I've seen what my cats drink and eat. They find stagnant puddles riddled with mosquito larva and eat grass and dirt. I still give them filtered water in a nice constantly running pet water fountain.

Make sense now? We as pet owners don't think they can eat garbage or drink filthy water. But we've observed it. We don't actively give them garbage or filthy water.

I once started a story in a party with “well, I was brushing my dog's teeth”, and this asshole who was a +1 for a friend stopped me and started interrogating me. He just couldn't wrap his head around the concept that I brush my dog's teeth and try to keep them in general clean and healthy. This joke of a human being had dogs, as in several, and during that conversation we all learned that he pretty much neglected them. He thought dogs only need to be bathed every two months and fed daily and that was it. No walks, no play time, no hygiene routine, no vaccines, no de-worm, no vet check ups. Just miserably living in a cage for 18 hours a day and an occasional play session in the backyard. Like, no shit Raul, no wonder your dogs are losing teeth and always have diarrhea. You don't care for them and only feed them leftovers you dipshit. Thank goodness we never saw him again. I hope his dogs are doing better now.

Dogs are better able to handle dirty food and water than we are.

Doesnt mean you should feed your dog dirty food and water though.

My previous dog, despite having access to much cleaner water in the kitchen, drank daily from a bird bath in the garden... and she lived to the ripe old age of 14

Well, I probably wouldn't lick my own asshole, either.