Your dog's water bowl is the 4th germiest thing in your home. 10 reasons to ditch it today.

Dust settles on it. Hair floats in it. A slimy film forms on the sides. You'd pour it out without thinking, but your dog can't pour themselves a fresh glass. They drink whatever we give them.

Within 24 hours, a slimy film of bacteria and fungi coats a still bowl. Swab tests have found E. coli, Salmonella and Staphylococcus in pet bowls. Your dog drinks from it every day.

Water left sitting for days can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and lethargy. Plastic bowls trap bacteria in tiny scratches and can give your dog chin acne. And when your dog licks your hands or face, those germs reach your family too.

Outside your house it gets deadly serious. Rats and wildlife can reach a bowl in your own garden, and their urine can carry Leptospira. It attacks your dog's kidneys and liver and can leave permanent kidney disease. It also spreads to people, through the same water or your dog's urine. In severe cases it causes Weil's disease: kidney and liver failure in humans. Stagnant water can also carry the parasite Giardia. Fresh, clean water every day isn't optional.

Lost kidney tissue doesn't grow back. Dogs hide it well: by the time signs show, around two-thirds of their kidney function is already gone. Not drinking enough keeps their kidneys under strain every single day, and severe dehydration can cause sudden kidney injury.

Dirty water adds another threat. Leptospira, spread by rat urine in standing water, attacks the kidneys and liver directly and can turn sudden kidney injury into permanent kidney disease.

Watch for drinking or peeing much more than usual, weight loss, vomiting, bad breath and low energy. If you see them, go to your vet. Dogs drink more from fresh, moving water, so keep them drinking before it's too late.

Water passes through a replaceable filter as it circulates, catching hair and debris before it reaches your dog's mouth. Swap the filter regularly and every sip stays fresh.

They're not with us forever. Fresh water is one of the simplest things you can do for their health, so you get more good walks, more play and more time with your best friend.

Choose the 4L fountain for small and medium dogs, or the 7L fountain for big dogs and multi-dog homes. Same fresh, filtered water, just more of it.

A large reservoir keeps water fresh and flowing all day, so you can leave knowing they're covered, even on hot afternoons. No coming home to an empty or dirty bowl.

If the fountain isn't right for your dog, you have 30 days to return it. Every fountain also comes with a 12-month warranty, so you're covered long after it arrives.

The 4L fountain is R899 (normally R1,499) and the 7L is R1,499 (normally R2,499), both with free delivery. When the timer at the top runs out, the prices go back up.