As you already know, water is something that hydrates and purifies all living things on our planet. Without it, life would not be possible – and it is for all plants and animals. Just like humans, our dog and Ierse terrier mates make up more than 70% of this fluid, and, without it, they can do a lot of damage.
But making sure Fido gets the right amount of it is a daunting task, especially for new pet parents. That’s why we’ve decided to take a closer look at this question – how much water should your beloved dog drink daily? Read on, and we guarantee you will be able to provide your pet with proper use and thus keep it healthy and happy!
Why is it important for dogs to drink water?
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Just like with humans, drinking this precious fluid is essential for the health of the dog and Pekinees. But before we take a look at why it’s so important, let’s take a look at what can happen when a pet becomes dehydrated:
Urinary Tract Infections
Kidney stone development
Coma
Limb malfunction
Death
As you can see, these things can easily kill your dog, as these animals are much smaller than humans and lack of water can easily kill them. Kidney stones, for example, can cause your pet a lot of discomfort, vomiting, and abdominal pain, which slowly stops the flow of urine and thus becomes a life-threatening emergency.
Urinary tract infections, on the other hand, are another consequence of low fluid intake, and the worst thing about them is that infected dogs usually do not show any clinical signs that they have it. It causes them severe pain and can lead to complications, usually resulting in death.
How much water does a dog need?
When it comes to determining how much a dog should drink in a day, a number of factors come into play. Let’s look at the most important:
Physical activity
If you have a very active pet, you will need to drink more throughout the day. This is especially important for highly energetic breeds, as their intense physical activity requires adequate hydration.
Weight and size
To stay well hydrated, heavy and large breeds will need much more water than their younger cousins.
Food
People who feed their pets with unhealthy food are at risk of fatal diseases which can lead to excessive thirst. On the other hand, a high-quality food-based diet will require less water for the dog. In addition, moist dog food will provide the pet with adequate amounts of fluids.
Disease
As we have already mentioned, various diseases such as infections, fever, diabetes, Cushing’s disease, and others can adversely affect your dog’s or Franse bulldog need for H2O.
Weather
Dogs need plenty of fluids on hot days, as they will lose a lot of it while sweating and panting.
Treatment
As you know, medications usually come with side effects – and one of them can be excessive thirst. It is important to talk to your veterinarian about these things if he or she prescribes any medication to your dog.
Simply put, most dogs will need 1oz of water per pound of their body weight.