Why is hydration important for dogs?
Victor Sporer
2025-08-04 01:10:09
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Water is essential for the body to perform optimally and aids the body in maintaining a regular temperature. Without water all those other nutrients found in your pet’s food will be rendered useless, as water is needed in digestion for the absorption of those nutrients and all the way through to elimination. Water is so important that the effects of a deficiency are noted far sooner than most deficiencies. These effects are seen as signs of dehydration which can occur due to reduced water intake or by an increase in fluid loss. Dehydration will cause the volume of circulating blood to decrease which causes an imbalance of electrolytes in the fluid found inside and around the body’s cells limiting temperature control and ultimately resulting in cells that cannot perform their bodily functions, sometimes damaging organs and may even result in death in severe cases. Although your pet’s food does contain some moisture in it, it is still imperative that all pets are given access to plenty of clean, fresh water. Daily drinking water requirement for dogs is dependent on factors such as ambient temperature and physical activity level.
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