Your veterinarian may sometimes recommend that you give your dog distilled water. This will sometimes happen in cases where your dog has a chronic condition such as congestive heart failure.
Dogs, cats and other pets with chronic conditions like these usually benefit from changes in their diet. Your veterinarian will recommend specific changes in their intake of salt, potassium, phosphorus and other nutrients if they have congestive heart failure.
Dogs with congestive heart failure tend to retain water, sodium and chloride. Diuretics are often given to dogs with congestive heart failure in order to remove fluid build up around the heart. This alleviates pressure on the heart.
However, if your dog is drinking water that contributes to higher levels of sodium and chloride your veterinarian may recommend that you switch to distilled water. Giving your dog drinking water that's low in sodium should be done along with putting your dog on a diet that is low in salt (sodium chloride).
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