| Ask The Vet -
Q&A |
Question
How can I get my westie to drink more water? He never seems
to drink much from his bowl. He's 1 year old.
Fiona Cunningham - Scotland
|
Answering questions:
Susie Samuel MA VetMB MRCVS from
Vet
Help Direct |
| Answer |
Hi
Fiona,
The
dog has several different types of receptors that sense hydration
levels within the body. If these receptors sense low hydration levels
they cause the dog to feel thirstier and take in more water. They
also trigger off a complex series of events that make the kidneys
preserve more water by making more concentrated urine.
This
sophisticated system means that if the dog doesn't drink very much
the kidneys will conserve water by making concentrated urine; if
it drinks more than is necessary the kidneys will allow more water
to leave the body as urine. This allows dogs, like humans, some
flexibility in the amount that they need to drink. This system can
break down, for example, in kidney failure only dilute urine can
be produced. This means that the dog looses control over how much
water is leaving the body and must drink a lot more to maintain
normal levels of hydration.
In
general dogs drink 50 to 60 ml per kilogram of bodyweight every
24 hours but this will vary a huge amount from dog to dog and depending
on what sort of food they are eating. Dogs, just like humans, get
some water from the food that they eat. Canned dog food in particular
has a very high water content. Generally it is much more of a worry
if dogs are drinking more than usual, but measure the amount your
dog is actually drinking, compare it to the normal range given above.
If it is less than it should be have a think about if your dog could
be getting the extra water from somewhere else, maybe from canned
dog food which has a very high water content or even drinking out
of puddles. If you still think that your dog is not drinking enough,
or if you have any other concerns about him, you should take him
to the vets for a check up.
Kind regards,
Susie Samuel MA VetMB MRCVS www.vethelpdirect.com |
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D for Dog www.dfordog.com |
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