Only a few per cent of loss of water may cause serious problems for your dog. However, we often don’t pay attention to its drinking and underestimate its importance. When there is a risk of dehydration, do you know how to avoid it or recognize it?
Many people already carefully pick dry food, think about the proportion of proteins and fats in food but often forgets about fluid intake. Excessive loss of water which means only 10–15 percent may be even life-threatening to dogs. Therefore, regular drinking is more than important.
However, it’s not that easy to say how much water a dog should drink. It is important to realize that it depends on many factors. The size of the breed plays an important role (it is generally said a dog should drink 80 ml for 1 kg of its weight) and its age (puppies need more water, older, pregnant and breastfeeding dogs lose water faster). The need of water is also related to the type of food. Dogs that eat dry food will drink more than those fed with cans. And it also depends on the physical activity. Similarly to people – the more physical activity, the more water is needed. Even high temperature, vomiting and diarrhoea or administering certain medicines might influence the need of water. We can’t also forget about the influence of weather. In summer, dogs will be naturally thirstier than in winter.
With physical exertion, the ambient temperature doesn’t matter so much. Therefore, do not forget about these principles in winter! Do not forget to hydrate your dog enough before the physical activity, may it be doing sports or a longer walk or trip. However, not immediately before it. Not only the water might get from its stomach to its circulatory system, it could also cause a life-threatening gastric torsion. Before a race or a demanding training session, you might help yourself with rehydration drinks. And do not forget to let your dog drink after the activity.
If you go on a trip, have water for your dog companion always with you and offer it regularly to your dog. Do not rely on water you bump into on your journey. There doesn’t have to be any and the dog could also get poisoned from an untested water source. Puddles pose risks as there are pathogens and parasites, stagnant water (e.g. in ponds) might be infected by toxic cyanobacteria.
And how can you tell a dog is dehydrated? The easiest way is to check its urine colour. It should be light yellow to clear. A dehydrated dog also loses its energy and sometimes even appetite. You can notice its eyes are glassy (as when a disease comes) or its mouth is dry. You’ll also easily recognize the lack of fluids by catching the skin on the front part of its back. If it doesn’t get back immediately, it is just in time to give your dog some water. You can also check the hydration using a gentle pressure of a finger on the gum to turn it white. If everything is okay, it should turn red again after the pressure is released. Dehydration is also obvious from dog’s fur. It is drier, coarser and loses its shine.
In less serious cases, you can give the dog sufficient amount of water or a rehydration drink in a perfect case. With more serious cases, don’t hesitate and go to a vet. You can avoid harming the organs or, God forbids, even death.
Some dogs fight drinking regularly and they need some support sometimes. Water bowls should be made from washable material and always clean. Some dogs only need to change water in them several times a day or at least once a day. A drinking fountain might support their need to drink. If it doesn’t help, you might put a spoon from a can to water. It would be surprising if a dog didn’t drink this way. Partial source of fluids might be also contained in a suitable type of food which is perfect for stubborn non-drinkers – cans or adding little water into food or broth (always remove the bits the dog didn’t eat, some dogs may refuse to eat wet dry food, added water in a can is not so obvious).
Have you ever had problems with dehydration in dogs? Warm days are coming, therefore do not forget about their bowls with water and pay greater attention to them.
If you have decided to buy a purebred cat, you still have a lot of questions ahead of you. Which breed should you choose? A female cat or a tomcat? A kitten or an adult? Only if you consider everything carefully, you'll get the right companion for...
Lots of rabbit lovers choose this breed mainly by its appearance. The cuter, the better. But maybe they don’t know that a certain kind from the order of lagomorphs lives in nature, and hardly any domestic rabbit can match it in its cuteness. The same...
If you've noticed that your fluffy friend excessively licks and nibbles at his paws, you should not leave it like that. It might have several causes. Whether it's a psychological problem, allergy, yeast or other problem, the situation must be...
Did you know that our senses include the perception of the magnetic field? While we have almost lost this ability already, dogs still have it and use it every day. Do you know for what?
The British Shorthair cat is without a doubt the most popular cat breed not only in the Czech Republic, but also in the rest of Europe. This is caused not only by its appearance of a small Teddy bear, but also a mild, trouble-free nature.
In individual rodents, we’ll find breeds that are more popular with breeders than others. One of those is the American Teddy, typical with its peculiar hair structure that gives it the appearance of a teddy bear.
There is certainly no doubt that the Labrador belongs among the best known and most popular dog breeds. The reason is his extraordinary versatility, adaptability, intelligence and loyalty. Like the British Shorthair cat, the Labrador Retriever can be...
To spend a few days outside of civilisation - in the forest, on the ridges of the mountains - away from the hustle of the cities, in the wilderness and ideally with your dog. An imaginary return back to nature is the trend that did not avoid even the...
Hunting and exercise. If the dog loves both these activities, then coursing is the perfect activity for it. This cross-country race is based exactly on the desire of the dog to catch its prey.
No matter how thorough we are with the prevention, a situation might come up when a dog or a cat will get to a poisonous thing, whether it’s by our inattention or it's somebody else’s fault. That’s why it’s not off-topic to prepare yourself for the...
Under the name of dogtrekking, imagine an orientation walk with the dog. Official rules rank it among extreme dog endurance sports.
There may be more causes of dog fear. And the first step to eliminate it is to find out its origin and cause.
