The signs of dehydration in dogs are varied and not detecting them in time can be a big problem for your health. Sunken eyes, lack of appetite and / or fatigue are some signs that should alert us.
Knowing the symptoms will help us detect the problem in time and prevent the death of our puppy or adult dog. Dehydration is just as dangerous! Let’s see in detail everything we should know.
Index of contents
- 1 What is dehydration?
- 2 What causes dehydration in a dog?
- 3 Symptoms of dehydration in dogs
- 4 How to know if a dog is dehydrated?
- 5 How to Help a Dehydrated Dog
What is dehydration?
Dehydration It consists of the indiscriminate loss of liquids and electrolytes, which causes a dog’s body to decompose.
Electrolytes are chemical compounds that provide different benefits, such as regulating the functioning of muscles and nerves, in addition to intervening in the breathing process. Some electrolytes are calcium, potassium, and magnesium, for example.
A dog can easily die from dehydration, as a shortage of electrolytes prevents the body from working properly.
What causes dehydration in a dog?
Generally, a dog will develop dehydration when it suffers from another health problem that reduces its water intake and causes inappetence, or when that other illness involves loss of fluids.
These are some of the causes:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Heatstroke
- Fever
- Renal insufficiency
- Poisoning or intoxication
- Diabetes
- Swelling of the throat, gums, or tooth problems, which can cause a dog to refuse to eat / drink
Symptoms of dehydration in dogs
Knowing the signs of dehydration is crucial to acting fast. We will not only be able to help our dog and go to a vet on time, but also discover a possible disease that we did not yet know it suffered from.
Symptoms that show dehydration
- Fatigue
- Dry mouth and tongue
- Absence of drooling, if your dog belongs to a breed that salivates a lot
- Weakness and disinterest in games
- Urinate frequently
- Hollow eyes
- Pale gums and dry
- Weightloss
- Wrinkled or sagging skin
- Pallor
- Cold body
The consequences of a dehydrated dog can be seen in hours when it comes to puppies, putting his life in imminent danger. In these cases, go to the vet immediately.
How to know if a dog is dehydrated?
In addition to looking for the symptoms mentioned, there are two simple methods that we can use to check if our dog is dehydrated:
- Skin recovery time: very carefully press and stretch the fur on the nape of your dog. If you get back in shape fast, you are not very dehydrated yet; if the skin is slow to return to its place or remains wrinkled, there is dehydration.
- Dehydration of the gums: Take your dog’s bottom lip, part down, and press down on the gum. If you become sunken and pale, then you are dehydrated.
How to Help a Dehydrated Dog
If you have seen symptoms of dehydration and believe that your dog is dehydrated, the most important thing is go to a vet to locate the cause Because fighting the disease that causes dehydration is essential to counteract it.
Your vet may recommend a specific serum for dogs, or give it to you intravenously. This serum helps to decrease dehydration and provides electrolytes.
The amount of serum will depend on the size of the dog and the level of dehydration it is in. Similarly, the most severe cases may require hospitalization to observe minute-to-minute reactions to treatment.
At home, you should offer your dog clean, fresh water. If she refuses to drink it, try giving it to her with a syringe or opt for alternative methods to hydrate her, such as preparing a chicken broth.
Avoid exposing your dog to the sun and let him rest in a ventilated and noise-free environment, without drafts that are bothersome.