This post may contain affiliate links. You won't pay a penny more, but you'll help keep It's Dog or Nothing running (websites are expensive!) and the floofs fed (they're even more expensive - as you well know) ;)

PetSafe Redefines Pet Hydration

Did you know that July is National Pet Hydration month? Although we’re nearing the end of the month, we wanted to take some time to talk about this very important issue. We all know our dogs need water, but exactly how much do they need?

According to Willie Wallace, CEO of Radio Systems Corporation, makers of the PetSafe brand,

Our pets need one ounce of water per pound of body weight each day. Proper hydration plays a big role in a pet’s health, and can save pet parents a trip to their vet’s office.

By that math, Atka needs about 130 ounces, or over 16 cups of water a day. That’s a LOT of water! Makes our recommended 64 oz of water seem like child’s play, doesn’t it? 😉

Maintaining proper hydration levels is extremely important for your dog’s health as it prevents urinary tract infections, helps with energy levels, regulates body temperature, and improves recovery time from illness or surgery. Serious dehydration shows obvious signs, but there are several signs that can indicate even mild dehydration:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Lack of energy
• Excessive panting
• Loss of appetite
• Sunken or dry eyes
• Dry, sticky gums
• Loss of skin elasticity

Pet Fountains

Before BlogPaws, I never even considered getting a pet fountain for two reasons: they’re (obviously) more expensive than a traditional water bowl and I didn’t think Mauja and Atka would see any benefits from using a fountain. My mind changed when PetSafe set up pet fountains all throughout the BlogPaws conference hotel.

First, Mauja loved drinking from them. I’m not sure why I never thought of that because she loves drinking from a spigot. She’ll run over mid bark sesh if she hears us turn on the spigot to get a quick drink. For all you Great Pyrenees lovers, you know it takes a LOT to pull a pyr away from bark duty!

Second, they were gorgeous. I don’t need fancy, expensive things, but I love putting items that look nice into my home. The fountains looked so much nicer than our plastic water bowls – I was kind of jealous that the fluffies got to drink out of them and not me!

So, when I was given the opportunity to try one, I just couldn’t pass it up.

PetSafe Drinkwell® Sedona Pet Fountain

I’m not going to lie, I was drawn to the Sedona fountain because of the sleek and stylish look. I knew it would look much better than our current water bowl while still being functional and beneficial. When it arrived, I got it set up (which was a breeze) and put it in place of our original water bowl. I was worried that Mauja and Atka would try and play in the water and make a mess of our new floors, so I went searching for a mat to put it on.

When I came back in the room with a towel, I noticed that Nick had put our boot mat under the fountain. It was the perfect size and the tall edges prevented water from running out onto our new floors. However, it looked awful.

Can we just take a moment and look at how the boot mat ruins the beautiful fountain in front of the reclaimed wood counter? Not only is it hideously dirty from our boots, but the grooved plastic doesn’t do it any favors either (also, this picture was taken AFTER I hosed down the mat – yuck).

A Better Way to Hydrate

After staring at the fountain for awhile and trying to determine the best way to improve the look while keeping the functionality, I had an idea. I didn’t need a new mat – I needed a way to improve the look of our current mat. So, I ran out to Home Depot to pick up some rocks.

My massive bag of rocks (which will replace the current ones over and over as they fade) only cost me $4.

I placed the PetSafe Sedona fountain back on the boot mat and surrounded it with the cracked marble rocks and couldn’t believe the difference it made. I went from a horrid, dirty mat to a beautiful place for Mauja and Atka to drink which fits into our house. Whenever I get the chance, I’m going to spray paint the mat, but I still think it looks really good now.

The Fluffy Test

Mauja immediately took to the fountain, but it took Atka about a week to warm up to it. After he barked at the strange intruder, he became curious and would sniff it a few times a day. I made sure to always praise him lavishly when he showed interest in the fountain. After about a week of sniffing and praising, he began to drink from it as well. Now, he chooses to drink out of the fountain over any other bowl in our house.

Our biggest worry with getting a fountain was their ability to drink out of it. Big dogs have big faces and tongues – they need a big bowl! I’m not sure if Mauja and Atka feel the bowl is too small, but they choose to drink from the top of the fountain rather than the bowl. It could be that the water tastes fresher or it’s just more fun that way!

Overall, I’m thrilled with the PetSafe Drinkwell® Sedona Pet Fountain and how much more the fluffies drink from it than their traditional water bowl. We have several water bowls, both inside and outside, that I hope to replace with fountains in the future!

Since we love the fountain so much and know you will too, we have a giveaway for you. Enter below for your chance to will a PetSafe Drinkwell® Sedona Pet Fountain!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pin It!