Ask a Vet: How Much Water Should My Dog Drink A Day?
Q: How much water should my dog be drinking every day? I leave fresh water in her bowl at all times but her pee is frequently rich yellow.
As a rough guide, a dog should be drinking about 70-80ml of water per kilogram of her weight per day.
Thus, if your dog weighs 5kg, she should be drinking about 350ml to 400ml of water a day.
The kidneys concentrate urine and pass it into the bladder to be voided when full and/or when convenient.
The reason why your dog may have rich yellow urine may be due to the weather. In high ambient temperatures (e.g. during hot days), the body needs to conserve fluids so the kidneys selectively reabsorb more water, leading to more concentrated and dark-coloured urine. This is not considered abnormal if it’s not accompanied by other symptoms.
You can prevent dehydration in your dog, especially during hot weather by encouraging her to drink more fluids. For example, you can make drinking more enticing by adding bits of fruits that are safe for dogs into her water bowl or by adding water into her meals.
However, if the urine is bloody or deep yellow to brown in colour, please have your dog checked by a vet immediately as that may be indicative of liver, kidney or other diseases.
Regardless, it is a good practice to ensure that clean drinking water is accessible to your dog at all times.
Photo credit: Robert Rinyu via Foter.com / CC BY-NC
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He is a contributor to the Veterinary Interventional Radiology and Interventional Endoscopy Society (VIRES) and a member of the Veterinary Endoscopy Society (VES).
