How Much Water Does A Dog Need?

Wondering how much water does a dog need?

Well, it’s fascinating to know that every cell, tissue, and major organ system in your dog’s body needs water to function properly. Water is essential for your dog’s digestive system, blood circulation, waste filtering, and body temperature.

Part 1: How Much Water Does A Dog Need

Good hydration is essential to your dog’s health. Usually, dogs self-regulate their water intake based on their individual needs.

In general, dogs should drink approximately 1 ounce of water (1/8 of a cup) per pound of body weight per day, with active dogs needing more. However, there are certain other factors that can affect how much your dog will drink. So, you shouldn’t be restricting your dog’s water intake.

Part 2: Top 4 Factors That Affect the Water Intake Needs of Dogs

There are several ways to estimate how much water your dog needs, and this tends to vary due to individual circumstances. Many things can affect how much your furry friend drinks, from your dog’s age, size, season, activity level, and diet.

Here are a few common reasons that affect the water intake needs of dogs.

Weight

Your dog’s size and weight will factor into how much water they need to keep them hydrated. Growing puppies, despite being smaller in size, drink more water than their adult counterparts because their bodies are growing and they are much more active.

Food

The water intake requirements vary according to the different energy sources in your dog’s diet. Dogs taking high-energy, high-fat, and high-protein diets need more water because of increases in metabolic waste and urinary excretion. Diets high in fiber also increase water intake. Also, high sodium foods will cause your dog to drink more.

A dry dog food diet, which may be as little as 5%-10% water, can also lead to noticeable thirst in your dog. Dogs that are fed a canned wet food diet will receive some moisture through their food, as these are about 60-80% water. If your dog eats wet food, they may drink slightly less because they are getting more water content from their food.

Season

If you’re feeling overheated or thirsty, your furry pal likely feels the same way. Temperature is a major factor contributing to the water intake of dogs. Your dog may need even more water on especially warm days.

Dogs tend to increase water intake as the temperature rise. During the warmer months of the year, it’s vital to monitor your dog’s water intake to ensure he’s adequately hydrated. A regular supply of water is extremely important during periods of heat stress.

Physical activity

Your furry companion may need more water if they are engaged in exercising or other physical activities. Depending on the type of physical activity and weather conditions, exercise can increase water losses in dogs by 10-20 times normal.

Water intake needs to increase with increasing physical activity because of water lost through panting and evaporative loss. For active or working dogs, drinking water should be offered multiple times to ensure appropriate hydration.

It’s best practice to always have water available to your dog. If you suspect that your dog is dehydrated, call your vet immediately. It can be life-threatening if dehydration goes untreated.

Part 3: How to Keep Your Dog Hydrated

Just like us, our pets need to be well-hydrated. Water is critical to your dog’s health and overall well-being. Never deprive your furry companion of water. They should have access to clean and fresh water at all times. It makes up more than half of your adult dog’s body weight.

You can increase your furry friend’s drive to drink more water with a dog water fountain. We suggest that you keep WOpet pet water dispenser to keep your dog hydrated naturally.

●A fun way to drink water: A dog water fountain can be more tempting for dogs to drink out of than their usual water bowls full of stagnant water. They can be a fun and effective way to encourage your dog to take on enough water.

●Water stays fresher: A dog water fountain has the added advantage of aerating the water. The Triple Filtration System helps double the purification effect and get the freshest water. It will filter and recirculate the water so it remains fresh for your dog. So, a dog water fountain is more hygienic than a traditional water bowl.

Frequent hydration is required for your dog’s body to avoid dehydration. Keep your dog hydrated by providing plenty of water multiple times throughout the day. Always give water to your dog before, during, and after physical activity. With WOpet water fountain, your four-legged friends will never go thirsty, whether you’re at home or out and about.