Pet products : Bottled Dog water
On the heels of doggie dentists, doggie day care, doggie beer and designer doggie clothing lines comes the latest way to make your pooch as spoiled as you are -- bottled dog water.
With bottled water and pet-related goods two of the few areas still experiencing growth in our economy, it only makes sense that someone would come up with a product that capitalizes on that combination.
Century Foods, a maker of nutritional supplements, has introduced a new line of bottled water for dogs, with three unique formulas - one to promote healthy hips and joints, one to ensure healthy aging and another Gatorade-ish blend designed to quickly replace electrolytes after exercise.
Hero Enhanced Dog Water is "a hydration treat for dogs," says Tim Greene, director of sales for Century Foods.
The water undergoes a "unique triple-filtered, reverse-osmosis purification process" before it is fortified with nutrients, and while according to promotional material "it smells a little funny to people, dogs love to the taste."
Century Foods says it recognized the exponential growth in the pet supply business -- one that shows no signs of slowing down.
It's not the only dog water on the market, only the latest.
In February, Cott Corp. came out with Fortifido, a bottled water that is fortified with vitamins in order to encourage healthy bones, skin, and teeth as well as freshen the breath of household dogs.
PetRefresh also offers special bottled water that does not contain the chemicals used in tap water. It comes from "high mountain streams of unusual purity," and is triple filtered. It can be used for dogs, birds, hamsters, gerbils and other pocket pets, as well as lizards and snakes.
"So, if you\'re avoiding your tap water and drinking bottled water ... shouldn\'t you be giving the same consideration to your pet?" the PetRefresh Web site asks.
Other companies are using humor, as opposed to guilt, to sell their versions of bottled dog water.
K9 Water Co. jokingly offers the following flavors: Toilet Water, Puddle Water, Hose Water
and Gutter Water (actually chicken, beef, liver and lamb).