Menu
Water is the unsung hero of your dog’s health, performing countless vital functions: acting as a solvent for the body’s chemical reactions, making up the fluid portion of blood, transporting nutrients, oxygen, and waste, regulating body temperature, supporting digestion, and aiding in waste elimination.
No wonder it is considered an essential nutrient, especially for overweight dogs. Hydration is crucial, particularly when your dog is dealing with excess weight. This article explores the vital role water plays in your obese or heavy dog’s well-being, and how to spot the signs of dehydration.
Most healthy dogs, like yours all are, can self-regulate their water intake to match losses and meet their needs. However, as most of us feed dry food (which contains about 8-12% moisture), there’s not much water to be found in the nutrition
Research in humans suggests that even mild dehydration can affect performance and cognition. While similar studies haven’t been conducted for dogs, we know that a 10-15% fluid loss can be fatal.
Overweight dogs are particularly vulnerable, making dehydration a hidden but serious concern for your dog’s well-being.
The causes of dehydration are varied, including overheating, limited access to clean drinking water, or underlying health issues such as vomiting, diarrhea, or diabetes. Diabetes, in particular, is a common side effect of excess weight, putting dogs with more to love at greater risk of dehydration.
Age can be an amplifying factor in this story. Obese dogs are already less motivated to stand up and walk toward the bowl of water. When you have an elderly dog with overweight, it can create a difficult combination to manage.
So, a special shout out to owners of senior dogs to surely monitor their daily water intake as they may also be less inclined to drink.
There are no warning lights on dogs, so how can you know that your dog is running low on H2O?
Luckily, you have some visual cues, and petting your dog may save his life as well. It’s not only an act of love and kindness but also necessary for your companions’ well-being, if you do it with your hands, heart, and brain, it can tell you so much about the health of your quirky quadruped.
The best test around, that you can easily do yourself without extensive equipment, is the skin tent test. Just like the cheeks of ‘Little Johnny’ when pulled by grandma, you are allowed to gently pull the skin on the buttock area or the neck.
A well-hydrated skin snaps back into place immediately. If it takes a few seconds to return to normal, your dog may be dehydrated. This occurs because dehydration reduces the skin’s elasticity, making it slower to respond.
If you already attended our webinar (and if not, it’s highly recommended), you know that one of the signs of an overweight dog is the lumps of fat accumulated in exactly those areas. That’s why I have a backup plan for dogs that need our assistance.
For the second one, you will need to lift the lips of your friends’ lips, maybe challenging for Danish Dogs, Bloodhounds, and Bernese Mountain Dogs without scaffolding. A healthy dog’s gums should feel moist to the touch, just like ours.
If you notice that your dog’s gums are dry or sticky when you touch them, it could indicate insufficient hydration. Gums are a window into the body’s hydration status because they are one of the first areas to show signs of fluid loss.
Another useful tool is the capillary refill test. When you’ve got that scaffolding ready, gently press on the gums until they turn white. In a well-hydrated dog, the pink color should return in 13 seconds, so a slower refill time could signal dehydration.
When it comes to keeping your overweight dog hydrated, it’s essential to understand how water is lost from their body. Whether it’s due to natural processes like urination or heavier panting, water loss impacts hydration more than you’d expect.
Where there is intake, it is naturally followed by excretion. This can happen through various paths. Urine is the primary way water is lost. It makes sense, as urine is essentially water thatcontains waste elements from various body processes. In
humans, you will see the difference between drinking a cup of coffee or 60 fl. Oz of water in the same period. Look at what’s coming out and you’ll see it very clearly in the
second case.
You probably won’t notice it, but a second big source where dogs lose water is respiration. A necessary process I admit, but one consuming a lot of H2O (water) and O2 (oxygen). Especially when dogs are panting because of activity level, ambient temperature, or stress, the process will be accelerated. Panting is the primary cooling mechanism for dogs and can be considered the human equivalent of skin.
Elevated water losses could be associated with specific health conditions. Vomiting or diarrhea are really clear and obvious examples. Chronic kidney disease will also result in a lack of hydration which in its turn is a risk factor for its development.
Loss of blood or plasma after surgery and the subsequent lack of movement is also a trigger for dehydration. Make sure you not only comfort your best friend and show lots of TLC but also monitor their water intake even closer than you already will from now on. We know that dogs with overweight have a higher risk of landing on that dreadful, well-lit table because of the consequences of being big-boned.
As an expert in dog health, I can’t emphasize enough how vital it is to monitor your dog’s water intake. By doing so, you’ll help ensure your dog stays hydrated and healthy.
Changes in water consumption unrelated to temperature, activity, or diet may indicate an underlying health issue and should be discussed with your vet.
Ready to learn practical tips for keeping your dog hydrated all year round? Our next article, Tails from the Crate: Keeping Your Dog Hydrated, will cover everything you need to know about managing your dog’s water intake.