Q: Is it Safe for Pets to Share a Water Bowl?
Q: My pets share a water bowl. Is this okay or can they give each other germs?
A: All pets have bacteria that live in their mouths. This is called normal flora and it doesn't cause disease or infection. Everyday sharing of a water bowl should therefore not be a problem.
There are however some diseases that are communicable from pet to pet. These illnesses are transmitted not only by sharing a water bowl but by close contact as well. Kennel cough and other respiratory infections are an example of illnesses that can be spread from one dog to another by close contact.
Similarly, there are many parasites that are transmitted from one dog to another by sharing an environment. Fortunately, dogs and cats do not usually share respiratory infections but can transmit some parasites to one another.
If you think your pet is sick it is a good idea to have him or her checked by a veterinarian who can diagnose contagious diseases.
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Comments (13)
Melinda Vosburgh April 16, 2009 7:48 PM
Is it normal that my dog that is three, has semen that comes out of his privates sometimes? Is this normal. he get it on thr furniture
angelica April 16, 2009 10:25 PM
But would it matter if they share water in the dog park?
DIANA April 17, 2009 12:25 AM
MY DOG AND CAT SHARE THE WATER BOWL/BUT SHOULD NOT SHARE THE LITTLER BOX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
aletha April 25, 2009 9:13 AM
my dog always wants handfeeding. what should i do to make him feed by himself!
Anonymous May 24, 2009 9:08 PM
we have kittens about 6 weeks old and they are starting to die out of nowhere. They are just becoming limp then passing away. any answers on what might be causing this? A virus or infection?
patty May 27, 2009 9:00 AM
hi I have a toy poodle she mated about 5 weeks ago she will not eat any kind of pet food the only thing I can get her to eat is boiled chicken and she sleeps most of the day can she be pregnant and if so is this how they act? I don't know what to do I can not take her to a vet because I lost my job and I have no income at this time.can you help with this matter..
vetnurse June 16, 2009 4:06 PM
To make your dog feed by itself stop handfeeding it!! It won't starve itself! Put the food down for 10mins, then take it away and re-offer it a couple of hours later. Don't leave the food down, get into meal time routines. If you keep handfeeding, it will not eat on its own, why should it!
As for the waterbowl thing... If your dog is vaccinated it will be fine from the nasty things!!
ashley June 22, 2009 7:32 PM
my cats meow has changed in the last few days. it used to be loud and now is quiet and scratchy. he is eating, drinking, and acting fine other wise. could there be something wrong?
pam June 30, 2009 4:05 PM
I need to give my cats penicillin shots, any help on how to give it in their legs?
xD July 16, 2009 11:41 PM
Hey, Ashley, Your cat is either Old.. or going through a stage where His or Her "Meow Box" is kind of broken, Kind of like a sore throat... Nothing to worry about ^_^
Andrew August 17, 2009 6:20 PM
What the hell does any of this have to do with a cat and a dog sharing a water dish? Cats dying for no reason and Semen excretions? Geeses people, post it in the right forum!
For example, my dog and cat share a water bowl. After they started, however, my cat began to develop sores on her neck that are apparenty bacterial. She tends to always touch the sides of the water dish and my dog is a Bassett Hound which is prone to insane amounts of slobber. My un-scientific opinion is that the sores are a result of the water dish.
See how easy it is to post in the right spot!
brenda September 13, 2009 11:33 PM
my three cats are inside and outside pets they won't allow me to pick them up to go to the vet, they may have gotten in to some kind of pesticide. They have hair and weight loss ,I continue to clean their coats with medical wash from the vet and they are eating and drinking fluids well. Is there anything else that I can do? They are still very active also.
pnx December 4, 2009 4:56 PM
your cats won't allow you to pick them up to go to the vet and yet you are able to wash them?? sorry theres something seriously wrong with that...
dev January 5, 2010 1:08 PM
Flagyou can always throw a towel over their heads and shove them into the carrier... but I really don't understand how the cats allow you to wash them but not pick them up to go to the vet. Sounds crazy.
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