I'd like to give all the Basel folks a "heads up" about the fountain near the Coop at Volta Center.

I've seen a lot of folks allowing their pets to drink there AND allowing their children to play in it (so I'm not so sure where this belongs really) but there is a bacteria problem with that fountain. The fountain in question is one of the "trough" style as opposed to the fancy basilisk ones with the dog bowl at the bottom.

I feel really guilty and dumb as I've allowed the dog I'm currently sitting to drink from there also and now this morning she's been sick. I've seen so many people let their dogs drink from the fountains, it never even occurred to me that there could be this sort of problem.

If you haven't yet, it's probably a good idea for other dog owners / sitters to make sure you bring water with you along with a portable bowl. I've seen some beverage transportation solutions created for just this purpose at some of the pet stores around town.



Anyhow... I did speak to the vet (as soon as they opened) and as icky as it is, it's not so much something to be "alarmed" about, just pretty similar to a 24-hr stomach bug like we might get from eating something funky. Also just like us, the recommendation I was given was to let her drink small amounts of water through the next 24hrs and then feed her some nice (bland) chicken and rice tomorrow.

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Hi Peg, I hope the little fella gets well soon

A bowl is good, but the water that comes out the spout of the fountain is surely clean spring water?

How do you know it was the fountain? Do you have some information, or is it just best guess from yesterday's outing? (not doubting you, just wondering)

Unless there's a sign, I think the general opinion in Basel is that water is drinkable, so there needs to be something done about it or there'll be a serious problem round there.

Anyway give a hug to Josie from me.

Yep, it is, I guess the problem is that it sits in that trough together with who knows what.

I *think* those fancy ones with the separate bowl at the bottom are better as they're constantly refilled and there is less of it to sit around getting nasty.

So, yep, you're right... a bowl is more the necessary thing to bring than water. Thanks for setting that in my head right, an empty bowl is plenty easy to carry.


Oh, and this:
I bumped into someone else heading out in that direction with her dog last night and she told me about the bacteria in that fountain... unfortunately, we had already visited it.

Hugs given.

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Although I don't live in Basel, I often let my doggies drink from fountains and often wonder about the bacteria if they're the type that don't seem to circulate the water too well. This is such a thoughtful post! Thank you!

OK, the actual trough bit of the fountain I would never touch...the closest bar to where I live cleans their ashtrays in it. It's a really pretty fountain in the square and looks very clean, but obviously it's poisonous. Of course, I drink directly from the spout, but I'm careful of the sitting water.

Seriously?

Well, I've heard a lot of things from strangers on the street:
"I am the messiah" all the way through to "I'm selling some stereos that fell off a truck."
It is up to the internal BS meter to assess those statements for believability. One criterion is whether or not their statement can be proved. "Somebody told me so" is not any kind of proof on its own. Do you have any links to back up your statement: "Bacteria in Fountain" ?

If your argument, however, is about the dangers of drinking standing water.... well then....

CAPTAIN OBVIOUS TO THE RESCUE!!!

What?

The water is NOT "still," there is a drain at the bottom. It certainly does not have the same sort of refresh rate as a small "bowl" (which holds maybe 3c of water) intended for doggy drinking though.

If it weren't for the fact that poor Josie has eaten nothing aside from what I've given her (the food and treats provided by her family) coupled with the fact that Josie was fine until this morning and I was warned by the woman (who was walking her dog) just last night..

Woman sees Josie and I walking, coming from direction of said fountain
Woman warns me of other area dogs getting sick from drinking from said fountain
Josie - who had been perfectly fine - threw up all the water she was given prior to 9am this morning.

So... it sure seems to add up, no?
I'd rather warn others and no one else have a problem than not warn and a lot of other people have problems too.

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Hey numbnuts, it isn't standing water in the sense of water that is so still it's not oxygenated and thus fosters usually dangerous anaerobic bacteria. Indeed, the fountain hitting the surface means the water is highly oxygenated and therefore not intrinsically dangerous at all. The reason why it might be dangerous is because of external pollutants but then you can say the same of anything. Demote that Captain to Private!

I'd only drink from the water as it comes out of the spout (without touching the spout) specifically because people let their dogs drink from it.

When I walk the dogs I bring a bowl with and I fill it with water from the spout. But I have one dog who insists on drinking the water as it comes from the spout. I have to pick her up so she can reach, but she doesn't actually touch the spout at all. She is a very clever dog.

The water sitting in the trough always looks disgusting to me and I would never let the dogs drink from it, not that they can reach it anyways.

I know a lot of dog owners carry a water bottle for their dogs and I do too but it is never enough for all 3.

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I'm looking forward to seeing the micro report ..... most does have surprisingly cast iron stomachs

Ours seems to be able to eat cow shit and drink from puddles without ill effect

The particular trough in question is cleaned by city workers regularly. In fact, I saw them cleaning it only two days ago.


Ah well, poor Josie.


Meanwhile, for those who may be interested:
Josie is already back to nearly her old self again. Wag of tail when being hugged and "demanding" to be hugged and petted some more, head and tail carried at normal position (earlier today her tail and head were both hanging down), following me to the kitchen to observe when I get water for her... all these things she was doing over the past few days but NOT doing for most of today.

Mirfield, she asked me to thank you for the hugs. Oh, and, she told me to tell you to beware of talking shower curtains... whatever that means.

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