Welcome to Arizona – the land of extreme heat. If you’ve ever been to the Grand Canyon state in the summer months, you know how scorching the days can be. Recently we’ve been experiencing record temperatures around 122°. The average temperature in July is around 110°. Combine that heat with lack of humidity and everything seems to dry out. Humans are prone to dehydration but what about our pets? While our bodies are made up of 55-60% water, our pet’s are made up of 80% water! That’s quite a large difference! Since July is Pet Hydration Awareness Month, let’s talk about how to keep your fur babies drinking that water!
Pet Hydration Month
To keep it simply, our pets need about one ounce of water per pound of body weight. This theory would suggest that Wynston needs 8oz of water daily since he weighs 8lbs. So how do I keep my cats and dogs drinking enough water?
Pet fountains: We keep two pet fountains inside our home. We have a Drinkwell Pagoda fountain in the kitchen. It’s easily accessible from the family room and back patio door. In our master bedroom we keep the Drinkwell Platinum so my animals don’t have to travel far to drink water. I never want them to be deterred from drinking because they have to walk too far of a distance. Matt and I live in a ranch style home so it can take effort to walk from one end to the other. My cats and dogs love drinking from flowing water so when I got the pet fountains I noticed them drinking a lot more!
Have plenty of water when you leave the house: Whether you’re on a road trip or just running a simple errand, make sure you have plenty of water for yourself and your pet. I never leave the house without water no matter what time of year it is, but it’s especially crucial during the hot summer months.
Carry a collapsible bowl: Wynston will drink water from a water bottle cap but most dogs won’t. I always carry a collapsible bowl on me when I take any or all of my dogs out. Even though Wynston will drink from a bottle or cap, I still bring a bowl just in case. Plus you never know if you’ll come across another dog that needs some water!
Keep water outside: If your dog is outside for any amount of time (please don’t leave your dog outside in the summer for an extended period of time) you need to provide them with fresh, clean water. I keep a fresh bowl of water on my back patio, which I clean and refill everyday. We have a big backyard and my dogs like to run around even when it’s hot out. I like to have water outside so the dogs don’t have to come inside just to drink fresh water.
Signs of Pet Dehydration
- Sunken eyes
- Lethargy
- Loss of appetite
- Depression
- Dry mouth
You should seek veterinary attention for your pet if you suspect they are dehydrated, but in the meantime you can perform the skin test. All you have to do is grab a loose fold of skin on the back of the neck or in between the shoulder blades then release it. If the skin snaps back into place, your pet should most likely be okay. If the skin returns to it’s position very slowly, your pet could be dehydrated and needs to see a vet immediately.
Giveaway
Now I’m giving YOU the chance to win a pet fountain from PetSafe! Their newest fountain is the Current Pet Fountain, which Wynston got to try out at BlogPaws and he gives it two paws up! The winner will get to choose their preferred size and color.
Enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below, and see here for full disclosures. Good luck!!!
Open to US citizens, 18+ years of age.
Great article, I didn’t know that 80% of a pet’s body was water.
I have had my eyes on these!! Every time we are in the pet store and they have it running Frank is drawn to it!! Thanks for your review and letting me know how great they are.
I have two places in our home where they always have filtered fresh water 🙂
I am constantly refilling his bowl throughout the day.
I have three bowls in the house that I make sure have cold water in them, a bowl outside, and a kiddie swimming pool outside.
I keep 2 bowls of water down in different rooms of the house to encourage Bowser to drink plenty. He is only 8 lbs as well. I worry he doesn’t drink enough. A fountain is a wonderful idea. Bowser is curious and I think he’d find drinking from a fountain “fun”, so he’d definitely drink more often. Thanks so much for this chance to win for my fur baby.
We have multiple bowls of fresh water around the house, which is especially important for my kitty with kidney disease. She would love this fountain.
I’m very lucky because Bear drinks well on his own. He also doesn’t harbor a cat’s natural dislike for water (maybe because he was homeless when we met and he was used to rain?). I do feel better though that I give him a bit of wet food a day as a treat … just to ensure he’s getting enough water.
I try to always make sure she has fresh water at all times!
We always have a bowl of water in the kitchen for our pups and one bowl up on the counter for the cats. During the summer months we add another bowl outside on the patio. I also like to make the pups frozen treats!
Wow! What I been trying to win this for my FurBabies! I can’t afford it, so I keep trying to win this, but I never do though. I’m always refilling my babies bowls. I also need to get one of those collapsed bowls for when we are out and about. I love to only give fresh water to them. Yes they are so spoiled but I wouldn’t have it no other way. I love the fact that the bowl stay fresh. BabyGirl & Bear would love the refreshing fountain bowl as well?? They share everything together!
Good luck Jenny! I’m glad to hear you take such good care of your fur babies!
I constantly refill my dogs water through out the day
I can tell if they are drinking enough by checking the bowl 4-5 times a day….most of the time after they get done drinking they could by me to wrap their face off that is still dripping from water
Great idea! Dogs love fresh running water.
My pups drink plenty of water especially Cody so I am sure they would love a pet fountain since their favorite time to drink is when just refilled the bowl
Everyone calls me the water police. I always make sure there is always fresh, cool water.
Ours have a Faucet Waterer that always provides them access to water
I check the water bowls a couple of times per day to make sure the pets are drinking.
I keep several bowls of water around the house, and even on the deck, to be sure my dogs and cats can always find water to drink. I do change the water frequently, too, so they have fresh, clean water readily available. I’m sure this would really help.