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Is your dog the 'gulp the whole drinking trough in one gulp' or 'a small sip each time' type? Whatever your four-legged friend's drinking habits, drinking water is important. That's for sure. Fun fact is that while drinking, dogs curl their tongues back. This creates a kind of bowl, with which they spoon the water and bring it to their mouths.
Read more here what good drinking behavior looks like in your dog
How much your dog drinks depends on several factors.
A guideline is that dogs drink about 50 milliliters per kilogram of body weight. In other words, a 10 kilo dog drinks half a liter a day, a 20 kilo dog one liter. In addition, the water requirement depends on the type of food your dog is fed. Dogs that receive wet food generally drink less than dogs that eat kibble, because wet food already contains a lot of moisture.
What does your dog's drinking behavior mean?
Is your dog hardly to poke for a sip of water or after two sips the water is everywhere, except in the drinking trough? Then it is smart to train the drinking behavior. You do that as follows:
- Your dog drinks little
Encourage your dog to drink by wetting your fingers and letting them lick dry. Move this ritual closer and closer to the water bowl until your dog takes a sip from it. Do this without coercion and reward your dog if you succeed. - Beware!
a dog that is ill and does not drink needs to be rushed to the vet. If your dog's oral mucosa is sticky and the skin folds are progressing more slowly than usual, dehydration is lurking. - Your dog is playing with his water
Measure out 'portions' of water and put them in the drinking trough at set times. Let your dog drink slowly and remove the bowl when he starts to play. Make sure that your dog still gets enough water. - Your dog gobbles up his drink
Uncontrolled gobbling can lead to abdominal pain or choking. Is your dog thirsty after a wild round of play? Then give him lukewarm water and build in breaks in between.
In hot weather or after a long walk, your dog may be very thirsty.
If your dog suddenly drinks a lot more than usual and you don't know why, it often has a medical cause. Drinking more water can indicate a kidney, liver or bladder problem. Also dogs with diabetes drink and urinate much more. If you see this always go to the vet. They can determine the cause with urine and blood tests or by making an ultrasound.
Drinking water is essential for your dog's health.
Change the water in the water bowl every day and make sure your dog has enough water available. If you notice that your dog is not much of a drinker, you can consider soaking the kibble in water. As a result, your four-legged friend automatically receives more water.
A dog snack that contains a lot of moisture can also help your dog to get more moisture.
In the Fokker range you will find Meat Rolls with chicken and lamb.
You can feed these as a complete meal or as a healthy snack.
Of course, a tasty meal in itself is a bright spot in your dog's day. Fokker has food for every stage of life, specific nutritional needs and even for real gourmets.
