Bringing a furry little friend into your house is a great way to make it feel more like a home. The companion is always there for you, offering snuggles and wet nose kisses when you need them most. And they ask so little in return. Just food, water, a belly to rest their head on and fingers to scratch behind their ears. But while your pet doesn’t require much, your home will. From small puppies to massive dogs bigger than children, you will want to pet proof a few areas of your house, especially your plumbing. To help, here are a few of our top plumbing tips for you as a pet owner.
Outdoor Baths (When Possible)
It is important to give your pet (especially your dog) regular baths. Some dogs and breeds will need a bath as often as once a week while others can go a few weeks between baths. However often you wash your pet it is a good idea to do it outside whenever possible. This is because the amount of fur that will come off during bath time. This kind of fur can instantly clog a drain and cause all kinds of problems sooner rather than later. In fact, giving your pet a bath outside cannot only be refreshing for them during the warmer months, but it will help you avoid costly plumbing repairs.
Of course, there will be times throughout the year when this simply isn’t an option. The temperature might be too cold to wash them outside, or you might live in a condo where going outside just isn’t an option. In these instances you might need to make an exception, but even then there are ways to cut down on the amount of hair flowing down the shower drain.
Hair Collector
If you do need to give your pet a bath inside you’ll want to invest in a hair collector. This is a stopper-like object that goes over the drain and allows water to flow through while collecting the hair. Depending on how thick your pet’s hair is you might need to clean it off several times while bathing them to allow continued water flow down the drain, but it does make it easier to wash your pet when going outside isn’t an option. This is one of the least expensive plumbing tips for pet owners to follow.
If you have the means, you can avoid giving your pet a bath all together by taking them to a local grooming facility. Some pets are better with this than others, but after a few visits they will become more accustomed to someone else washing them. There are also mobile grooming vans you can contact that will come to your home and wash them inside of their van. It will cost more than the other options, but if you have the financial means necessary it reduces the strain on your home plumbing and makes it easier to clean your pet regardless of the time of year.
Conceal Exposed Plumbing
Most of the plumbing inside of your home will be concealed. However, there might be certain occasions where some plumbing is out in the open. If you have a half-bathroom the plumbing under the sink might be exposed. Or if you have an older home the plumbing might run along walls in certain areas of the house. You will want to keep the plumbing concealed, especially if you have a breed of dog that likes to chew. Plumbing is the perfect size for chewing and your pet might enjoy the cooler feeling of the plumbing during the summer and the warmer feeling of the plumbing in the winter.
Due to this, you’ll want to conceal the exposed plumbing. If it is in your bathroom, make sure to keep the bathroom door closed. And if the plumbing is exposed in areas around the house place shelving and other items around the plumbing to prevent your pet from accessing it. This is true primarily if you have a puppy as eventually they will likely calm down and stop looking for areas to chew around the house.
Full Water Dish
Make sure to keep your pet’s water dish full. If it runs dry and they are thirsty they will begin to look for water elsewhere in the house, including the toilet. Of course, you should also keep the toilet set cover down to prevent this (as sometimes if you’re away from the house for the day they might drink all of their water and then go look for more).
Never Flush Litter
Some litter will say it is flushable. Don’t believe it. Never ever flush any kind of litter. Litter is designed to clump. This clumping will occur inside of your drain, which will then back up your entire drainage system. In fact, you’ll clog up your plumbing faster with kitty litter than with just about anything else. So instead of flushing make sure to dispose of your kitty litter properly (in the garbage) and then pitch it. It’s one of the top plumbing tips for pet owners.
Digging Doggy
Does your dog dig outside? If you are okay with your dog digging outside that is one thing, but make sure to keep an eye on how deep they go. In some instances the digging might come dangerously close not only to plumbing lines, but other utility lines. You should never let your dog dig more than a few inches below the grass line. While it might be cute and funny to watch them dig, it might also put them in harm’s way.
Pet Proof Your Home Plumbing
These are some of the most important plumbing tips you need to follow. It doesn’t matter if you just adopted a kitten or if you’ve been a dog owner for years, it’s never too late to pet proof your plumbing. Doing so will help you avoid costly repairs later on down the line (all while keeping your pet clean, safe, and happy. So take advantage of these plumbing tips for pet owners and rest assured your home (and your pet) will thank you for it.
