Watering The Dog… And The Cat?

Keeping fresh, clean water available at all times is a major necessity for the health of any dog or cat especially in a desert climate such as Arizona where scorching summer temperatures can average 115 degrees or even higher!

Dogs and cats should always have access to clean, fresh water all the time.

Even though your dog or cat may be happy to drink from oily gutters, algae-covered ponds, muddy puddles or other questionable sources, you should never let them drink what you wouldn't. This includes the very dangerous habit of drinking salt water at the beach!

When in doubt, it's always best to leave it to your dog or cat to drink as much as he/she wants in order to prevent dehydration.

How much water does your dog need?
There are many different factors that affect the need of water intake for dogs, cats, puppies or kittens - so many that it is always wise to provide access to water at all times so that your pet’s body itself can regulate its own consumption as needed.

As a general rule of thumb, a dog or cat needs to consume 2.5 times the amount of water, as its daily intake of food. If an animal eats 2 lbs. of dry food it should consume 5 lbs. of water. (There are 8 lbs. in a gallon.) If your dog or cat eats 4 oz. of dry food, he/she should drink 10 ounces of water (1 ¼ cup).

Factors such as high heat and exercise or lactation can increase the needed amount two or three times above normal however, most pets consume more than their daily requirement. A little extra water consumption never hurts, but too little can be catastrophic. Dogs or cats that eat canned foods get most of their moisture from the food and may drink much less than those on dry food.