Keeping your dog hydrated is of the utmost importance, especially during hot summer days. Dehydration can damage your dog’s health, and their bodies do not regulate temperature as easily as humans do. Dogs also tend to only drink when they’re thirsty, as opposed to humans who drink water constantly. As dog owners, it’s our responsibility to ensure that our dogs are constantly upping their water intake, and even more so when it is hot outside. Here are 5 ways to ensure your pup stays hydrated and healthy this summer, and beyond.
1. Clean their water bowls daily
Hygiene plays an important factor in how often a dog will drink from their bowl. If their water bowl is dirty, or has water that has been sitting for an excessive amount of time, they are much less likely to drink an adequate amount. Even if they do drink enough water, the longer the water bowl goes uncleaned, there is more potential for there to be dangerous bacteria in their bowl. Ensuring you keep the water bowl clean will help your dog tremendously with their water intake.
2. Invest in a water fountain
Another great way to make sure that your dog is hydrated is to invest in a water fountain. The constant circulation of water will not only keep it fresh but also keep them stimulated and interested in the constantly flowing water. Most come with replaceable filters that help to keep their water fresh and clean.
3. Keep their water bowls full
Keeping their bowls full of water is another great motivator to keep your dog hydrated. Oftentimes, if the bowl is getting close to empty, it will have become warm, or a bit murky, whether from the dog themselves or other factors. Keeping the bowl fresh and full will encourage most dogs to drink considerably more often than a nearly empty bowl.
This is even more crucial for senior dogs, as they must stay hydrated at all times during hotter months. You can even find some supplements to put in their water to keep them more healthy and hydrated.
4. Offer them homemade frozen treats
Who doesn’t love a frozen treat on a hot day? Dogs are no exception! There are many options for what treat to give them, whether homemade or store-bought. Before giving them any treat, do some research to ensure it is healthy for them to have, as you may be surprised at some of the foods that are unhealthy for dogs to eat.
5. Set an hourly reminder
No matter how much you love your dog and commit to them, everyone is managing a very busy life; this can make it easy to forget something like checking your dog’s water bowl. We suggest setting reminders on your phone to refill their bowl as often as possible, helping to keep them hydrated at all times.
Final Words:
Water is the ultimate source of life on Earth, and a blessing that we tend to overlook. It is essential for survival, and good health in general. As pet owners, it is our responsibility to make sure that our pets’ needs are always taken care of.
Dehydration is a real risk to our dogs, especially during summertime, and the only way to counteract that is to provide a nearly endless supply of water to our darling fur babies.
