Taking care of your dog’s body requirements is a vital thing to do being a responsible pet owner. Most of the time we ignore many things and end up in a messy situation. Water is also one of them. How many of us take enough care and measurement of the water which our furry pal consumes in a day?
The answer is quite simple, very few. We only focus on the dog food and always shy away from his body hydrating requirements. You will be surprised to know that even a 10-20% loss of water from your dog’s body can be fatal to him.
So, how much water should a dog drink? Dogs tend to exhaust their body water during physical activity, breathing, panting, and urinating. Hence, to balance this loss of water they should drink water other than what they get from their body’s general metabolism.
A thumb rule states that a healthy dog should drink between 40-60ml/kg of their body weight per day.
In this blog, we will further try to explore the requirement of water for your dog along with certain other interesting facts related to it.
Factors determining the amount of water consumption in your dog?
- The basics first, large breeds of dog require more water than the smaller ones. Above all, the consumption of water depends on the bodyweight of the dog.
- You must have seen that after chewing calcium bones or food which contains high sodium, your furry pal searches for a water source. This happens due to the ingestion of food items that contain high sodium or calcium.
- The dog breeds which are hyperactive such as German Shepherd, Siberian Husky, etc. drink a lot of water due to the activities they perform.
- Extreme weather conditions also lead to heavy consumption in water by dogs. Especially during very hot summers they tend to get dehydrated in lack of shades hence you should provide them with a clean and ample amount of water.
- Many health ailments can also lead to increased thirst in your furry pal.
Why is my dog drinking a lot of water?
The most common reason for animals and human beings drinking water is to quench their thirst. Dehydration caused by normal physiological loss of water can be balanced by drinking the required amount of water. But if the intake of water exceeds the normal limit, then it calls for a health hazard.
If you are observing that your pooch is drinking water in excess, then it is surely because of health ailments. This kind of health condition in a dog is termed as ‘polydipsia.’ This ailment can occur due to various reasons such as diabetes, kidney failure, etc. Many times there may be other reasons also for the excessive intake of water by your dog, such as boredom, basic instinct, and side effects of some steroid medications.
What if your dog is drinking a lot of water?
It is pretty hard to deal with a dog which is consuming an excessive amount of water as this results in increased urination. In this case, you should first get your dog diagnosed and overrule for any health ailments by consulting a veterinarian immediately.
The most common health ailments for the cause of this condition can be kidney failure, diabetes, urinary infection, high blood calcium, etc. As all these diseases are very critical and progressive ones, you should get your pet treated as soon as possible to prevent irreversible damages.
Remember not to restrict the water source for your pet even if he is consuming a lot of water as this might result in dehydration and prove fatal. The best thing to do at this stage is to take your dog to a professional veterinarian who can diagnose and prescribe a right line of treatment. The proper diagnosis will only be possible by conducting certain blood and urine tests other than any additional tests if required.
Why is my dog refraining from drinking water?
Similar to excessive consumption of water there arises a situation of your dog refraining from drinking water. There can be various reasons for the same and some of them are mentioned below.
- Weather conditions can be one of the reasons. Usually, during winters, dogs drink less water due to less dehydrating conditions in comparison to summers
- Lack of activity can also lead to less consumption of water in your dogs. The lesser they indulge themselves in the physical activities, the more the chances of consuming less water
- Change in place also plays a vital role in decreased consumption of water by your pooch
- Certain health ailments in your furry pal such as a bladder or urinary tract infection can also lead to less consumption of water
- The age factor is also an important reason for your dog to drink less water. Over time with the age, your dog’s appetite, as well as thirst, diminishes. Apart from that their health conditions also do not permit them to reach out to a water source
If your dog is not drinking water to its requirement, then it is a matter of concern. The best thing to overcome this situation is to feed your dog with a food item that is rich in minerals and water. To some extent, it will help manage dehydration in your dog caused by less consumption of water.
If still, you see any unfavorable symptoms in your dog, you should immediately rush him to the nearest veterinarian for further diagnosis and treatment.
Wrap up
Water is an essential resource in both animal and human being’s life. One should carefully assess the requirement of water in dogs and fulfill his needs accordingly. Not consuming water is equally dangerous to drinking excessive water. Both situations should be handled carefully with the help of a professional veterinarian well on time to avoid any sort of irreversible damages.
