Galvanized Buckets? - Page 1

Anyone have anything bad to say about using galvanized metal buckets for water bowls? Any info whether or not using them has a hazard of metal poisoning? Thanks.

Do Right, I have used galvanized buckets for a very long time with no known bad results. While I prefer to use stainless-steel buckets, I think there is nothing wrong with galvanized buckets as long as they are kept clean. The stainless-steel buckets are very nice and very easy to clean compared to the galvanized units as they have no fold or weld seams that can hold dirt and bacteria. The only drawback that I see to the use of galvanized buckets has to do with my ability to quickly sterilize them. Bob-O

Makes sense. Thanks.

I used them for 20, 25 years, never any problems. Filled them with water, detergent, and bleach and allowed them to stand for a few minutes then rinsed them thorougly. Frankly, many of my dogs were stool eaters and I wasn't all that concerned about sanitizing their water buckets LOL. Some of my Malamutes chewed the galvanized buckets. I liked the SS better and also used fiber horse buckets, all set into chimney blocks. I liked the blocks, the holes in the center are about the right size for most buckets and they prevented most of the dogs from playing with the buckets and dumping their water.

Thanks for sharing about the block Blitzen. Great idea, sometimes I need help remembering all the tricks.

Things keep popping back into my head, 4pack. I haven't had a kennel for almost 15 years, only housedogs, so I tend to forget some of the details til reminded. It's a lot easier to have housedogs, no more breaking up dog fights and getting bitten in the process, no chipping stool out of the snow and ice or trying to dump frozen water buckets. Can't say I miss the good old days, although I do often wish I had 2 GSD's instead of only 1. Maybe one day..............

I have had many dogs over the years and trained many but I never had import GSD's of my very own. When I got my three upon retirement, I found several things a little "different" about them. I have mentioned this before in previous threads. For one, they tend to "bite" at their water instead of lapping it. Also, the tend to eat lying down instead of like my other dogs which stand. The GSD's also like to dig in their water buckets a lot, with their front paws. In the warmer months I have a kiddie pool that they play in and they love it, but I don't understand why they dig in their water buckets during the colder months. Maybe the colder months are only cold to me :), not them. I used plastic buckets previously but they chewed them up. I then went to galvanized buckets and use clips to attach the handles to the fencing, to prevent them from overturning the buckets when they dig into them. It usually only takes one clip but one female I have requires two clips as she works at digging into the bucket very hard. Their is no ice in the buckets when they do this. I think they just like being in the water as much as they can.

Blitzen, You sure could chip stool here!! I have a huge part of a huge exercise yard that is now essentially ice and about 3-4 feet thick in parts. I have learned that in order to minimize the chipping work which is difficult and not very successful sometimes, that I must go out, regardless of how bad it is outside, and pick up as they drop!! I do not allow my dogs to have communal water. I find it keeps everyone healthier. They all have bowls inside in their separate kennel space and all my bowls are stainless. As for galvanized buckets, to be perfectly correct, galvanized metal does often get cited for giving off zinc or cadmium particles, depending on how it is manufactured. This is unlikely to be an issue with dogs and water bowls, but I would not recommend cleaning them with bleach or anything else that is corrosive. At best, you end up with pitting which is probably invisible and at worse, you could end up generating hydrogen gas which could be explosive in a confined space where there was an ignition source. This is probably not really an issue either, but for me, i would use stainless. Much better material all around.