Water is a vital resource for all living creatures. From marshlands and oceans to sandy deserts, the behaviour and characteristics of plants and animals is heavily influenced by the availability and quality of water that they can get.
The importance of water intake is so significant that people already have a rule of thumb for how much we should drink in a single day. Eight glasses may seem like a lot, but it’s really not that much when you consider that our bodies are composed mostly of water.
But while we humans have guidelines for how much water we should drink, dogs don’t really have anything similar. Under normal circumstances, adult dogs will require around 60 ml of water per kilogram of body weight. However, it is impractical to measure out water for your dog since this value may go higher or lower depending on your dog’s age, diet and certain other environmental and health factors.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re an animal lover who just wants the best for their dog, or you’re an experienced dog owner looking into how to become a registered dog breeder. Knowing the best practices for the care and raising of your dog is crucial for the well-being of your pet.
So since there isn’t a quick-and-easy guideline, how do you know if your dog needs more water?
How To Know if Your Dog Is Thirsty
Like any other animal, your dog will lose water throughout the day due to various bodily processes. Your dog will pant, breathe, urinate and lose moisture through their skin. Once your dog feels as though they do not have enough water in their body they’ll naturally want to drink.
Because there are so many dog breeds and because each dog is a unique individual, the way they communicate to us that they’re thirsty may be different from dog to dog, which is something experienced dog breeders can learn along the way. Some dogs paw at their water bowls, some dogs just stand around, and some dogs are even trained to push buttons that ask for water.
The one thing that is common to all dogs is that once they are thirsty, they will start looking for water and will not stop until their thirst is quenched. Dogs who have an abundant supply of clean drinking water will simply drink as they feel like throughout the day.
Know the Signs of Dehydration
Dogs have a very good sense of what they need to survive, and water is vital for survival. Thirst can be considered a first warning sign of dehydration. Once your dog is extremely thirsty, they may already be experiencing dehydration, which can quickly lead to negative health effects.
Knowing the key signs and symptoms of dehydration in dogs can help you provide water exactly when your dog needs it the most. Some of the main signs include:
- Panting
- Dry nose and gums
- Lack of urination
- Vomiting and/or diarrhoea
- Abnormally low energy levels
- Sunken eyes
- Reluctance to eat
- Loss of skin elasticity
- Thick, ropy saliva
While many of these symptoms by themselves can happen even when your dog is not dehydrated, it is important to keep in mind the context of when the symptoms occur. If your dog is at home and has ample supply of water when they experience these symptoms, dehydration may not be the issue, and it may be an underlying medical condition.
However, if you’re out for a morning hike under the hot sun when your dog starts showing these signs, then the most likely culprit is dehydration.
One of the easiest ways to test these symptoms is through something called the capillary fill time test. Gently press a finger against the dog’s gums and then remove the finger and watch for the change in gum colour. Immediately after removing your finger, the area that was depressed should show as white for a moment, then return to a normal pinkish hue.
If it takes longer than a second for the colour to return to your dog’s gums, then they are very likely to be dehydrated.
What to Do if Your Dog is Dehydrated
If your dog is dehydrated, immediately give them cool, fresh drinking water. If they have been in the hot sun or in an enclosed area with high temperatures and you suspect they may have heat exhaustion or heatstroke, move them to a cool, shaded area and bring them to a veterinarian immediately. Heatstroke is considered a medical emergency and untreated heatstroke can result in loss of life.