High heat, heat wave: watch out for the risk of dehydration
When the heat is raging, in summer, during a heat wave, the risk that the dog suffers from dehydration is maximum.
Dehydration is a significant decrease in body water. It causes serious he alth problems and, in the most serious cases, dysfunction of the central nervous system which can result in a coma and the death of the animal.
When it's very hot outside, all dogs are at risk of dehydration quickly. But, the risk of dehydration is even greater in puppies (at home, it evolves faster and the consequences of dehydration are always serious), in older dogs who feel less need to drink or in sick dogs.Water loss in the form of diarrhea, vomiting or polyuria can indeed increase this risk.
What are the signs of dehydration in dogs?
In a dog that suffers from dehydration, we can observe a dryness of the mucous membranes of the mouth and a persistence of the skin fold. When you grasp the skin of the dog's neck between the thumb and the middle finger, the fold of skin is maintained and takes time to get back into place. The dog also seems more downcast and may start panting a lot even when it is still. He may also stagger when moving. If your dog shows one or more of these signs, call your veterinarian immediately so they can tell you what to do.
How to encourage your dog to drink more?
To prevent any risk of dehydration, you must ensure that your dog drinks enough, or at least absorbs enough water.This is all the more important if your dog is fed exclusively with kibble because his diet only provides him with between 8 to 10% water, which is largely insufficient to cover a dog's daily water needs. .and all the more so when these needs are increased in the event of high heat!
Fresh water at will
Several bowls
To encourage your dog to drink, it is obviously necessary to offer him fresh water at will and have bowls in several rooms of the house. In order to keep the water fresh, renew their contents several times a day, place a few ice cubes in them or invest in a ceramic bowl which keeps the water cool for much longer.
A water fountain
Like cats, some dogs are more attracted to moving water. You can encourage your dog to drink more by offering him a water fountain.It is a bowl equipped with a reservoir and a device for spouting water to mimic a flow of natural water or tap water. Circulating water has the advantage of capturing their attention more easily and “reminding” them that they should drink.
In addition, water fountains, by circulating the liquid, make it possible to better oxygenate the water and to evaporate the chlorine it contains more quickly. Some models are even equipped with activated carbon filters whose role is to eliminate tastes and bad odors from the water. Yes, some dogs are indeed reluctant to drink because they are simply bothered by the chlorinated smell of tap water.
But, if buying a water fountain is not an option or your dog is afraid of it (some dogs are sensitive to the noise that their pump can make), you can get rid of the smell of chlorine when decanting tap water. To do this, simply draw water in advance and store it in a bottle without a cap or a carafe in the open air or in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours before giving it to your pet to drink.
" A flavored water"
Apart from chlorine, tap water is not really very palatable for our dear canine friends, so it is possible to trick water to make the water much more attractive to their taste buds and their truffle. Thus, you can flavor your dog's drinking water with a little tuna juice or a little meat juice. That should be enough to get your dog interested in it and drink its contents.
Make him a kibble soup
And, to make sure your dog is getting enough hydration, you can also pour a little water into his kibble bowl before giving it to him. Your dog will thus swallow the liquid that the kibbles have absorbed at the same time as his meal.
Fresh water even on a walk!
In case of strong heat, don't forget to take water to give your dog something to drink during his walks.This will also prevent him from drinking in bodies of water that can be loaded with bacteria, pesticides or blue algae (algae whose toxins are deadly for the dog and which proliferate in summer). There are dog water bottles with integrated bowls that should make things easier for you!
Home-made ice cream
Another trick to encourage your dog to drink enough is to offer him water in the form of frozen treats.
To do this, prepare a chicken or beef broth using two liters of water and two cubes of low-s alt, defatted broth. Once cooled, pour it into a balloon that you will tie and hop, direction the freezer! Once the contents of the balloon are well frozen, remove the balloon and place the giant ice cube in a large hollow dish in which you can add water. Your dog will be able to refresh and hydrate himself by licking his ice cube flavored with beef or chicken.
You can also pour this mixture into ice cube trays and then slide the flavored ice cubes into a Kong-type occupation toy. In addition to refreshing your dog, it should keep him busy for a while!
Fruits and vegetables rich in water
If your dog likes them, you can supplement your dog's kibble bowl with steamed and cooled zucchini slices, a particularly water-rich vegetable that should help keep your dog well hydrated.
You can also bet on the sweet taste of watermelon which, in addition to delighting your dog's taste buds, will bring him a nice amount of water. Prefer seedless varieties for your dog!
Warning!
Homemade ice cream, zucchini and watermelon are solutions that can help keep your dog well hydrated. But, if your dog is not used to it and/or if he is particularly sensitive from a digestive point of view, it could cause him diarrhea which could increase the risk of dehydration.First test your dog's good tolerance to these foods by giving him only small amounts (or by leaving the ice cube only for a short time) and observing what it looks like in his stools, before switch to larger quantities (or longer times).