View Full Version : Dogs + SW aquariums
kreblak
10-10-2003, 9:23 AM
Seeing as how dogs drink out of the toilet all the time, and toilets are bacteria infested sh*t holes (literally), I am thinking I already know the answer to this question. However, I promised I would ask you folks, so here goes:
Can a 40 pound Australian Shepherd get sick from trying to drink out of a saltwater aquarium? Never mind that it is saltwater, and that saltwater actually dehydrates you, for some reason Bingo enjoys sticking her snout in my neighbor's 55 gallon tank. As such, my neighbor is freaked out that the dog will get sick. So, anyone got any experience with this?
mrbigisbudgood
10-10-2003, 9:36 AM
I would be more worried about the dog getting the fish sick. A little nitrates never hurt anyone.
...edit... My Golden Retriever will drink the nastiest water on the planet, probably because it smells neat to him, and he's never got sick in his 7 years on the planet. And that's 7 years today, it's his birthday today.
slipknottin
10-10-2003, 9:39 AM
if the fish are living in the tank, the dog could drink the water no problem.
Cant believe a dog would drink SW though, my dog runs when she smells it.
mogurnda
10-10-2003, 9:56 AM
One would think that the dog would be smart enough to stop drinking before it risks dehydration. One would think. The drool might bring up the nitrate a little. The dog may freak out the first time a shrimp tries to clean its nose, though.
kreblak
10-10-2003, 10:09 AM
Thanks for the replies, fellas. MrBig, wish your Golden happy birthday for me! Bingo (the Australian Shepherd) is not the brightest dog I've ever come across. Sweet as she can be, just not bright. I haven't seen her drink from the SW 55, but I have to trust my neighbor on that one. I've seen the dog do stranger things...
kreblak
10-10-2003, 10:11 AM
The dog may freak out the first time a shrimp tries to clean its nose, though.
LOL! :D
widdledink
10-10-2003, 10:49 AM
Here is one for you all...
I got two kittens that love to watch my fish tank by looking down through my glass top while I am working on the tank.
Well one night while I was testing the water and doing basic maintanence one of them jumped up, thinking he was going to land on the glass. But to his surprise the glass was soft and wet...needless to say he went for a swim. I laughed for about 20 mins after he jumped out soaking wet and didn't like licking himself because of the salt.
Since then I haven't seen him jump up there anymore. But his brother still hasn't learned not to. "Thinks to self...HUM this gives me an idea."
I was worried that because of he getting in the water that it might effect the tank. but this was about 1.5 months ago and nothing has happened.
mogurnda
10-10-2003, 1:14 PM
If you want to keep the cat off the tank, try double-sided sticky tape. They hate walking on it. Or just "accidentally" leave the lid off again.
Cearbhaill
10-10-2003, 7:02 PM
Saltwater will make your dog barf.
This is a scary story or two for you.
Someone on here a while ago posted about how his dog drank out of a bucket he used to frag some polyps and the dog died within a few hours.
There are bacteria in fish tanks that can cause humans to get sick. dogs as well. One that I know if is turbicrulosis. Another, that I don't know the name of, can cause a hard rock like growth to form under the skin if it comes in contact with an open wound. Only the strongest anitbiotics care get rid of this one, and it's not pretty (I've seen pictures). Both are very rare.
Some of the creatures in our tanks are extremely toxic, especially corals. Other bacterias in our tanks can be very harmful.
Some chemicals are very harmfull too, Kalkwasser being one I can name first hand... I got it in my eyes. Kalkwasser is caustic and causes chemical burns... ever seen fight club? apparently if left on the skin it can do the same type of damage.
Take extreme care with your children and pets around your fish tanks, water change buckets, and equipment... always you shoulder length glooves when in your tank, and excersise proper hygine working in your tanks.
Guy
kreblak
10-11-2003, 11:16 AM
Believe me Guy, I know about what can happen from fish tank water. While performing a top off about two or three months ago, a drop of tank water splashed back up into my eye. I though nothing of it until the next day, when I had developed the largest stye ever recorded on a human being. My eye doctor cringed upon looking at it. There was nothing I could do but put a warm compress on it to bring it to the surface and speed up its cycle. I asked for antibiotics, but he said they were ineffective. :confused:
As if the pain from that weren't enough, when the friggin thing finally did heal, I was left with a Choralizon (sp?). That's pronounced "chil-A-shan" and is what happens when a gland in your eyelid EXPLODES due to massive infection. The glands contain an oily substance that your immune system recognizes as foreign, so it attacks and encysts it all. This causes a large subdermal cyst inside your eyelid, which makes your eye look really strange. It is annoying, too.
So guess what? I had to have the Choralizon surgically removed. The procedure is done while you are wide awake, with a local shot of novocaine. They flip your eyelid inside out, and use a laser to cook the cyst right out of your eyelid from the backside. meanwhile, this is happening less than a half inch from your eye, which is open! :eek:
It isn't something I ever want to go through again.... and it was all caused by an errant drop of tank water!
mogurnda
10-12-2003, 1:57 PM
Yeah, I forgot about that, Guy. Many soft corals produce toxins (although I don't know of any evidence that they have hurt mammals), as do zoanthinds. I have seen several examples of people or animals having very bad reactions to zoanthids.
I guess that means Bingo will have to go back to the toilet.
OrionGirl
10-12-2003, 6:09 PM
Mycobacterium are another rason to use care around the aquarium--there is a marine version that is quite nasty to deal with. Not sure about a FW version, but since myco inhabit pretty much everything, it wouldn't surprise there was one that could make the leap to infect a human.
Styes are not the result of a bacterial infection--rather, they are a virus, similar to a wart. Antibiotics are only effective against bacteria, and only specific bacteria at that; antibiotics should not be used against viruses.
Just a little funny--my mom visited yesterday with her border collies. One of them was quite taken with the scooter blenny in our 50, which sits about 4 inches from the floor. She followed him around the tank, gently putting a paw up whenever he came close to the glass.