Summer Tip: Keeping All Doggos Hydrated
Photo courtesy of: Brennan Galloway
Summer in Georgia is NO joke. As the temperature starts to rise, it’s important to make sure your pets stay hydrated. As pet owners, we need to fill their water bowl early and often.
A dog’s daily threshold for water intake is one ounce of water per pound of body weight. A cat’s water needs are tied to how many kilocalories of food consumed in a day. If you don’t give your pets enough water, you’ll notice some signs of dehydration:
- Sluggish behavior
- Sunken eyes
- No interest in food
- Dry mouth and nose
- Low skin elasticity
Dehydration can also be caused by heatstroke, vomiting, diarrhea, or other illnesses. If you know your pet is struggling with another disease that could dehydrate them, try to encourage them to rest and drink water as much as possible.
Sometimes, that’s easier said than done. Even if you fill your pet’s bowl with water, they won’t drink it until they absolutely need it. Animals also don’t always notice they’ve reached their limit, so they may continue playing or refuse water, leaving it up to their humans to let their pets know they need to hydrate. This may mean resorting to creativity to increase their water.
Ice cubes are a great way to increase your pet’s water intake because it seems like a treat to them. You can also try adding electrolytes to their bowl to make the flavor seem more enticing. Sometimes, pets will respond better to flowing water, so you can buy a contraption that cycles and filters the water throughout the day. Serving your pet wet food can also increase the fluids they’re consuming. Regardless of what you do at home, make sure you bring a water bowl or bottle to keep your pet hydrated during playtime outside.
When playtime is over, your pet will probably come running to the water bowl, so make sure it’s full of fresh, cool water. The general rule is that you should never rely on your pet to self-regulate, even if they sometimes seem capable of doing so.
Always err on the side of caution, hydrate often, and enjoy a fun and safe summer with your furry friends!
