Water Management
Slurp. Slurp. Slurp.
It might possibly be the worst sound your dog can make, drinking water when they’re thirsty. It begs for a boarding kennel to have a water management plan.
It’s not a topic we talk about a lot, but there are questions that creep up now and then. As a dog boarding kennel, water management is important. Dogs need water to drink, we need water to clean, and we use water to bathe our guests in the grooming room.
Having a clean supply of water is important. It’s a basic necessity. You can even go to a pet food store to find bottled water for pets.
When you’re choosing the best kennel for your fur-family, there are a few questions regarding water that are important to answer.
Do The Dogs Get Free Choice Water?
Generally speaking, your dog needs an ounce of water for every pound they weigh. That means small dogs may not need much, but your mastiff or Great Dane will need significant amounts. A kennel should always have free choice water; especially when it’s hot or they have medical issues. Now, if your dog has a habit of dumping water, which many dogs do, then a kennel may have to think outside the box to ensure their guests have enough. We have several no-tip bowls, but even then, sometimes we need to out-think the messy ones.
How Often Is The Water Replaced?
A dog’s saliva is full of bacteria. Those bacteria aren’t necessarily good or bad, but they do create a biofilm in the bowl. You can feel it as a sticky substance in the corners of the bowl. In fact, according to the National Sanitation Foundation, your dog’s water dish is considered fourth on the list of places in your home with the most germs. At the very least, you want to replace the water in the bowl once a day, even if it doesn’t look dirty.
When opting to clean the bowl, hot water is a must with a good soap. Sometimes you may need to use a disinfectant or bleach.
Should Water Be Pulled At Night?
Some dogs will inhale their water at every chance. That means they may not be able to make it through the night. In the comfort of our home, we can accommodate a dog, especially a puppy who needs out after dark. In a kennel, it’s more difficult as it may cause the rest of the animals to stir. Pulling their water and adjusting the schedule to reduce the period between outings.
Should There Be Water In The Communal Run?
Imagine a kennel having three or more groups of dogs. In a case where one dog is stricken with a communicable disease that is transferred through saliva, any dog that drinks from the communal bowl is then exposed to the health risk. In a system like ours, dogs are grouped together in cohorts, but each has its own private rooms. They return to their room to drink, limiting the cross-contamination across groups.
Additionally, water that sits outside for long periods could be contaminated by an external source.
What About A Pool To Keep Things Cool?
Taking a dip in a pool can be relaxing at the best of times. When it’s hot out, the cool water can be a blessing and dogs benefit from swimming. We take ours to the lake to swim, but then we have the luxury of doing so as ours are all short-haired. Dogs like golden retrievers or shepherds have long hair take a lot of effort to dry, not to mention leaving them without being dried can cause matting issues or hot spots on their skin. For kennels, the trade-off of cooling down to drying off can become laborious, especially if they’ve been playing in the dirt.
And all that is on top of the issues previously mentioned with respect to dogs drinking from the same source.
What can you do?
Water management for a dog boarding kennel is very important. Our daily work includes replacing, using, and giving water to our guests. When you’re choosing the kennel for your pups, be mindful of their water management. Don’t be afraid to ask how often they replace the water or their dishes. If they do have a pool, ask what the protocol is for drying their guests off.
Curious about our protocols? Message us today and we can set up a tour.
Want to try out our kennel? Check availability now.
LOYALIST BARKWAY
Where your dog gets the loyal treatment
9675 HWY 33, BATH, ON K0H 1G0
info@dogboardingkennels.ca
613-777-5024