Dog Health: Treating Your Dog for Dehydration

Concerned about dog health? Dehydration in dogs can be a dangerous situation. Whether caused by illness, too much heat, or a privation of fluid intake, dehydration should be treated immediately and, if left untreated, can cause many other health problems including organ failure and death. It is not difficult for a
dog to become dehydrated; easier than many dog owners realize. Luckily it's also not difficult to prevent dehydration in dogs and it's very crucial to do so.

Dehydration is an deficit of fluids in the body. It most often pertains to the loss of water and minerals such as sodium, chloride, and potassium; the loss of water; collectively called electrolytes. Dehydration in dogs can be caused by the dog being ill (especially if the dog has a fever), too much extreme heat, and other factors. A dog's inherent execution of panting causes a loss of fluids and can result in dehydration if the fluids aren't replaced. The fact is that dogs lack sweat glands to keep them cool. They pant in an undertaking to contol their body temperature.

Now On to How to Prevent Dog Dehydration.

Preventing Dog Dehydration

To avert dehydration, make sure your dog has plenty of fresh water daily. The dog should always have one full bowl of water to drink throughout the day rather inside or outside of the house. Consider having bowls of water in different parts of the house if the dog has the run of the house and this also goes with outside too. Dogs living in a dry climate should be kept indoors as much as possible. Moist dog foods also help keep proper levels of fluids in your dog. Dry foods are relevant for a dog's dental health, but moist foods should be given to dogs too.


How to Treating Dehydrated Dogs

If you think that your dog is dehydrated, get it some water as quickly as possible and then get it to the veterinarian. Symtoms of dehydration are a lack of elasticity to the skin, dry and sunken eyes, and a dry mouth and nose. Dehydrated dogs will also encounter a lag in capillary refill time. To check to see if this is the problem, pull the dog's lip away from its gum and press a finger gently against the gum until the area whitens. Draw back your finger and the color should return to the area almost immediately. A delay could be evidence of dehydration.

Giving the dog lots of water is the excellent way to replace bodily fluids, but a extremely dehydrated dog should not be allowed to drink large amounts all at once. This could induce vomiting and a further loss of fluids. Rather let the dog drink small amounts over a period of time. Electrolytes can be recovered with a hydrating solution. Also, Pedialyte, a water and electrolyte solution for infants is desirable for dogs as well.

Of course any dog that seems dehydrated or refuses to drink should be seen by a vet to determine appropriate treatment and whether the dehydration is a symptom of some other ailment.


Read More About Dogs at about dog and about dog health.

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