As the summer months approach it’s important for pet owners to watch out for dehydration in their dogs. According to natural-dog-health-remedies.com 90% of a dog’s body is water and a loss of as little as 10% can cause severe illness from dehydration.
Inside dogs in particular may be susceptible to increased outdoor temperatures as they are not acclimated to the heat. But even an outdoor pet can succumb to dehydration especially if it belongs to one of the dog breeds with a thicker coat or a short nose.
Dogs that are ill and have been vomiting are especially vulnerable to dehydration and the problem increases if they are so sick that they don’t drink water on their own.
According to the American Kennel Club, “common situations and features that can predispose a pet to overheating arebeing left in a car in warm weather, even if the windows are left slightly open; having a muzzle on while a pet is being groomed; and/or leaving the muzzle on while a pet is put in a drying cage; short-nosed breeds such as pugs, bulldogs, boxers and Persian cats; any pet with an airway disease and being confined outside without shade or an adequate supply of fresh water.
That last one is especially important because according to pethealthinfo.com, “The water bowl or water bottle needs cleaning every day. Bacteria that you can’t see can grow in a bottle or bowl, giving the water a funny taste and discouraging your pet from drinking. Even worse, some kinds of bacteria can make animals sick,” which of course can lead to vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals points out on their website that an outside dog can become dehydrated in the winter time if its water sources freeze over.
An easy way to tell if your dog is dehydrated is if it becomes unusually lethargic or visibly tired along with excessive panting according to the Humane Society of Harrisburg, PA. These are just some of the beginning signs however and could vary according to your dog’s normal energy level and age.
A better method according to Doctordog.com is to check for loss of skin elasticity. When the skin along the back is picked up into a fold, it should spring back into place. In dehydration, the skin stays up in a ridge.
You can also check for a delay in capillary refill time, according to VetInfo.com. In English that means if you GENTLY press a finger nail into your dog’s gum line until it turns white, it should turn pink almost immediately after you lift your finger. If it takes three seconds or more, your dog is probably dehydrated. While you’re doing that test you can also check for dryness in your dog’s gum. A healthy dog will have wet, slick gums; a sick, dehydrated dog will have dry, sticky gums,” according to a pethealth.today.com article on dog health.
If any of these tests turn up positive, Vetinfo.com recommends immediately giving your dog a small amount of fresh water and taking it to the vet. The websites that I checked usually agreed that balanced electrolyte solutions for treating dehydration in children, such as Ringer’s lactate with 5% dextrose in water and Pedialyte solution, are available at drugstores and are also suitable for dogs.
So the keys to preventing dog dehydration are always make fresh water readily available, especially while your dog is outside; provide a shady, well ventilated area outside where they can escape the heat; ; make sure the muzzle is removed while they are in a drying cage; consider shaving or trimming fur from thick furred breeds and check your dog for dehydration throughout the day.
Also, never leave your dog inside a car during the summer as even with the windows down the temperature can rise to over 100 degrees leading to dehydration, heat stroke and death.
If you do suspect your dog is dehydrated, check his skin for loss of elasticity, check his gums for dryness and slowness to return to normal color after being pressed, and check his eyes to make sure they are not sunken and lacking moisture.
Sources:
http://www.humanesocietyhbg.org/media/Signs_of_Dehydration_in_Your_Dog.pdf
http://www.akcpethealthcare.com/
http://www.doctordog.com/dogbook/dogdehyd.html
http://www.natural-dog-health-remedies.com/dog-dehydration.html
http://www.petplace.com/dogs/top-dogs-for-cold-climates/page1.aspx
http://living.peta.org/2009/protect-furry-friends-from-winter-weather
http://www.vetinfo.com/dehydrated-dog.html
http://www.gopetsamerica.com/dog-health/dehydration.aspx
http://www.healthypet.com/library_view.aspx?ID=128&sid;=2
