Hot weather is on the way, and so is increased thirst. Water is essential for all of us, pets included. Without sufficient water intake, your pet's bodily functions can shut down. Too much water may be an indication of problems as well. First and foremost, if you believe you have a watering problem, please see your veterinarian immediately. A delay can be a matter of life and death.
Pets can dehydrate year-round, especially in warmer weather. If you leave your dog alone for a few hours while going on errands or all day while working, you need to make sure your pet is not waterless.
So how much water is too much? Too little? Start with your healthy pet, and determine what is his or her normal water intake. To do this, measure what you put in the bowl, and at the end of 24 hours, measure what's left. The difference is the intake. An adult dog, for example, needs at least 2 milliliters of water every day for every pound of his weight just to survive. Because there are 30 milliliters of water per ounce, obviously 2 milliliters per pound is below the normal intake. So for normal water intake, your dog will drink more.
The extra water helps food digestion, aids in the body's absorption of nutrients and replaces water lost in normal body secretions. In other words, the entire body of your pet and all its functions depend on water.
Water also helps to control body temperature. During warm weather, your pets will drink more water than during cold weather. Once you establish the normal water intake, it will be easier to determine if your pet is drinking too much or too little — unless you leave the toilet lid open!
What causes excessive drinking? There are a number of simple things that can stimulate more drinking. Most of these quickly correct themselves or can be handled by diet and common sense. The list includes more salt intake than normal, like wolfing down that bag of fries you left on the table, or a lot of exercise, like a jog around the neighborhood or chasing that elusive feather. Then, there is stress. What can be stressful? Adding another pet to the household or having gregarious Uncle Fred and jolly Aunt Betsy come for a visit.
In dogs, there are more than 65 medical conditions that can stimulate excessive water intake — more than 50 in cats. For example, too much water may indicate kidney failure, especially in elderly pets. This causes frequent drinking and frequent urination. The body can't retain the fluids. Diabetes can also cause pets to try to satisfy a constant thirst and then urinate frequently. Urinary tract infections are quite common. An overactive thyroid gland may be the culprit. Some females that have not been neutered may develop a uterine infection.
How do you determine dehydration? A dog or cat may be dehydrated even when drinking plenty of water. One way to determine this condition takes only a few seconds. Call it the skin-elasticity test. On the upper back just below the shoulders, using your thumb and forefinger, pinch the skin gently, lift up, and then, let go. If the skin returns to normal quickly, your pet is absorbing enough water. If not, let your pet keep drinking, and call the vet immediately.
Puppies are easily overwatered. This is a problem that seriously hampers housebreaking. What goes in a little fella must come out! Therefore, puppies should be on a strict feed-water-walk schedule as soon as possible in order to successfully accomplish housebreaking and to establish normal eating and drinking habits. You should not let a housebreaking puppy have unlimited access to water. Water intake should be scheduled during this period. Scheduling information is published in the book "I Just Got A Puppy, What Do I Do" (Siegal and Margolis, 1992, Simon & Schuster), which is available in most libraries and in our General Store, of course.
If there is a feline in the house, you should know that kittens are more inclined to drink what they need, and fortunately, they quickly adjust to kitty litter.
Dog trainer Matthew "Uncle Matty" Margolis is co-author of 18 books about dogs, a behaviorist, a popular radio and television guest, and host of the PBS series "WOOF! It's a Dog's Life!" Read all of Uncle Matty's columns at the Creators Syndicate Web site at www.creators.com, and visit him at www.unclematty.com. Send your questions to dearuncle.gazetteunclematty.com or mail to Uncle Matty at P.O. Box 3300, Diamond Springs, CA 95619 © Creators Syndicate