toilet freshener or cleaner in the water (like Ty-D-Bol) If the toilet is clean, the water should be clean. For goodness sakes, dogs lick their privates and eat their own poo!

Answer 8

Not if the water is clean. Dogs & cats tend to head towards the freshest water source. Therefore, since the toilet gets flushed periodically throughout the day, they see that as "fresh" water.

Answer 9

Generaly if they've had all their vacinations I'd say no! I live in Thailand and there are so many street dogs, they do far worse things than drinking out of toilets and seem to thrive!

Answer 10

No, it;s bad for you. Would you drink out of the toilet? The dog will drink from the toilet and then lick your face - nice.