Water Is Essential To Life
Without water, life won’t be possible here on earth. Thus, when it comes to our pet, giving him enough water is vital to his health and vitality. Without enough water, your dog can become ill or worse, die.
As a loving pet owner, you need to familiarize yourself with the different signs your dog needs water. If you are familiar with these problems, you can easily prevent dehydration right before it happens.
So, in this post, check out some of the important signs you need to watch out for to know whether your dog needs water or not.
Loss Of Appetite
Is your dog not eating as much as he used to? Did he suddenly lose appetite? If yes, then he is in danger of dehydration. If he doesn’t eat nor drink water, then that should tell you that something is wrong. In this case, he surely needs water to rehydrate his system.
Breathing Fast
Dogs don’t have sweat glands on their skin. So, they need to open their mouth, breathe heavily, and even stick their tongue out. All these could help them regulate their body temperature. However, you should also remember that in the same process, your dog is losing water as well.
So, when you see your dog panting and breathing heavily, it is not only a sign of exhaustion but also of thirst. Be more concerned if your dog is panting even if it is not hot and he is physically active.
Abnormal Bowel Movement
Dogs may pass stool 1-4 times a day. As long as your dog is pooping in almost the same frequency, time of the day, and consistency, then it should not be a source of worry.
What you should worry about would be diarrhea and constipation. Both of these abnormal bowel movements could make your pooch thirsty and they may serve as a sign that your dog is approaching dehydration.
Diarrhea causes your dog to poop more and pass out watery stool. Your dog is losing too much fluid and should be rehydrated.
In the same manner, constipation is an indication that your dog isn’t getting enough water to the point that his stool becomes too hard.
Whether it is diarrhea or constipation, you need to make sure you give your pooch additional water to prevent fluid imbalance.
Not Peeing
Aside from stool, you need to take note of how many times your dog pees in a day. On average, dogs pee three to five times a day. Older and younger dogs tend to pee more often.
If you observe your dog only peeing once or twice in a day, he might need more water. Check his urine as well. If it is dark-colored and concentrated, your dog definitely needs more water and could be thirsty.
Tenting Nape
One way vets check a dehydrated dog is by lifting its scruff. This test measures the skin’s elasticity and recoil.
You can do it at home by just simply pinching the skin at the back of your dog’s neck. If they are well-hydrated, the skin should immediately go back into its normal condition. But if there’s a delay for the skin to return to its normal place, then your dog is seriously dehydrated. He might be thirsty, but too weak to drink water.
Loss Of Energy
Water is helpful in keeping your dog energetic. Along with food, water could increase your dog’s energy level. So, if you see your dog weak and doesn’t seem to be as active as he normally is, then he is probably thirsty and needs some water.
Water Is Life
These are just some of the signs your dog is thirsty. Now that you know these things, you are better equipped in keeping your dog healthy, happy, and most importantly, hydrated.
If you need more information, you can definitely do more research. Most importantly, speak to your vet and discuss with him your concerns and questions.
