Health

How to prevent dehydration in dogs

Water is the single most important nutrient of all: a dog can survive for weeks without food, but only a few days without water. Dehydration is a real danger, especially in summer and during exercise, and in severe cases it can lead to kidney damage, shock and potentially fatal consequences. The good news is that, with a few simple precautions, it is almost always preventable. Let's look at how to recognise it, why it happens and what to do every day to keep your dog well hydrated.

Understanding dehydration means first knowing what it is: a loss of fluids (and of mineral salts, the electrolytes) greater than the dog replaces by drinking. When that balance breaks down, the body struggles to carry out its vital functions. Recognising it in time is essential.

How to recognise a dehydrated dog

Learning to read the signs lets you step in before things become serious. The most common symptoms of dehydration in dogs are:

• Loss of skin elasticity. This is the best-known test: gently lift the skin between the shoulder blades; in a well-hydrated dog it springs straight back into place. If it stays "tented" or returns slowly, there may be dehydration.
• Dry or tacky gums. A hydrated dog's gums are moist and pink; when they turn dry or sticky, it's a warning sign.
• Lethargy and weakness: your dog seems flat, tired, slow to respond.
• Sunken eyes and a dry nose.
• Loss of appetite and laboured breathing (excessive panting).

If you notice these signs, offer fresh water at once and contact your vet: marked dehydration may require rehydration with an intravenous drip and should not be managed on your own.

The most common causes

Dehydration can have several origins. The most frequent are linked to the environment and lifestyle, but some are warning signs of health problems:

• Heat and heatstroke: in summer a dog loses fluids mainly through panting, the only real mechanism he has for shedding heat. Muggy days are the riskiest.
• Intense physical activity: long walks, running and play increase fluid loss.
• Poor access to water: a bowl that is empty, dirty or hard to reach reduces how much a dog drinks.
• Vomiting and diarrhoea: these cause a rapid loss of a lot of fluid and are a frequent cause of dehydration, especially in puppies.
• Fever and illness: certain conditions (kidney, metabolic) upset the body's fluid balance.

How much water a dog should drink

As a general guide, a healthy dog drinks roughly 50-60 ml of water per kilo of body weight a day. This is an approximate figure: the requirement rises with heat, with physical activity and when the diet is based on dry food alone, while a dog that eats wet food already takes in a significant share of his water with his food. Rather than counting millilitres, what matters is to watch that your dog drinks regularly and always has water available.

Practical strategies to prevent dehydration

Prevention is simple and rests on a few good habits:

• Fresh, clean water always available. Change it at least once or twice a day and wash the bowl often. In summer, adding a few ice cubes can tempt your dog to drink.
• More water points. Having bowls in several rooms (and in the garden) increases the occasions on which your dog drinks. A recirculating fountain is, for many dogs, an excellent incentive.
• Water always with you. On walks, when travelling and during sport, carry water and a portable bowl, offering it at regular intervals.
• Mind the hot hours. In summer avoid walks and exertion in the middle of the day, favour early morning and evening, and never leave your dog in the car in the sun, not even for a few minutes.
• Shade and somewhere cool always accessible when your dog is outdoors.

The role of nutrition in hydration

An often-overlooked point is that hydration comes from the food bowl too, not just the water bowl. Kibble contains very little water (around 8-10%), whereas wet food and fresh cooked food contain a great deal (70% and more). A dog fed wholly or partly on wet food therefore takes in a significant share of his water requirement directly from his meals.

This is especially helpful for dogs that drink little of their own accord. Pappa Fresh recipes, cooked and with a good moisture content, contribute naturally to daily hydration, as well as being more palatable. That said, wet food supplements but does not replace the need to always have fresh water available.

In short

Dehydration in dogs is a real danger, especially in the heat and during exercise, but almost always preventable. Learn to recognise the signs (skin with little elasticity, dry gums, lethargy), make sure your dog always has fresh, clean water, take care during the hot hours and remember that wet food also contributes to hydration. Faced with marked symptoms or persistent vomiting and diarrhoea, especially in puppies, contact your vet straight away.