Hard Water - Page 1

I new to the Midwest and I wanted to know if hard water has any long-term adverse effects on the the dogs???

Doomsayer, I live in the midwest also, in an area where the water is very hard and also very alkaline (pH about 8.8). I have never noted problems with humans or dogs, except the most sensitive of both may have skin issues rarely. I do note dry skin personally, but it is also a function of low humidity we normally have here as well. My dogs swim in a pool filled with water, pH adjusted to ensure appropriate disinfection paramenters, and have no trouble. The only thing I did (or have ever done) differently was to give bottled water for the first 6 weeks of life for a litter my female just had. You will find that hardness is always a property of the geology and in this area, usually the water will be hard.