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Think
that finding a good, high-quality dog
food is important?
All of the beneficial ingredients that
go into dog food will not help your dog
if he it is not drinking enough water.
Water is the body's most important
nutrient. Adult dogs' bodies are 60%
water, and a puppy's is 84% water. Dogs
can lose all of their fat and half of
their protein without adversely
affecting their health, but a loss of 10
% of their water can cause significant
problems. Dog owners should place as
much attention on the quality of the
water their dog drinks as they do on the
ingredients that go into the best dog
foods; not all water is the same.
The criteria for clean drinking water
for dogs is similar to the criteria for
drinking water for people. Tap water
generally provides the best nutrients
and least contaminants; if, however, the
tap water contains high amounts of
magnesium, nitrates, and iron it can
cause long term health risks. For those
who fear their tap water may be
contaminated, bottled water can be a
better choice.
Stainless steel and stoneware dishes are
good, safe choices for food and water
bowls. Plastic bowls may scratch, giving
unhealthy contaminates an ideal place to
live. The water should be cool in the
summer and room temperature in the
winter. The dogs bowl should always be
clean. If you're not sure if it needs
changing, ask yourself if you would
drink the water -- if the answer is no,
change it.
Dogs should have access to fresh water
at all times. This is even more
important than giving it the best dog
foods on the market. Dogs need three
times more water than they do food every
day. They need even more water if it is
extremely hot, the dog is lactating, or
if the dog is exercising more than
normal. Dogs that eat canned dog food do
not need to drink as much water because
of the high amount of water contained in
the food.
Often, sick dogs don't want to drink the
water they need, but the illness
increases the need for water. When this
happens, a dog can become quickly
dehydrated. To check for dehydration,
dog owners can pull upward on the dog's
skin at the nape of the neck. If the
skin snaps back, the dog is sufficiently
hydrated, if it takes several seconds
for the skin to go back, fluids may need
to be replaced intravenously or
subcutaneously. Owners should never
offer water to vomiting dogs; this is
perhaps the only time to make sure dogs
don't have access to water. If a dog
vomits for more than a twenty-four hour
period it should see a vet immediately.
In addition to better health, proper
hydration contributes to the performance
of a dog. Many owners of working dogs
flavor their dog's food in order to make
sure it is drinking the appropriate
amounts. Studies have proven that proper
hydration increases an animal's working
ability by 80%. The next time you pour
one of those "better" dog foods into
your dog's bowl, remember that if the
dog doesn't have the right amount of
clean water, the food is useless.
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