Some dogs love lapping up water after running around the house or playing in the yard. Others aren’t as interested. If your four-legged best friend doesn’t get as much H2O as you’d like, learning how to get your pet to drink more water could help them. You’ll make their water bowl tastier and worry less about their daily hydration.
Why It’s So Important for Dogs to Stay Hydrated
Dogs rely on panting to cool themselves down. They inhale drier, cooler air through their nose and exhale hot, moist air through the mouth to release heat. When it’s hot out and they’re breathing heavily without water, it dries out their airways and the cooling effect lessens.
This occurrence throws off their temperature balance and makes them less tolerant of humidity and sweltering weather. While your pup needs hydration for basic well-being, they could also have a higher risk of health events such as heat stroke if they’re not drinking a consistent amount while it’s warm outside.
How Can I Get My Pet to Drink More Water?
There are a few strategies you can try to get your pet to drink more water each day. Trying multiple ideas will help you find the best solution for them.
1. Provide a Consistent Amount
Your dog may not visit their water bowl often because they’re used to finding it empty. They might also not have enough to lap up. When dogs drink water, they curl their tongue backward and throw it into their mouths. If the water level is too low, they can’t do the curling motion.
Set reminders on your phone to check their water bowl every couple of hours, especially when they’re more active than usual. You’ll eventually turn the reminders into an instinctive habit, so you’re frequently peeking at their bowl without even trying.
2. Filter Their Water
Giving your pup water from your sink might seem fine, but it can contain microscopic particles. Whether your dog can smell them or not, one contaminated drink may convince them no water is safe. A household filter will remove the bacteria or metals that could make your dog feel sick and associate hydration with illness.
As you learn how to get your pet to drink more water, remember that a filter could make a significant difference if your faucets source water from a nearby well. The filtering components even improve city water quality. Your dog might be sensitive to the purification methods the water treatment plant uses, but an in-home filter can eliminate what makes it taste or smell off.
3. Change Their Bowl Regularly
The next time you check your dog’s water bowl, look for mold or mildew. Pink or filmy growth can occur if the liquid lingers for weeks without getting changed. A pet might also avoid their bowl because it smells worse as the fungi grow. Give them new water daily and wash the bowl every few days to prevent your pup from drinking mildew and feeling sick.
4. Make Water Fun
You can always turn your four-legged best friend’s water bowl into an enrichment activity. If there’s a challenge for them to solve, you’ll stimulate their mind and potentially improve their mental health. Encourage them to bob for hot dog pieces or sunken toys. You might need to wipe the floor afterward, but your dog could drink more water because they associate it with having fun.
Doggie smoothies are another way to make water more exciting. Combine H2O and dog-safe fruit or veggies in a blender before pouring it into their bowl. Your pup will improve their hydration without any battles over plain water.
5. Swap the Bowl’s Material
Consider the primary material of your dog’s water bowl. Sometimes, bowls aren’t appealing to pups. Their collars could ring against a stainless steel bowl and scare them, or the paint on their decorative bowl may not smell right. If you’ve never changed your dog’s bowl for something different — like silicone, ceramic or glass — give them a new one to see if they feel more comfortable drinking water again.
When to Contact Your Dog’s Vet
Getting your pet to drink more water can take time. While you experiment with different strategies, monitor them for concerning signs of dehydration like:
- A dry nose
- Sticky gums
- Tiredness
- Tighter skin
- Sunken eyes
- Thickened saliva
- Loss of appetite
Dehydration can sneak up on dog owners if they don’t know the signs, but you can always call your pup’s vet to ask if they’d recommend a checkup. They may need to give your dog IV fluids if they’re struggling with their water intake for an extended period.
Improve Your Pup’s Hydration
Explore every opportunity to make water appealing, like turning it into a game or filtering potential contaminants so it doesn’t make your pup feel ill. With time, you’ll figure out what’s keeping them from staying hydrated and ensure your dog stays healthy.