Dogs And Your Drains

CJ the Plumber here, with a new blog on dogs! I don’t know about you, but I am the kind of person that will go out of my way to pet a dog. I mean it. I have literally crossed the street to ensure that I encounter the adorable furry friend prancing on the other side of the road. Common, you have done it too.

Dogs are just so hard to ignore—they have some magnetic pull that draws me to them—I think it’s the floppy ears.

Although I have never met a dog I didn’t like, your plumbing has. With all that fluffy cuteness, comes a ton of hair. And, your drains despise hair. They simply don’t know how to handle it, and they aren’t designed to do so. Dogs pose additional threats to your plumbing with their favorite outdoor activity—digging. So, how do you dog-proof your plumbing? I am about to tell you! Today, I am here to give all of you dog owners some expert tips on how to prevent plumbing problems!

Plumbing Pointers For Pet Owners

Use Drain Strainers

Place a drain strainer over your bathtub or shower drain when it’s time for grooming! This will catch all of your pup’s hair before it rinses down your drain, causing a severe clog. This preventative measure is an easy way to avoid pipe repair and keep your plumbing happy!

Furthermore, make sure you are brushing your dog before you place them into your shower or bath for a washing. This will remove most of the excess hair that would fall down your drain before bathtime commences.

If you do experience any pooling water or witness slow drainage during or after grooming, contact Winters® Home Services for drain cleaning.

Hinder Outdoor Excavation

If you have a digger on your hands, make sure you are keeping a close eye on your pup’s outdoor activities. If your furry family member digs too deep, he or she can actually hit your sewer line. If your dog reaches your sewer line, it could become damaged.

When a sewer line cracks, you will not only have a major mess on your hands, but you will also have a potentially sick dog. Sewer lines carry bacteria, and when this bacteria is released, your dog may be put in danger.

Simply keep close attention to your dog when he or she is galavanting in your yard, especially when digging!

Keep Your Toilet’s Lid Shut

Your dog naturally sheds hair throughout the day, especially when wet. So, if you have a toilet drinker, make sure you are keeping your toilet bowl lid closed! This will prevent clogs from forming in your toilet.

Additionally, open toilet lids can pose a possible danger to your dog if he or she is under 10 pounds. Small dogs can fall into your toilet, potentially hurting themselves or drowning. Avoid a catastrophe—close the lid.

Protect Your Pipes

Pup-proof your pipes! Dogs, especially when teething, are fond of nibbling on random items. From your shoes to your chair legs, from your homework to your pipes—dogs enjoy chewing on things. If one of your dogs’ pastimes is nibbling on miscellaneous objects, it is imperative you cover any exposed pipes in and around your home. If your pup gets his or her mouth on a pipe, you could be in for a major plumbing repair.

If you have a broken pipe, the pressure within your plumbing gets out of whack. Plumbing that is out of balance can cause backflow, which we all know from one of my previous blogs is quite disgusting and can cause contaminated water in your home.

If your water looks or tastes “off”, contact me and my friends at Winters® Home Services for backflow testing and repair.

Keep your plumbing and your pup in harmony with Winters® Home Services. Contact us, at 617-221-5899, for leaking pipes, pipe repair, and backflow testing and prevention.