How to Keep Algae Out of Dog Water Bowl?

Tried a lot of methods still saw failure to keep algae out of dog water bowl?

Regular algae in dogs’ water bowls are common. They are harmful to your pet’s gut, and we understand, it is hard to keep algae out of a dog’s water bowl.

Looking for a solution isn’t. Then keep calm we can fix this problem by regular cleaning. There are various methods in this article by which you can prevent algae growth from your dog’s bowl.

How to Prevent Algae from Your Dog’s Water Bowl

We have covered 3 methods by which you can get rid of algae from your dogs’ water bowl.

1. Go for Stainless Food Bowl

Go safe, try stainless food bowl!

You can try using stainless steel bowls or ceramic. They are the safe and the best option for use.

Don’t use plastic water bowls for your pet because it is very porous and easily get scratched. These two are major reasons for algae, mold, and bacteria to grow vigorously on the surface. So, to keep algae out of your dog bowl, go with stainless steel bowls.

2. Scrubbing Works!

Scrubbing a bowl with the help of a brush and bleach can help you to remove algae effortlessly. You just have to make sure that covers all the angles of the bowl. By chance, if you missed algae it will multiply again to form a layer around the bowl.

You can try regular toilet brush to clean the surface (remark: use only new toilet brush) It performs well and easily remove all the green layer. Easy to hang, and makes it easy and quick to find at the barn.

Just apply some soap cleanser or bleach and rub the entire bowl with the help of a brush and the cleaning task is done.

The brush is definitely a good option you can go for because it does a great job of scraping algae from all the edges of the bowl.

The more you clean, the less you will have to deal with algae!

3. Baking Soda Help

The use of baking soda also helps to get rid of algae from the water bowl of your dog.

You just have to fill your dog’s food bowl with a teaspoon of baking soda and some clean water. Rub this mixture and rinse it off. Did you notice a huge difference?

With one wash of baking soda, your food bowl will stay clean for a long period. It works wonder for taking off the algae and has no side effects.

Most users who faced the issue knows that Baking soda helps when we want to keep algae out of dog bowls.

How is it Causing?

The slippery layer in your dog’s water bowl is nothing but Biofilm. It is a combination of organic and inorganic material that comes from your dog’s saliva.

Biofilm isn’t bad!

It is the fusion of good and bad elements. The good part of the biofilm can help to promote your dog healthy but the bad components of this what you need to remove. If this biofilm is left grown it will lead to form a plague. When plague occurs you will see dreaded green slime which is algae. It is dreadful for dogs to consume.

Side Effects of Drinking Green Algae Water

Green algae are toxic for dogs. Some algae release toxins like microcystins and anatoxins in the water.

These are highly poisonous for humans and for animals too! Not all algae are toxic but to find which one is we require laboratory analysis.

If your dog swallows toxic algae water, it may start showing symptoms immediately. He might feel weakness, breathing difficulties, vomiting, and many more. If it is highly poisonous it can harm the liver of your dog which can lead to death too!

But no need to worry. You can relax because we know ways to get rid of algae from your dogs’ water bowl right.

What if it Persists?

Unfortunately, you have to deal with an algae problem because your dog produces saliva and drinks from the bowl which results in the formation of algae.

But the type of water bowl you use can make a difference. As we have discussed earlier stainless steel and ceramic bowls will prohibit the growth of algae.

The perfect way to keep algae from your dogs’ water bowl is to clean it regularly. You can wash the bowl at least once in a week. Cleaning daily will also take away good components of algae therefore weekly cleaning is sufficient.

In this way, you can maintain all the goods and the bad easily. Yet it also depends on which climate area you are living in. If your area is super humid algae are prone to grow faster, and then you need to judge the cleaning frequency.

You can also stop the occurrence of algae from the bowl by providing them good quality food, fresh and clean water, and keeping dental health hygienic.

FAQs

How can I keep my dogs’ water bowl fresh?

You can clean your dog’s water bowl by

• Regular scrubbing
• Using baking soda
• With stainless steel or ceramic bowls

Are the algae in the dog’s water bowl toxic?

Yes, it is toxic! Algae contain cyanobacteria which are toxic and also can make your dog dead within few minutes maybe hours, or days of exposure.

If your dog consumes poisonous algae he may suffer from breathing problems, weakness, vomiting. If the concentration of toxin is high it can damage his liver too!

How can you tell if algaea are toxic?

There is no way to find if algae is toxic just by looking at it.

Humans and animals both should avoid blue-green algae. Toxins can still continue to live in the water after a bloom. You must check the signs and stay out of them.

Wrap Up

We can keep algae out of dog water bowl. After reading various methods such as trying baking soda, using a toilet brush, or using stainless steel or ceramic bowls can help you to stop algae from growing.

Algae with poisonous components can have many side effects on your dog’s health.

Biofilms are a combination of good and bad components therefore, it is important to fix the frequency of cleaning water bowl and balance the good component to promote a good gut.

Now, I hope you can keep algae out of dog water bowl.

References:

1. Protect Your Pets from Deadly Algae Poisoning – North Shore Animal League America
2. What Causes Slime On Dog Dishes? – Cedar Pet Clinic
3. Portion size and meal consumption in domesticated dogs: An experimental study – National Institutes of Health