Sun, heat, play, exercise; all that, plus illness and infection, can lead to dehydration of your dog. Any dog, but the tiny Toys are even more susceptible to dehydration.
Healthy dogs should drink about one ounce of fluid per LBS of body weight per day, so your little Butterfly, if he weighs 5 LBS, should drink about 5 OZ/day.
Signs of dehydration are:
- Dry , sticky gums, and tongue
- Sticky saliva. (Moist , wet gums, watery saliva is OK, and healthy)
- Lethargy. (Severe dehydration)
- Skin test: pinch your dog's skin. If the skin snaps back to it's original position, it's OK, healthy, but if the skin fold does not snap back right away, and the fold creates a "tent" for a few seconds, your dog is most likely dehydrated!!
Dehydration can be life threatening very fast, so immediate action is required.
Some dogs also seem to not drink enough water during any day, and here are some tips how you may be able to improve the situation.
But first: measure the intake for a day for a week. Put down the required amount of water, and count at night the left-over.
Do this for a week and then take an average amount. Consult your vet to discuss the amount sufficiency.
- Add a little chicken broth to the water; your friend might find this very appealing to drink.
- Have a syringe (no needle), filled with water, pull the side of your dog's mouth to create a pouch, trickle a small amount of water slowly down into this pouch, he will have to swallow after a while.
- Or give 1/2-1 teaspoon of water every 10-15 minutes for a few hours.(These last 2 tips are also helpful for an unforeseen case of dehydration, mentioned above.)
Signs for illness, and a calling for a vet is a must, when your dog drinks too much water.
