Question:
I live in a city, and my dog and I enjoy making the rounds. Oftentimes my little guy will stop at water fountains for a drink of water. Sometimes, mostly in winter, if the water fountain is in front of a hotel, the hotel staff will rush out to tell me to stop due to antifreeze in the water, for which I am grateful. My questions are several. 1) If my little guy has managed to somehow drink the above-mentioned water, what are the symptoms? 2) Can my little guy (23 pounds) stand to drink ANY antifreeze at all, or is any amount deadly? 3) Can I tell by the color of the water if there is antifreeze in it? Winter is coming, when antifreeze is more of an issue, but, conversely, he doesn't get as thirsty as when it is so hot outside.
C.M., Washington, DC Feb 22, 2004
Answer:
It's good to have your letter, which should serve as a warning to all dog walkers not to let their dogs drink from decorative water fountains in the winter. Concentrated antifreeze is sweet tasting, and dogs who enjoy the flavor will be poisoned if they ingest spilled antifreeze. It destroys their kidneys. Manufacturers should reformulate this product to make it repulsive to animals. The amount of antifreeze in fountains is probably so diluted as to cause no problems, unless an animal repeatedly drinks the water. Squirrels, birds and other urban wildlife may be at risk, so I would urge all operators of fountains to either turn them off for the winter or heat the water sufficiently to prevent freezing, thus avoiding the use of harmful chemicals.
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