Dogs rapidly can become dehydrated, as water constitutes 60% of an adult dog’s body. Dehydration is the process of excessive fluid loss. A 10% loss of body water can cause serious illness in a dog.
Like humans, dogs need adequate fluids:
> to help transport nutrients through their body;
> to regulate body temperature; and,
> to replace water lost to humidity.
On average, dogs need to consume twice as much water, as their daily intake of food. High heat and exercise can double the amount of water needed, to avoid dehydration.
Dogs dehydrate much faster than humans. Dogs cool down at a much slower rate because they only have sweat glands on their nose and feet. If your dog has a heavy coat, the cool down process may be even slower and the risk of dehydration can be higher.
