Feeding, exercise, grooming, and housing are the basics of general dog care. Most people who love their pets provide these to the best of their abilities. But sometimes there can be unexpected incidents. For example, you leave for an overnight trip and forget to top up the water in your dog’s bowl. In such a scenario, you might panic. But dogs can actually go without water for short periods of time. Keep reading to find out exactly long dogs can go without water.
Most dogs can go 6-10 hours without water without suffering any negative effects on their health. So, if you forget to fill your dog’s water bowl before you leave for work or your dog knocks his water bowl over when you’re not at home, don’t panic. If your dog is healthy and indoors in a cool environment, he should be fine without water for a few hours.
A dog can survive for 48 to 72 hours without water. However, this is the worst-case scenario. Leaving your dog without water for more than 6-10 hours on a regular basis is cruel and abusive. Notably, dogs can survive without food for longer than they can without water.
Again, as mentioned, dogs can go 2-3 days without water. So, your dog will likely survive if you leave her without water overnight. But this is not something you should subject your beloved pet to on a regular basis.
If your dog doesn’t drink water for 2 days, he or she will become dehydrated. The risk of dehydration is higher if your dog is outdoors in hot weather because additional water can be lost by breathing and panting. Dogs who have a stomach bug and are vomiting or have diarrhea are also at higher risk of dehydration if they don’t drink water to replace fluids.
When dogs become dehydrated, they cannot regulate their body temperature. Symptoms of dehydration in dogs may include lethargy, low energy, loss of appetite, dry nose, dry or sunken eyes, panting, dry and sticky gums, and thick saliva.
If your dog has any of the signs and symptoms of dehydration, take her to the vet immediately. Dehydration in dogs is a medical emergency. Failure to treat it promptly can result in unconsciousness, kidney failure, and even death.
Experts say dogs should drink 1 fluid ounce (1/8 of a cup or 30 mL) of water per pound of body weight every day. This is approximately 25-50 mL of water per kilogram of body weight in 24 hours.
So, if your dog weighs 20 pounds or 9 kg, he should drink at least 20 fluid ounces (around 600 mL) of water in 24 hours. Moreover, if your dog is active, he’ll need even more water.
For a happy, healthy dog, make sure your dog has access to clean, cool drinking water around the clock.
14 December, 2022