Is Chlorine Harmful to your Show Animal?

Do you worry that chlorine in water will cause your animal to stop drinking, go off feed, or even become sick at the next show?Now you can stop worrying. ShowFresH₂O™ Water Treatment was invented by scientists that had experienced these same problems and decided to develop a practical solution.

Why is Show Water Chlorinated?

Chlorine is a chemical disinfectant added to drinking water. It’s typically added as sodium hypochlorite, which is the active component in household bleach. Chlorine works by killing harmful germs and bacteria in public water supplies. It’s usually not found in rural farm water, which is why show animals may turn up their noses when they are first exposed to it at the show. Traditionally the levels of chlorine in city water is about 1-3 ppm, which is similar to the amount found in swimming pools!

How Can Chlorine Harm Your Animal?

Given that chlorine can kill micro-organisms, it’s no wonder that it might also be harmful to your animal. In addition to killing bad bacteria, chlorine can also kill the beneficial ones in your animal’s digestive system and potentially make them go off feed and water. It’s similar to how you may feel lethargic and lose your appetite when taking antibiotics.

Ruminant animals, such as cattle and sheep, may be particularly sensitive to chlorine.  Their rumen system relies on micro-organisms and fermentation processes to aid in digestion. When that system is disrupted it can create all kinds of health problems. For example, a dairy cattle study from 2008 reported that drinking water chlorine concentration was negatively associated with milk protein content. The authors believe this may have been due to the antimicrobial effect of chlorine on the rumen.

 

Monogastric animals, such as horses and pigs, are not immune from chlorine’s harmful effects either. An eye-opening case study of a pig barn reported the health effects of an accidental release of chlorine to the barn’s drinking water, increasing free chlorine to about 2 ppm (similar to show water). The gilts and sows had increased abortion rates, higher stillborn rates, and abnormal heat cycles. This ultimately led to reduced farrowings. To make matters worse the growing piglets experienced higher death rates as well.

 

If all of the above was not bad enough for you, there’s more. Chlorine can directly impact your animal’s immune system which can make them get sick easier. A study on young rats found that chlorine reduced spleen weight, altered macrophage metabolism, and changed immune cell signaling.

In addition to the direct effects of chlorine on animal health, some animals just plain don’t like the smell or taste of chlorinated water. Most humans don’t either, so can you blame them? It tends to be especially bad for animals that have just come off the farm for the first few times. They can be very sensitive to the bad taste and odor of chlorine. Of course, when animals don’t drink water, they can become dehydrated.  This leads to reduced immune system function, increased illness, and to going off feed.  The potential results?  A very high vet bill. You get the idea?

 

What can you do about chlorine?

Most experienced show people are aware of the chlorine problem. For decades, many have been trying various remedies to solve it.  But do they really work?

Exhibitors will use water-hose filters at shows that are reported to “remove contaminants.”  There are at least a few problems with filters: 1) They can freeze-up in cold weather  2) If not maintained or replaced regularly they can “result in bacterial growth on the filter, causing potential contamination of the water with pathogens” and  3) Their performance in removing chlorine from water is unreliable. If you are unsure if your filter is working properly try  ShowFresH₂O™ Chlorine Strips to check the before and after performance of your filter.

 

Probiotic powders, electrolyte pastes, and flavor aids are even marketed as solutions. These are often prescribed to be used before, during, and after the show. These might provide nutrition and electrolyte support to your animal temporarily, but are they really solving the root cause of chlorine or just applying a band-aid to the symptoms?

ShowFresH₂O™ Water Treatment was developed specifically for livestock to help stop the problem before it begins, by ELIMINATING chlorine from drinking water. Not only does it eliminate the foul odor of chlorine, it safely converts harmful chlorine to a form that is harmless to your animal and its digestive system. Treat the chlorinated show water BEFORE they get sick.

 

ShowFresH₂O™ Water Treatment fits easily in your showbox. It will not freeze in the winter and will not spoil in the summer. It only takes a few minutes to use. One bottle treats 150 gallons of chlorinated water. Stop worrying about chlorine!  Start the show off on the right hoof.

 

Key References

Bach, A., Valls, N., Solans, A., Torrent, T.; Associations Between Nondietary Factors and Dairy Herd Performance, J. Dairy Sci. (91:8), 3259-3267, 2008.

Beede, D.; Assessment of Water Quality and Nutrition for Dairy Cattle, Proc: Mid-South Ruminant Nutrition Conference, April 27-28, Arlington, TX, 2005.

Exon, J., Koller, L., O’Reilly, C., Bercz, J.; Immunotoxicologic Evaluations of Chlorine-Based Drinking Water Disinfectants, Sodium Hypochlorite and Monochloroamine., Toxicology (44), 257-269, 1987.

Langdon, A., Crook, N., Dantas, G., The Effects of Antibiotics on the Microbiome Troughout Development and Alternative Approaches for Therapeutic Modulation, Genome Medicine (8:39), 2016.

Olkowski, A.; Livestock Water Quality. A Field Guide For Cattle, Horses, Poultry, and Swine., University of Saskatchewan, ISBN 978-1-100-12443-8, Cat. No.: A22-483/2009E, 2009.

Tofant, A., Ostovic, M., Wolf, S., Kabalin, A., Pavicic, Z., Grizelj, J.,  Association Between Over-Chlorinated Drinking Water and Adverse Reproductive Outcomes in Gilts and Sows: A Case Report. Veterinarni Medicina (55:8), 394-398, 2010.

Tofant, A., Ostovic, M., Wolf, S., Kabalin, A., Pavicic, Z., Mikulic, M.,  Association Between Over-Chlorinated Drinking Water and Suckling, Nursery, and Fattening Pig Death Losses, Veterinarni Medicina (56:7), 358-361, 2011.