Just like people, a dog’s body is made up of 80% water. Water helps our bodies function daily by doing things like circulating blood, controlling body temperature, digesting food, filtering waste, and without it we wouldn’t survive. While we can all last five or so days without food, we cannot do the same without water.
When it comes to your dog's health and nutrition, water is even more important than carbohydrates, fat, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Water is a critical part of your dog’s daily requirements and overall nutrition. Without water, your dog’s body will not be able to function properly.
One of the most important factors when determining how much water a dog needs, is its weight. As a rule of thumb, both for puppies and dogs, a dog will drink 50 ml water per kg of body weight. This means that a 10 kg dog needs about half a litre of water every day and a 20 kg dog will drink about a litre. The season, temperature, and degree of activity of your dog all affect the amount of water it will drink. Of course, dogs drink more on warm days than on colder ones, and if your dog is particularly active, it will drink more as well.
Your dog’s body will naturally lose water all day, not only when they urinate, but also as they sweat through their paws and when they pant. When taking your dog for a walk or hike, especially in warmer weather, always bring clean drinking water for your four-legged friend and serve it to them in small amounts every 15-20 minutes.
When heading out, there are a variety of portable hydration options for your dog, but our favourite is a combined water bottle and bowl for easy portability in the quantity you need. Our Creatures of Comfort 1.2L Travel Water Bottle and Bowl is easy to use and ideal for walks, the beach and road trips. Just fold out the silicone leaf into a bowl and press the quick release button to quench your dog’s thirst. Unused water drains back into the stainless-steel bottle after use and the bowl folds back over the bottle for easy portability. The bottle size is ideal for the hydration needs of 1 or 2 dogs and the design is perfect for all dog sizes to drink from easily.
Regardless of how you choose to provide it to them, as the weather warms up, make sure that you are providing enough good, clean water to your pooch each day!
