I had a client ask me this week, “How much water should my dog drink each day?”
Do you keep track of how much water your dog drinks every day? We do not measure the water in our house, but generally speaking, I do know that we rinse & fill up our Water Fountain once a day and that it holds 110 ounces. So, we have approximately 13 cups (to gauge size, that is between five-six 20 oz bottles of water) available for our two dogs and two cats to freely drink throughout the day.
Let’s take a step back, however, and discuss how important water is for our fur-kids. Just like us, our dog’s body is made up of 2/3 water. Water aids in digestion, it helps to absorb nutrients and is essential to help our pets maintain their body temperature.
Therefore, as a general rule of thumb, plan on giving them 2 1/2 times more water than you feed them.
So, if you feed your dog 1 cup of food per day, you should plan on them drinking at least 2 1/2 cups of water per day.
2 cups of food per day = 4 1/2 cups of water per day, and so on.
Other good reminders include:
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Clean and refill the water dish at least once per day.
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Tap water should be running for a solid minute before filling the water bowl to ensure that minerals & toxins that may be present in the pipes are flushed out.
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If you don’t drink your tap water, your pets should probably not be drinking your tap water. Give them the same water that you would drink.
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If you notice that your pet is drinking more or less than average, contact your Veterinarian.
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Dogs that spend a great deal of time outside will need more water than mentioned above.
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When you take your dog for a walk or a hike, bring additional water along for them to drink. Do not let them drink from standing water or water with algae in it – it could have life-threatening bacteria in it.
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If you are concerned that your pet is not drinking enough water, consider adding some to their kibble at mealtime.
As a final thought, please consider getting an Automatic Water Dispenser or Fountain for your pet. A source of clean running water encourages pets to drink—which can play an important role in long-term health, especially for cats.
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