Wall Water Features

Is koi pond water safe for dogs to drink from?

I came back from a business trip to find my boyfriend turned on of my planters into a small pond. It is about 250 gallons, has a fountain and waterfall feature and is just screaming for some fish. I'd like to put some koi in it, but I'm pretty sure I have to treat the water for that (I always have for my indoor fish tanks) and don't know if it will be safe for my dogs to drink from. I am not concerned with the dogs going after the fish, but they do have free run of the area where the pond is when they’re out and know that they will not stay away from a water source that large if they are thirsty. Can anyone knowledgeable tell me what I can and what I definitely cannot use to treat this pond? A lot of stuff says it's safe for fish, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's safe to drink. Sararoy03, I appreciate your concern, but I have 6 cats an 18 Australian Shepherds in this yard (plus puppies). Trust me, there is NO wildlife getting near this pond!! Also, I'm not talking about pesticides (I plan on putting one or two of my larger plecos out there for algae control). I'm talking about dechlorinators, slime coat enhancers and ammonia/nitrite treatments.

Public Comments

1. yes its okfor the dogs to drink. dogs have a better immune system than we do. so let them have fun !!!
2. yes!just don't wee in the water(-:
3. If the water is still good enough to keep the Koi alive, I shouldn't think it would hurt a dog. Shouldn't be any worse from drinking from any stream in the wild.
4. Two problems: one, this will be an outdoor water feature and will attract wildlife along with your dogs. Dogs can contract various intestinal parasites and (more seriously) Leptospirosis (which is a zoonotic disease - can be passed to humans) from drinking out of stagnant water (even though you have a waterfall, the water will only circulate). Two, anything you use to treat it is a pesticide at best and should never be put into drinking water. Chances are the parts per million of these toxins will be very small, still you will always be running the risk that you'll poison the fish, wildlife, or your dogs. You could always put a net over the pond to keep out birds and animals.
5. It shouldn't hurt the dog at all -the stuff is safe for fish, and fish are very sensitive. Most things that treat the water just change ph, and remove chlorine and stuff like that -hardly harmful. I wouldn't worry about it -I would only be concerned the dog might fall in and not know how to get out (I have small dogs, lol), so that would be the only reason I would be making precautions. I would deliberatly put my dogs in the pond (before fish, lol) and show them how to get out. You probably have a dog that's over 10lbs, however, and don't even have to worry about that. Sararoy0- if she takes care of the pond, and performs the water changes that it needs, and has a filter, the water is hardly stagnant. If it was the fish wouldn't live, and fish tanks would never work.
6. I'd try petsmart they have pond stuff and might be able to tell u if there is some thing that u can use that's safe for ur dogs. (some pet lands have pond stuff also)
7. Have you seem some of the stuff a dog EATS? It won't hurt the dog but 250 gallons is to small for Koi...try fancy goldfish Shubunkins, Pearlscale, Fantail, Oranda, Telescope, moors, Demekin, Veiltail, Bubble Eye, Ryukin They are all beautiful goldfish. You never want to add treatments for the cycle..
8. for an outdoor pond you will only need to treat the water ONCE, when you first circulate the water to ready it for fish. since it's an outdoor pond, it has risk of contracting just about anything from anywhere. ie. neighborhood cats and racoons having a drink could leave their saliva in the water, which in turn is passed to your dogs. go to a pet store and ask them about pond maintenance, you can get once a month meds to treat common pond diseases that could be contracted to your dogs. also, be aware that an outdoor pond with flashy koi attracts predators, not just those who are thirsty. you may want to consider giving it some cover so as to not attract hungry birds or raccoons, and keep those fishies safe. if you get some catskills or other submerged or floating plants, you can give your pond a way to keep itself healthy and protect your fish. following that, dogs eat everything and drink everything when you aren't looking, they should be good to go!