Over the past few years, alkalizing your water has become very popular as a way to improve overall health and wellness. This is particularly true in the diet field, where people have made it a habit to add fresh produce to their beverages.
A couple of years ago, however, some people began talking about an interesting theory related to alkaline water. They claimed that certain types of water had special healing effects when consumed. These waters are sometimes referred to as “alkaline” because they contain high levels of either acid or alkali ions.
The theory behind this claim goes like this: When you drink acidic water, your body absorbs some of the minerals in the liquid into your blood. However, most people’s drinking patterns include both acidic and alkaline liquids, which means some of these important minerals are left out!
This can lead to poor mineral balance, which may contribute to symptoms such as bone pain, weight loss, and dry skin. If you want more info on how healthy nutritional habits affect your dogs, check out our article here!
Is Alkaline Water For Canines A Fact Or Fiction?
If you ever come across claims about alkaline water being good for dogs, make sure to do your research first! Claims should be verified by doing your own independent research.
That said, there ARE some studies that suggest adding an alkaline powder to your dog’s food can help promote oral health.
Recent studies have shown that drinking acidified (or acidic) water can be harmful to your dog’s oral health, potentially causing tooth decay or even gum disease.
Alkaline water has become very popular in recent years. Many companies market this purified water as having special benefits for human wellness and health. It is also sometimes marketed as being able to aid weight loss or boost general fitness.
Although not completely understood, there are some indications that alkaline waters may help support overall health in humans. However, research so far does not indicate that it provides any significant benefit beyond basic hydration for dogs.
Given that, we will focus our attention here on whether or not alkaline water is safe for canines!
Does alkaline water do anything for dogs?
We were unable to find any reliable information about what, if any effects alkaline water might have on canine internal organs or systems. There are a few anecdotal reports out there from people who claim their dog benefited from adding alkaline water to his/her diet, but no formal studies have been done.
Recent studies have linked drinking acidified (or acidic pH) beverages to hyperactivity, aggression, changes in behavior, and disease in dogs.
One such study conducted at Texas A&M University found that when Labrador Retrievers were given 5 ml of lemon juice per 10 pounds of body weight every day for one week, they became more active, showed higher levels of stress hormones, and had poorer quality sleep.
Another study conducted by the same team determined that giving Beagles acidifying liquids caused them to become less attentive and engaged with their surroundings, which is often associated with behavioral issues like barking or chewing.
As mentioned earlier, both of these studies used acidity as the cause for the harmful effects. Because our bodies naturally produce acid, having an excess amount can be detrimental to our overall wellness.
Recent studies have indicated that drinking an alkaline beverage may improve your dog’s overall health. These studies suggest that consuming one or more glasses of alkaline water per day can reduce risk factors for diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.
Alkaline water is typically either distilled water or filtered water mixed with baking soda. The soda raises the acidity of the drink, which has been linked to improving bone density and general health. Some theories suggest that this effect helps prevent cancers by lowering inflammation and oxidative stress.
Because it contains no calories, alkaline water is also thought to aid weight loss by helping you feel full. This could be particularly helpful if trying to manage obesity in a canine companion.
However, contrary evidence suggests that adding salt to our diets isn’t necessarily a good thing. For this reason, some experts believe that using alkalized beverages including water may actually contribute to health conditions like heart failure and hypertension. You should use caution when giving your dog alkaline drinks if you are already suffering from any of these conditions.
Recent studies suggest that drinking acidified (or acidic) water may be a factor in some dog owners’ struggle to get their dogs rid of dry, itchy skin conditions. These include such common issues as dry ear and nose drops, eczema, hair loss, and wet fur due to frequent urination or overheating.
Some experts believe this could actually be causing the symptoms not only in your pet, but yourself as well. That’s because acidity can weaken the protective layer of hard surface callous or keratin you have when you touch things frequently (this goes for humans too!).
This could also potentially cause painful inflammation or even infection if something infectious gets under your nail or into your wound. This is particularly concerning if you take aspirin, vitamin D supplements, or any other medicine that contains acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin).
Since most commercially available beverages are typically balanced around neutral, many people opt to buy an expensive bottle of alkaline water to make sure they are using an appropriate amount of pH. Unfortunately, there isn’t much guidance about how much acidity is needed until someone becomes sick from ingesting it, so these bottles often contain excessive amounts.
Fortunately, we don’t need to drink vast quantities of alkaline water to achieve balance.
Recent studies have questioned whether or not adding an acid to your dog’s drinking water can help prevent or treat dry eye, ear infections, skin conditions such as dermatitis and oily fur.
Some people believe that introducing acidic chemicals into the body is helpful in treating internal health problems. These acids include citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruit, tomatoes, and vinegar.
However, just like humans don’t necessarily need acid in their diets, dogs may also not require it when they drink. The reasons for this are similar to those given for why young children do not need milk.
Dogs produce enough natural acid in their saliva and urine to help neutralize substances in their digestive system. If these levels are adequate, then additional acid does not seem necessary.
It is important to note that although most animals do not need more acid in their diet, some individuals may be deficient in minerals like calcium, magnesium, or potassium. Addressing these issues first will make sure your dog is getting all of the essential nutrients needed for healthy growth.
Recent studies have shown that by adding an acid to your dog’s drink, it may promote weight loss. That acid is typically found in fruits and vegetables such as kiwis, oranges, and tomatoes.
By consuming these foods, you’ll naturally get some citric acid which can be manufactured into acetic acid in the body. Acetic acid has been linked to reducing obesity in humans.
So what about giving your pooch an acidic beverage made of purified water with vinegar added? Some claim that this will work similarly for weight loss in dogs!
Does drinking more acid make dogs lose weight?
Sadly, no. Adding acids to the diet does not cause weight loss in dogs. It’s like putting sugar in milk — although it might taste good, it won’t do anything special for you.
Acids in plants are needed to keep the plant healthy, but they aren’t meant to be consumed by animals or people. The ones we give our dogs can sometimes find its way back into the human digestive system where they don’t look too happy. 🙂
Be very careful about offering your canine friend any fruit or vegetable that doesn’t belong to their breed or genetic makeup.
If your dog is showing signs of being thirsty, try introducing them to an easy drink option such as alkaline water. However, make sure that you do not drown the animal!
Many people believe that drinking alkaline water can help improve their dogs’ health. This theory was popularized in the media when it was reported that the beverage helped reduce plaque formation in canine teeth.
Plaque is a natural film that grows on the surface of all solid objects in our body. When bacteria join together with saliva, they form a protective layer or coating called dental tartar.
This process happens naturally, but too much can be problematic. Too much tartar buildup may cause infection or even tooth loss. That is why it is important to manage tartar in order to prevent this from happening.
There are some studies suggesting that acidic beverages may contribute to higher levels of tartar growth. Because alkaline drinks have an effect opposite of acid, many individuals believe that they can keep their dogs’ tartar at bay by giving them more of these beverages.
However, there isn’t any clinical evidence proving that this is actually the case. So while it is possible that having more alkaline liquids could help limit tartar accumulation, there aren’t any guarantees.
It is also important to remember that just because an individual has dry skin does not mean that they cannot get rashes or other types of dermatitis.
Luckily, it is easy to determine if your dog has an acid or alkaline diet. You can test their urine! If the pH of the urine is higher than 6.5 then your dog does not eat enough vegetables and fruits and lacks an important source of mineral nutrition.
Urinary ketone tests are one of the most reliable ways to identify an acidic food intake in dogs. Ketones will be present when your dog is eating too many processed foods or no nutritional supplements at all. A few drops of ketone-based liquid used as oral rehydration solution (ORS) will confirm this diagnosis.
Drinking alkaline water may also help neutralize internal acids that could come from feeding an excessive amount of meat or other protein sources. However, it is unnecessary to drink alkaline water to begin with! Only do so if you want to know what kind of beverages are needed to aid in urinary acidity testing.