Canine Dehydration is More Common Than you May Think

Even in cold conditions, it is possible for your dog to become dehydrated. Although one of the most probable causes is related to your dog overheating, if your dog does become ill, then dehydration can become a major problem which can in turn lead to severe health issues such as organ failure, and death.

The loss of body fluid, such as water, and electrolytes composed mainly of the three minerals sodium, chloride, and potassium, will lead to dehydration. Unlike us humans dogs lack the ability to sweat. They do however have sweat glands on the bottom of their feet however, unlike us humans who will sweat when we get hot, dogs will pant in an attempt to regulate their body heat. Usually, a panting dog = a hot dog.

Determining if your dog is dehydrated can be done a number of different ways. The most common symptom of a dehydrated dog besides excessive panting and sunken eyes with a dry nose and mouth, is the skin pull test. If you grasp a dogs skin behind the neck of the animal and pull it out as far as it will go, releasing it should result in the skin returning to its proper position. If the dog is actually dehydrated, this loose skin will stay extended and will take a longer time than usual to reform to the dog’s neck.

To prevent dog dehydration, your dog should have access to water all the time. If your dog is outside a lot, maybe an outdoor dog bowl is also appropriate. If your dog is dehydrated, allow it to drink small amounts of water over a period of time. Allowing your dog to tank up on water will simply increase the chance of your dog vomitting thus losing more electrolytes.