How To Tell If Your Pet Is Dehydrated

It isn't always easy to tell if your dog is dehydrated. Dogs don't always exhibit obvious signs, and you may not always see whether your pup is consuming enough water. Still, dehydration can be serious or even life-threatening for dogs, per PetMD. Without sufficient hydration, your dog's body won't work efficiently. Their electrolytes can be compromised, their kidneys may shut down, and their waste may build up. That's when your dog needs emergency help, according to Veterinary Emergency Group.

The causes of dehydration in dogs are varied. Like humans, they can quickly become dehydrated in the warm summer months. There are also medical situations where pets can quickly become dehydrated, either because their body isn't filtering liquid properly or simply because the pet isn't drinking due to illness. These include heatstroke, fever, gastrointestinal illness, and kidney disease (via PetMD).

If you aren't sure if your dog is drinking enough, you can look for outward signs of dehydration. Your dog may stop eating and have dry gums and thick saliva.  According to Fetch by WebMD, for every pound they weigh, dogs need to consume at least 1 ounce of water daily. A quick way to figure that out is if your dog is 40 pounds, they need 40 ounces of water. Similarly, 10-pound dogs need at least 10 ounces of water everyday.  If you have one dog, you can measure their water by ounces, pour the water into their bowl, and then see how much is leftover at the end of the day.