Dehydration is a disorder that can affect our dogs and is caused by multiple causes. It can occur in various degrees and its severity will depend on them, so it is important that all caregivers know what the signs of dehydration in dogs are, to give them proper care, which usually includes veterinary treatment, since we are facing a potentially fatal imbalance. In this article on our site we will see the most important aspects around this topic and we will teach you how to know if your dog is dehydrated
Causes and symptoms of dehydration in dogs
Basically, dehydration occurs when our dog excretes more fluids than he takes back, causing a fluid imbalance but, also, of electrolytes This situation affects the entire body and if the degree of dehydration is severe, the dog's life is in danger.
The causes of dehydration in dogs are multiple, but they are very often associated with diseases in which fluids are lost through vomiting and/or diarrhea Thus, whenever our dog presents this clinical picture we must pay attention to its state of hydration. Other pathologies such as kidney disease can also cause this imbalance, as well as emergencies such as heat strokeIn addition, fever and serious illness can cause a dog to reduce its water intake, leading to dehydration.
To find out if a dog is dehydrated, we can carry out a simple check that consists of taking the skin from the area of the withers between our fingers and pulling it carefully, separating it from the body a few centimeters. When released, in a he althy dog the skin instantly recovers its shape. In a dehydrated dog, on the contrary, the skin takes time to return to its position, more or less time depending on the degree of dehydration, as we will see. Thus, this fold, which is nothing more than a sign of the elasticity of the skin, is one of the signs of dehydration in dogs, although we can find others such as the following:
- Dry gums
- Thick Saliva
- Dark urine
- In more severe cases, sunken eyes
In addition, it is common for the dog to show lethargy and anorexia.
Types and degrees of dehydration in dogs
We must bear in mind that dehydration is a state that will not be reversed by giving the dog a bowl of water except in the case of really mild dehydration, such as if our dog has vomited some few times and you haven't had a drink in a few hours or you haven't had enough water on a hot day. Precisely, vomiting and diarrhea are the most common causes of dehydration in dogs, since, in these episodes, it is normal for the dog to stop eating which, together with the loss of liquids, produces this clinical picture. However, as we have seen in the previous section, serious illnesses can also develop this situation.
If we observe signs of dehydration in the dog, we must go to our veterinarian to establish the exact diagnosis and its corresponding treatment, since it would be useless to provide it with plenty of water if we do not treat the primary cause of dehydration. There are several types of dehydration in dogs which are called isotonic,hypertonic and hypotonic , depending on the amount of water lost in relation to that of solutes (in dehydration electrolyte imbalance also occurs). In addition, according to the severity, several degrees of dehydration in dogs are distinguished , which are as follows:
- Less than 4% dehydration: this is the mildest case and we will not notice any symptoms.
- Between 5-6 %: with this percentage we will see that, if we check the skin, the fold takes a while to recuperate.
- Between 6-8 %: in this situation it is obvious, since the skin fold takes time to recover.
- Between 8-10 %: in addition to the delay in skin recovery, we will see dry mucous membranes and sinking of the eyeballs.
- Between 10-12 %: in addition to the above symptoms, the dog will begin to go into shock and we will see pale mucous membranes and cold in the extremities, among other symptoms.
- Between 10-15 %: the shock is already severe and the dog is in imminent danger of death. More than 15% dehydration is considered incompatible with life.
Symptoms of dehydration in puppies
In younger dogs, but also in those that are in a situation of vulnerability such as older dogs or those with a disease, if we notice any symptoms of dehydration we should go to emergency to our vet. The smaller the puppy, the more risk it is if it becomes dehydrated, as it can die within hoursThis is especially relevant in infants, as they can become weak to the point of stopping breastfeeding, which will aggravate the condition. These dehydrated puppies will present the dry mouth, which we can notice if we offer them to suck a finger, general weaknessand pitch loss. Also, if we take a fold of skin it will not recover its shape. For all these reasons, if an infant presents with diarrhea, a common cause of dehydration, we must seek immediate veterinary assistance.
How to treat dehydration in dogs
If we see signs of dehydration in our dog and the vet confirms that it has this problem, the most important thing is to determine its cause and establish a treatment that allows us to reverse the situation and, consequently, balance the organism. The usual thing is to replace these fluids intravenously, for which the veterinarian will place an IV, usually in one of our dog's front legs, to administer fluids and electrolytes
In mild cases, the serum can be prescribed subcutaneously, through injections under the skin or, in milder cases, and if there is no vomiting, it can be given orally, sometimes with a syringe, shortly little by little, by the side of the mouth. When the administration is intravenous, the dog will require hospital admission for about 24-48 hours In younger dogs, in which it is difficult to place an IV, it may intraosseous administration of serum may be necessary. It is important that the veterinarian prescribes the amount of serum that our dog needs to recover its hydration, since it will depend on the weight and the severity of the dehydration.
If, for whatever reason, we find ourselves in the middle of an emergency and we don't have access to a veterinarian, we can prepare a homemade solution, although it will be essential to go to the specialist as soon as possible. To do this, we recommend consulting the article on "How to make homemade whey for dehydrated dogs".
How to hydrate a dog
As we have mentioned, a dog's dehydration, except in very mild cases, will not be solved by offering it water to drink, but we can follow a series of measures to prevent signs of dehydration in our dogs, such as the following:
- Ensure the supply of water always, and that it is clean and fresh. This is especially important on the hottest days. If we are going to be absent, we have to make sure that the drinker cannot tip over, since this would mean that the animal would run out of water.
- Never leave him in a closed car in the sun, provide him with shade if he is outside during the hottest hours and avoid exercise during those same hours, since these situations predispose to heat stroke.
- If our dog has a disease that increases his risk of dehydration, such as kidney disease, or has just gone through a condition that has dehydrated him, we must make sure that drink, for which, in addition to having one or several drinking fountains always with clean and fresh water, we can encourage it by offering ice cubes or broths. We can also change the feed for wet food, to increase fluid intake. And if nothing works, we advise you to review the article "Why doesn't my dog drink water?".
- In addition, if we observe any of the symptoms of dehydration in dogs mentioned, we should consult our veterinarian, especially if our dog is a puppy or suffers from any illness.
- Finally, as first aid if we find a dehydrated dog, we can offer him water, if he does not vomit, keep him in the shade if we suspect heat stroke and go immediately to the vet.
