In my neverending quest to achieve optimal health for my dogs, I’ve learned a lot about nutrition and supplementation- and that information has helped me to improvemy own health.
By eating the same foods, spices, and supplements I give my dogs, I’ve had great luck minimizing thedigestive difficultiesthat have plagued meforyears. From coconut oil to milk thistle, turmeric to acidophilus, everything I’ve incorporated into my own regimen – everything I swear by – in recent yearsbegan as an experiment with my dogs. And we’re all feeling healthier than ever before.
Because drinking sufficient water is vital to gastrointestinal health, in pets and people, lately I began wondering aboutthe watermy dogs and I drink. Sadly, the tap water in our home city, New York, contains fluoride, a known neurotoxin. So drinking straight from the tap is not an option for us; the water must be filtered. But because most water filters use chemicals, they’re questionable too.
The high-profile health gurus recommend drinking spring water – but since we haven’t got a natural source near us, our spring water comes in plastic bottles,frowned on byhealth nuts and environmental advocates. Confounding matters, many brands of bottled water aren’t spring water at all – they’remerely filtered tap water (and some aren’t even filtered).
Staying hydrated is an essential part of staying healthy, for humans as well as hounds. You’re supposed to drink half your body weight in ounces, every single day. But if drinking the most available types of water could actually harm my dogs’ health – then what? Would we have to choose between slow death from dehydration, or death by downing a daily dose of polluted water?
Happily, Irecently discovered alkaline water, which is billed as “nature’s best antioxidant.” It’s oxygen-rich and up to six times more hydrating than conventional water because it contains a higher concentration of water molecules. Squeezing fresh lemon juice into a glass of water will alkalinize it – but it won’t remove the harmful pollutants coursing through the tap. And while lemony water is fine for people, dogs don’t like the taste. The only way to have safe, palatablealkaline water is withan ionizer-filter.
Researching the options, it turns out that the best brand is Tyent. The 7070 modelcontainselectrode plates made of platinum and titanium. As water passes through these plates, it becomes ionized.The result isantioxidant alkaline water.
Dog owners who give their dogs Tyent water report adramatic improvement in their animals’ overall well-being. Sharon McIntosh of California says, “I had been fighting what seemed to be a losing battle with allergies and arthritis affecting my German Shepherd, Maggie. I spent many hours and hundreds of dollars at the veterinarian’s office trying to find a cure for her. I began searching for a natural cure for Maggie’s health problems.”
I could relate to Sharon’s experience – and what she said next sold me on alkaline water: “I overheard someone at work saying they were cured of a skin problem by using alkaline water,” she recalls, “so I purchased a Tyent. Well, the rest is history. Maggie is now allergy-free. Prior to giving her the alkaline water she had a very hard time getting up – at times I had to assist her – and now she’s able to get up and down without assistance. I’ve also been drinking the Tyent water for over a year now, and have noticed how much better I feel; I have fewer illnesses and my joints feel great.”
Alkaline wateralso has thislovely fringe benefit: Dogs’ droppings are less odorous when they drink it! Lisa Boccuti of New Jersey gives alkaline water to her Pomeranian, Dunkin, and also waters her garden with the stuff. Check out this photo of Dunkin – it’s hard to tell which looks more vibrant: the pet or the plantings!
This contraption doesn’t come cheap: the lowest-price 7070 model is $1,995. But considering how many thousandsI’ve spilled over the years on veterinary care for my dogs, I consider this a preventive, cost-saving measure. So I’m saving up for a Tyent.
Do you have experience with using alkaline water for your dogs and yourself? Please tell us about it in the comments.
Featured Image Credit: PixieMe, Shutterstock
