How To Tell If Your Pet Is Dehydrated?

“Thousands have lived without love, not one without water!”

W. H. Auden, an Anglo- American poet said the above lines which are indeed, so apt. Aren’t they? There may be no living organism which can live without water including our pets. In fact, our pets need more water than we do. Our body is made up of almost 60% water whereas dogs and cats bodies are made of 80% water. So we all can imagine how important must water be for our furry friend’s healthy living.

Now that we know how important water is for our canines and felines, it is also important to know that how to make sure they are properly hydrated. In our busy schedules, we may not be able to track our pet’s drinking habits. This may dehydrate your pet without any knowledge to you. Here are some symptoms of pets that are dehydrated:

Signs of dehydration in pets

• Loss of energy
• Lacking appetite
• Sunken eyes
• Dry mouth
• Change in behavior, usually depression

If you see the above symptoms in your cats or dogs, give them fresh water for the starters. If you think there is no improvement after giving water, try the skin test.

Skin test for dehydration in pets

• Grab the lose fold of your pet’s skin on the back of his neck or in between the shoulder blades.

• If your pet is hydrated well, the skin should snap back to its place immediately.

• If the skin does not snap immediately or comes back to its place slowly then consider your pet low o water content or dehydrated.

It is recommended to keep fresh water available to pets all the time to avoid such situations. Every pet has their own drinking preferences as some felines might want cold water while some may like it to drink from the leaking faucets. Observe your furry friend’s behavior and analyze their pattern of drinking water and act accordingly. In severe cases of dehydration it is advised to go straight to the vet and get the pooch or kitty examined.

To conclude, we need to keep track of our pet’s drinking habits. Make sure you fill the water bowls with fresh water and that your pet drinks it. In case of resistance from your furry friends, consult your veterinarian as soon as you can.

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