My Dog Drank Septic Water What Should I Do?

Do you have a septic system? If so, then you know they can occasionally leak or have other problems. It’s not uncommon for the system to have been dug up and repaired. But what happens if your dog drinks septic water?

Has your dog drunk septic water? Are you worried the septic water will make your dog sick? If so, then you’ve come to the right place. We understand it can be scary when your dog drinks something like this.

We’ve put together some information about septic water and whether it can make a dog sick. Let’s get started!

What is Septic Water?

Septic water is water that comes from a septic system. The system sits underground and works to treat wastewater. Septic systems are commonly used in areas where centralized sewer systems are not available. They use a combination of nature and technology to treat wastewater and then release it into the soil.

All septic systems rely on water to work. The water comes from the house and brings it down a drainage pipe into a septic tank. The buried tank then holds the wastewater until the solids have settled to the bottom. These are held in the tank; however, the wastewater leaves the tank through a drain field. The drain field allows the pretreated water to run back into the soil. The soil then works to treat and disperse the water.

Sometimes the plumbing that runs to the septic tank may break. The tank may leak, also. In addition, if the drain field becomes saturated with water (such as rainwater), the liquid from the septic tank may overflow and cause sewage to flow to the ground surface. Yuck!

But what happens if a dog drinks septic water?

Septic Water & Dogs

As you can imagine, septic water is harmful to dogs. The water contains bacteria, viruses, and other nasty stuff. If the pipes to the septic system break, are unburied, or the water leaks to the surface of the ground, then a dog may have access to the water and drink it.

Symptoms of Septic Water Ingestion in Dogs

You may notice these symptoms if your dog has drunk septic water:

• Diarrhea
• Abdominal pain & bloating
• Vomiting
• And more

Your dog could become very sick very fast after drinking septic water. If you notice very bad diarrhea and vomiting accompanied by other symptoms, then call the vet immediately. This is an emergency.

While septic water can make dogs very sick, the sooner they receive treatment the better. Septic water can cause death in dogs, so be sure to call the vet right away if your dog has drunk septic water.