Water is the source of life. Whether humans or dogs, they need to drink water every day to maintain bodily functions. But did you know that water should not be drunk carelessly? Incorrect drinking methods are not beneficial to dogs’ health at all. Today, the Pets Zone editor will talk about matters pet owners must know about dogs drinking water. Let’s take a look below.

About 60% of an adult dog’s body is water, while puppies have about 80%. Water maintains normal physiological activities and metabolism in dogs. The digestion, absorption, and movement of various nutrients in a dog’s body, excretion of metabolites, regulation of body temperature, endocrine function, and blood circulation all depend on water. For dogs’ health, water is more important than gourmet food. Under normal circumstances, based on body weight, an adult dog requires 80–120 milliliters of water per kilogram of body weight daily, while a puppy needs 140–170 milliliters per kilogram. A dog’s water intake varies with the season and type of food. Dogs drink noticeably less water in winter than in summer. But in daily care, you can offer dogs free access to water all day, especially when feeding them; sufficient clean water must be provided. Otherwise, overly dry food can cause indigestion and constipation.

However, when a dog vomits or has diarrhea, it must be fasted and prohibited from drinking water. Only after vomiting symptoms mostly disappear should you give water or medicine, or else the dog may vomit immediately after drinking water. Severe cases can lead to dehydration, seriously threatening the dog’s life. Once the dog’s condition improves somewhat, you can add some glucose to the drinking water to replenish fluids and help recovery.

Dogs have no special requirements for drinking water; cool boiled water, tap water, or juice will do. Dogs’ stomachs are not picky as long as water is replenished. But one thing makes dogs’ stomachs extremely sensitive—milk. Don’t think giving dogs milk is a way to love them; know that a glass of milk may disturb their stomach for a long time. This is because the main substance in regular milk is lactose, which requires the enzyme lactase to break down and absorb in the gut. However, dogs’ digestive enzymes almost lack lactase, so milk cannot be absorbed in their digestive tract and easily ferments lactose, causing diarrhea, vomiting, and even dehydration and death.

Through this article, everyone should now understand what to pay attention to regarding dogs drinking water. Finally, the editor says water is best given as boiled cooled water, which is safe and hygienic. Unless there are special needs, always give dogs clean boiled water.