by





Dog dehydration often occurs due to the excessive loss of bodily fluids, this is a common and dangerous condition that should be treated immediately. If you happen to own an active dog, you must know how to tell if your dog is dehydrated. Otherwise, it would lead to a much serious ailment including organ failure and even death. For this reason, every pet parent must know how to determine the signs of dehydration and what to do for first aid before bringing your pet to the vet.

Dog dehydration is often caused by:

Fever

Diarrhea

Vomiting

Overexposure to heat

Not enough water or food intake

Signs of dehydration:

Dry and sticky gums

Lethargy

Sunken eyes

No skin elasticity

Too or very less urination

Delay capillary refill time

How to Tell if Your Dog is Dehydrated

Dehydration may indicate a serious underlying problem. If you suspect that your dog is dehydrated, take him to a veterinarian immediately. You may be able to detect dehydration at home by gently lifting the skin on the back of your dog’s neck or between the shoulder blades-unless your dog is seriously overweight or very shin, it should immediately return to a normal position. If he is lacking in fluids, the lifted skin may not quickly return to normal. Often, however, the signs of dehydration are not obvious, and only a veterinarian can provide proper diagnosis and treatment. Source: Web MD, http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/dog-dehydration-water-needs

Tips in Recognizing Dog Dehydration

Check his skin elasticity. Pull the skin on the top of his neck and let it go, see if his skin would quickly fo back to its normal position.

Pull the skin on the top of his neck and let it go, see if his skin would quickly fo back to its normal position. Check his gums. Dehydrated dogs have sticky and dry gums. Check his gums also, the color of his gums would determine how much oxygen is present on his bloodstream.

Dehydrated dogs have sticky and dry gums. Check his gums also, the color of his gums would determine how much oxygen is present on his bloodstream. Check his capillary refill time. Capillary refill is when you put pressure on your dog’s gums and the time his gums would go back to its original color. Normally, after applying pressure the area would instantly refill within 1-2 seconds. If it takes longer than that, then it is an indication that something is wrong already.

Being able to know how to tell if your dog is dehydrated would come in handy for any pet parent out there. If you want to know the basic first aid interventions for your dog, you can also research it here on the net. You can educate yourself using the net in order to become a more better and responsible pet parent.

Has this article been informative to you? Hopefully, it helped you in determining your pekingese’s hydration status. Share your insights with us by entering it below.