Before we begin, we need to clarify a concept: drinking more water and drinking less water are relative.

Drinking too much or too little is not good for your dog’s health.

We can judge whether the dog’s daily intake of water is appropriate based on the following points:

Weight: A dog needs about 100ml of water for every 1kg of its body weight.

Food: Dogs whose staple food is dry food drink more water than those whose staple food is wet food.

Age: Due to physical development needs, puppies need more water than adult dogs.

Exercise: Dogs need more water when exercising.

Climate: When the weather is hot, water needs to be evaporated to cool down, so more water is needed.

Water is the main component of a dog's body. Water accounts for more than 70% of an adult dog's body, and about 80% for a puppy. For an adult dog, the water in the blood is as high as more than 80%, and the water in the muscle is 72%. -78%, relatively less in bones, but still at 45%. The life span of dogs is shorter than that of humans, so their metabolism is faster than that of humans. Various biochemical reactions and functional adjustments of the body require water to proceed normally. Dogs consume water mainly in feces and urine, as well as through the lungs and mouth. The regulation of body temperature also depends on water. Being too old or in poor health can cause dehydration in dogs. When dogs do not take in enough water every day, they will experience vomiting, diarrhea, panting or drooling. If they do not replenish water in time, it will lead to dehydration. . And if your dog is diabetic, pregnant, nursing, too young or too old, take them to the doctor immediately when dehydration occurs.

1. What should I do if my dog ​​is dehydrated?

Before allowing the dog to take in enough water every day, we need to first confirm whether the dog has symptoms of dehydration. Most healthy dogs drink enough water every day. If your dog has the following problems, it means that it is dehydrated or suffering from other diseases: First, gently lift the dog's neck or between the shoulder blades. If the skin does not return to its original shape quickly, the dog may be dehydrated. Secondly, gently press your finger on the dog's gums, and release your finger after the gum color fades. If the color of the gums does not change back immediately, the dog may be dehydrated. Other symptoms of dehydration include drowsiness, loss of appetite, and less or yellow urine. However, if it is not severe or the symptoms last for less than a day, there is no need to worry too much.

When your dog is dehydrated, especially in summer or when his physical condition is not good, you should take your dog to the pet hospital. The pet doctor will inject saline into the dog's veins or give it a subcutaneous drip to quickly replenish its body fluids. At the same time, we also need to ask the pet doctor to check whether the dog has anything that causes dehydration.diseases, such as kidney stones. After diagnosis, the dog may be prescribed medication or a special diet. When your dog has symptoms of dehydration and cannot take it to the pet hospital immediately, you can dilute the saline with an equal amount of water, and then let the dog drink 240 ml per hour. You can buy saline solution at pharmacies. At the same time, be careful not to mix saline solution with other things, otherwise it will cause other harm to the dog. Although it’s weird, I still want to remind you, don’t give your dog a drink, don’t give your dog a drink, don’t give your dog a drink… If you can’t buy saline, you can add some low-sodium chicken soup or Diluted carrot juice or diluted other vegetable and fruit juices can replenish electrolytes lost due to dehydration and make the water taste better. If it is really difficult for your dog to drink water, you can use a syringe to give your dog water. If the dog can't drink the water at all, you can pull out the needle of the syringe, use the syringe to suck up the water, and then inject the water into the dog's mouth. You must be careful here to inject the injection into the mouth along the dog's cheek and not directly into the throat to avoid choking the dog.

　2. Daily training to prevent problems before they occur

Dog exercise can not only give the dog a perfect sleep quality, but also help the dog drink water. Dogs need exercise every day, such as a brisk walk or playing in the park or yard. Dogs become dehydrated after exercise and drink large amounts of water. If we go out to have fun for a long time, we can bring some water and give the dog a drink after about ten minutes. This can help it develop the habit of drinking water regularly.

Give your dog dog food and other foods that contain water. The specific water content should be determined based on the frequency and amount of water your dog usually drinks. Alternatively, you can soak the dry dog ​​food in water for 30-60 minutes before giving it to the dog, but do not let the dog eat soaked dog food for a long time. At the same time, dog food can be provided on time and on time. We can feed dogs dog food once or twice a day. Because if you keep feeding dog food, the dog will not be able to distinguish between thirst and hunger, which will cause problems with the willingness to eat and drink.

Finally, you should take your dog out to urinate regularly and regularly. Because if a dog is kept at home all the time, it will know that drinking water will make it hold back its urine, so it will try not to drink water. Therefore, when it whines at the door, you have to take it out for a while, or you can train it to use the potty at home.

　3. Only good water is good for dogs

The first thing to do is to let the dog have water at all times. If your home is large, with a large toilet of 180 square meters and a large duplex with tens of thousands of square meters, then you'd better put water in many places to ensure that the dog can drink water at any time. And if the dog spends more time outdoors or in a certain room during the day, then you canPlace a bowl of water outside these areas. In addition, the water bowl should be placed in a fixed position so that it is easy for the dog to find it.

Then, everyone has mentioned that the water in the water basin should be changed frequently. Even if there is no time, make sure the dog has fresh water to drink, either pure water or boiled water. Wash your dog's water bowl every day, dry it with paper towels, and then refill it with clean water. If there is hair or dust floating in the water, or if the water in the bowl is almost empty, you should also change the water in time. In particularly hot weather, we all have to check to see if we need to add or change the water. Of course, just like cats, flowing water can attract their attention, make drinking water more interesting, and increase the frequency of their drinking.

So we can buy an automatic water feeder. This kind of water dispenser will have water flowing out continuously. It is very attractive to dogs and is also suitable for puppies who are not used to drinking water from water bowls. Dogs with poor eyesight. If you want to make drinking water more fun but don't want to buy an automatic water feeder, you can also shake the water bowl or shake a toy next to the bowl to attract your dog to it. You can also put a few blueberries or other snacks in the water. Your dog will be very happy when they fish them out of the water. If the dog is still not interested and invincible, then we can only try to change the water cup or water bowl of a different shape or color to increase the attraction for the dog to drink water. Finally, when the weather is particularly hot, you can add some ice cubes to the water. When adding ice cubes, let the dog see it, and then it may be attracted to it.