How much water is enough will vary depending on the weather and your doodle’s activity level on any given day.
On the average, a healthy dog drinks about 1/2 to 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight per day. Your Doodle should be eating only dry food, which may increase his water intake. Of course activity and seasons will cause some variation. Even in the kennel, I see a substantial difference in water consumption from summer to winter – and days when there’s something particularly bark worthy – I have some thirsty dogs.
To look for dehydration in dogs, grab a piece of skin at the back of your dog’s neck. Stretch it out, and then let it go. A properly hydrated dog’s skin will snap quickly back into place, while the skin of a dehydrated dog will return slowly and form a “tent” in the process. You can also check your dog’s gums for dehydration – wet, slippery gums are healthy. Dull, sticky gums suggest dehydration. To encourage drinking more water, you may want to invest in a water bowl that keeps the water “flowing” – it tastes fresher. A little beef or chicken broth is a good additive, because of the high sodium content it shouldn’t be added unless absolutely needed.
Dogs who over hydrate will often vomit, act confused or become lethargic. This is more common with a healthy dog and needs to be monitored and regulated to avoid bloat (see March Newsletter 2010). If it’s a situational problem, for instance, heavy exercise followed by over drinking – offer a smaller amount of water at several different intervals allowing your dog to settle and rest in between drinks. If it’s a habitual problem, you may want to only allow drinks of water from a “lick-it”. That won’t allow you to monitor consumption, but it will slow down his gulping and since with this type of drinker you’re not worried about lack of consumption being unable to measure intake doesn’t really matter.
We change Winston’s water twice a day, rinsing and brushing out his bowl with each change.
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