Drinking enough water is important to the overall health of your dog and it needs a specific amount in order to keep their body hydrated and functioning properly. And it’s likely you have a very active dog who spends its day creating mayhem in your home and yard. As much as you dread your dog’s hyper-active nature, this is a sign that he/she is healthy. However, as your dog uses up all that energy, it loses a lot of its body water and needs to drink water regularly to replace the fluids.
While most dogs don’t have a problem drinking water, illness and other reasons may stop it from doing so. This may lead to some serious complications. If your dog hasn’t had water for at least a day or two, you should contact a veterinary surgeon for help. Once you’ve established that it’s not a life-threatening condition, but more of a behavioural issue, you can use these tips to encourage your dog to drink more water.
1. Soak spongy balls in water
Dogs love to play catch and when they see you waving a ball around, they literally drop what they’re doing and eagerly wait for you to throw it. If this sounds like your dog, then get a spongy ball and soak it in water. When the dog grabs the ball, its teeth are likely to squeeze the sponge, releasing the trapped water into its mouth.
2. Buy a pet water fountain
Dogs have a strange relationship with streaming water, especially when it’s shooting out like a fountain. Whether they enjoy drinking from the fountain or think they can kill the water, whatever the case is, fountains are a great way to get dogs to drink water. If you have the cash to splurge, then why not buy your best friend a pet water fountain. It will keep the dog entertained (albeit they’ll most likely create a mess if you put the fountain in the house) and hydrated, while you work.
3. Give them canned food or add water to their meals
Dogs might say no to water, but they won’t say no to food. A good alternative to a water bowl is adding water to each meal you serve your pet. On top of this, you can also provide canned food, which is known to have a higher water content. On the other hand, if you’re suspicious of canned food, opt for adding a low sodium broth as this adds taste and entices the dog to drink the fluid.
4. Delicious berries might just do the trick too
Think you’re the only one who enjoys flavoured water? Think again. Your four-legged friend does too. Add fruits such as blueberries and cranberries to a bowl of water to incentivise them to drink the fluid in the bowl as they try to lap up the fruits. What’s more, fruit also contain a high level of water. So, even if your dog doesn’t drink all the liquid, they’ll get the nourishment they need from the fruit.
Getting your dog to drink water will be a challenge that will test your patience, but being creative and taking the time to do so will pay off. However, if your dog isn’t staying hydrated and these tips aren’t working, we recommend that you call a vet as soon as possible to address the issue before your pet becomes seriously ill.
Bio: Tendai is a content manager for Drinking Water Fountains and pet owner. His has a profound interest in wellbeing and health, which has led him to write numerous articles on improving these aspects of human and animal life. Some of his articles can be found on his Google+ page.
Photo credits: Dog and Fountain, Dogs Drinking, Fruit,
