Oneisall pet water fountain review – keeping my dog cool and hydrated in a heatwave
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In the summer heat, even fussy pets need more water – Gareth Butterfield tested this large, filtered fountain on Honey, a six-year-old Labradoodle.
If you were to follow the official health advice, you should be drinking at least between two and two and-a-half litres of water every day. And in a heatwave, it should be even more. But do you have any idea how much your pets drink?
Apparently a medium-sized Labradoodle, like my dog, Honey, should be drinking around a litre per day. But she's a fussy little thing when it comes to consuming liquid.
She's a bit too posh to drink out of a communal bowl, she won't drink from rivers or streams because they're for playing in, and even our nice, ceramic Mason Cash water bowl at home will only be given attention when the water is clean and cool enough. Honestly sometimes I think she's just holding out until I treat her to a fresh bottle of mineral water.
But then we discovered water fountains. And they've been a game-changer. Honey loves flowing, filtered water, it turns out.
Something about the trickle of water coming from a little electric pump, and the fact it's constantly running through a filter, really encourages her. The first time we offered one two her she almost emptied it in a day.
So I've tested plenty of these fabulous devices over the years, and I was more than ready to try one being offered up by a company called Oneisall - a firm that made a name for itself in the grooming tech market.
Its water fountains are aimed at dogs or cats, and there are a few to choose from, but they sent me their seven-litre Pet Water Fountain which has a five-layer filtration system and a stainless steel construction.
The little motor that lies within is a familiar bit of kit that I've seen in other fountains, and Oneisall claims it's as quiet as it gets. And it really is, you simply can't hear it running.
The water is dispensed through a little steel pipe, which presses into a rubber base and gently trickles the water into a deep well.
It passes through a little hole at the front with a whirlpool-style effect hole, through the clever filter pads, and back into the main container.
And that main container is huge. Seven litres is enough to keep the average dog going for at least a week, and with my two dogs lapping away at it, it really doesn't need filling very often at all.
Filling it is as easy as just pouring a container of water slowly into the well, and cleaning it is a doddle, too. You can even put the metal parts into the dishwasher.
Replacing the filters is quite easy. They're tricky to come by, because they don't seem to be listed on Amazon, but I did find a set on eBay and you can also order them directly from Oneisall. They cost £16.99 for eight filters. The fountain itself comes with three in the box.
And, trust me, you'll need to replace them every few weeks, because they really do get covered in grot. Proves they work, I guess.
Other than its physical size (it really is very big) there's little to dislike about the Oneisall fountain. It's well made, easy to clean, and the filtration works brilliantly.
The only fly in the ointment is the UK version doesn't come with a window on the side. This means that, without removing the lid, you can't see how much water is left. That's not a big job, it's just not very convenient.
A USB motion sensor like this one is a great addition to a pet water fountain
It senses when your pet is nearby and turns the fountain on instantly.
This means your fountain isn’t constantly running, saving electricity
It also means the filter should last longer, because it’s not constantly filtering
It only works with USB-powered fountains, and you’ll need a USB-A socket to power it
The cheapest one we can find is on Amazon, priced at £12.99 - click here to find out more
In America, where the company is based, you can opt for a more expensive "Pro" version, which has a small, round window. And that'll make all the difference. But here's a tip - order it on Amazon by following this link, and you get the US version for £69.99.
I know what you're thinking, that's a lot of money, especially when the version without a window is currently £42.99 - but the convenience of that little window is arguably worth the extra. And this is, after all, a large fountain with a strong filter system designed for homes with multiple dogs.
When all's said and done, that's what this fountain is ideal for. If you've just got one dog, or a few small dogs, a seven-litre fountain is far too big. But if you've got big dogs, or a few larger dogs, and especially you're in my situation and one of your dogs loves filtered water, this fountain is ideal.