All animals depend on water to have a proper function of all their organs and be essentially happy. Hence knowing how to hydrate your dog is a key requirement and your responsibility as a dog owner to provide enough and on-time hydration to your puppy.
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5 Signs for Dehydration in Dogs
You need to understand that severe dehydration in dogs can lead to kidney and other organ failure which can cause death.
But there are warning signs that can signal to you, a dog’s owner, that your puppy needs a better hydration. By being aware of these warning signals, you can prevent the worst that can happen to your pet.
– Dry nose
– Dry sticky gums
– Thick saliva
– Dry-looking eyes
– Loss of appetite
– Vomiting with or without diarrhea
– Loss in skin’s elasticity (it becomes more obvious if dehydration has been a persistent event)
The cool thing is that dogs usually know when to drink. They just need to be exposed to the drinking bowls and fountains in their home. And you need to be responsible to provide enough water for your pup at home and when you go outside for play or during your travels.
A quick call to your vet can resolve a lot of your anxiety. Just ask how much water your dog needs on average every day based on her age and weight. Your vet will supply you with even more pointers to watch for in your puppy, as the vet knows your dog and her physical condition.
Creative Ways to Hydrate Your Dog
Here are a few practical ways to hydrate your dog any time of the year.
Place more than one water bowls in your home.
Though animals are aware of their food and water bowls location, it would be great to have an extra bowl with water elsewhere in your house. My dogs like to drink out of the toilet bowl, hence we keep all of them closed! That is why I place an extra water bowl in the bathroom, as I know they will stop by to check out if the toilet seat was accidently left open.
Invest into a doggy drinking fountain.
It adds diversity and curiosity to the dog’s drinking routine. In addition, a drinking fountain has a filter to keep foreign particles away from your pet’s water supply. Scroll down to see some of the best indoor pet fountains for your dog or cat.
Check out one of my favorite stainless steel multi-pet fountains you will adore!
Add water to your dog’s food.
When you see the signs of your puppy’s dehydration, it may help to add some water into her food. With each each feeding, in the morning and at night, add half a cup of water for a medium-size dog to a cup of water for a bigger breed. But again, all depends on how serious the dehydration situation is with your furry friend.
Offer water from the scooped hands.
In a situation when a puppy definitely needs more water, she can really have a better experience when you offer a scoop of water from your hands to her. The trust between the pup and you is the key. Many dogs really go after this trick.
Freeze water in a stainless steel bowl
One of our readers, Pauline M., does this trick for her puppy. She freezes stainless bowls half full of water. Then, she fills it with a bit of water to give to her furry friend.
Prepare doggy ice pops.
If you have never used ice-cream or popsicles for your pets, you may be up for a surprise here. Many dogs simply adore cold ice pops, and with that they could get more hydration and cool their system.
You don’t need to look for elaborate recipes for pupsicles! Rather, you can freeze your pet’s favorite treat in ice cubes and give them during the day. Some pets go zonkers by playing and hydrating with simple ice cubes.
Easy Dog Popsicles Recipes
Here’s a 3-ingredient recipe for Dog Popsicles.
– Use 2 ripe bananas
– 2 Tbsp peanut butter
– 2 Tbsp water
Place all ingredients into a bowl and mesh them well. Divide the mixture among the cavities in the ice-cube tray or a silicone mold. Freeze for 4-5 hours.
One more recipe that uses berries and yogurt. Check with your vet if it is OK for your puppy to have a yogurt treat. Some dogs may not tolerate it well.
– 1/2 cup of one of these berries: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries or blackberries
– 2 x 5-ounce containers plain unsweetened yogurt. BEWARE: do not use yogurt with Xylitol, as it is toxic to dogs!
Combine all ingredients well and divide among the mold cavities. Freeze for 4-5 hours before giving to your pet.
Self-Cleaning Water Fountain for Pets by DOG CARE
The latest addition to our indoor fountain for dogs is this Self-cleaning water bowl. Yet one more way to remind my dogs to drink water.
This pet fountain has a few features I really appreciate. Here’s a quick glance why we already celebrate it with our pets.
Triple Filtration System acts as a barrier to harmful particles to get into a pet’s food/water system. The triple filter system allows sufficient time for so called “ionic displacement,” i.e., elimination of harmful ions from the water supply. This system reduces my pet’s rick of developing an illness.
Automatic Self-Cleaning Design is my most favorite feature! I do not have to rinse this bowl every single day. All the furs and tiny particles are flushed away from the outer bowl. Once a week, I disassemble the fountain bowl and rinse it with fresh water. It takes a couple of minutes to do it all.
Calming Soft Nature Sound of a waterfall is an amazingly pleasing sound to have in my home. This pet drinking bowl has been a cool addition to our living space. It has its purpose of hydrating our pets, on the one hand. But on the other hand, it contributes to a zen moment within a living space.
This pet product has a fluid, pet-friendly design. My dogs really like drinking from the bowl and from the fountain alike.
Besides, one of our newly-adopted puppies, a Siberian Husky, was neutered and had to wear a protective cone over his head. This fountain has been a perfect height for him to drink more water.
Best Indoor and Outdoor Pet Fountains
For my pets, I like using several ways and water sources throughout my home inside and outside. I’ve tested out many water bowls for both dogs and cats. Here’s my list of the bests indoor pet fountains, as well as some of the best outdoor ones.
Naturally, this list is biased as it was I and my pets who have voted for them. The ways we raise our pets and care for them may be different. But one thing about all of these water systems is that they made with quality and last for a long time.
I also noted some highlights for each of these best indoor and outdoor pet fountains. Check them out.
Best Indoor and Outdoor Pet Fountains
Dog or Cat Water Fountain Self Cleaning and Low Noise Design, 84 Oz/2.5L water capacity
Ecellent to entice your dog or cat to hydrate.
In nature, pets are drawn to the flowing freshwater. This recirculating mechanism ensures optimum oxygenation of
the water. The constantly flowing water from this Pet Fountain
arouses the drinking desire of the pets, making water taste better and remain cooler than served in a bowl, encouraging your pets to drink more.
Veken Pet Fountain has 3 modes: flower waterfall, flower bubble, and gentle fountain. Each mode meets the needs of various pets.
The free-falling stream and bright color attract
pets to drink more water!
This water fountain is perfect for cats and dogs. It encourages your pets to drink more, as water recirculates and remains cooler than in a stagnant water bowl.
Your pet can choose to drink water from the tower or the bowl. The 360-degree design allows your cat or puppy to drink from the fountain at any angle.
This water fountain is great for medium-size dogs and multiple cat homes.
Adjustable water flow allows you to customize the stream for you and your pet, or turn it off for a quieter operation.
Cat fountain features 3 different water flow settings for picky drinkers and offers maximum oxygenation for fresher,
better tasting cat water. The unique design filters water so that it
always stays fresh.
Because pets are instinctively attracted to running water. This 128 oz fountain can help prevent urinary and kidney diseases through increased hydration.
It has a lasting construction and sleek design.
This step-on water fountain has been designed for dogs with
heavy gauge steel to guarantee its strength and durability. It also has a leak-proof copper valve and rubber friction pads to minimize movement when in use.
This water fun and drinking product comes with a 2-way Y hose connector that lets you easily connect this pet water fountain to your water connection. Adjusting water pressure is done easily using the control valve on it.
Dog Wash With Hose And Shower Attachment
This unique indoor and outdoor dog grooming tool is one of the best ways to clean your puppy. Giving your pet a shower could be a bonding and hydrating experience at the same time.
Aquapaw is a better way to bathe your pet! Eliminate the mess and stress with this all-in-one tool that lets you brush and rinse your pet simultaneously, for faster bathing with no need for bucket rinsing. The two-stage button mechanism lets you click between settings with one hand, so your other hand is free to calm your pet. Aquapaw Pro is an innovative pet shower attachment. And you can purchase it HERE.
Aquapaw Features Include
- Indoor/outdoor use: Comes with adapters to fit shower spigot or garden hose, so you can easily create a small animal grooming station indoors in your tub or a large animal shower outside. Includes 8-foot hose.
- Two pressure settings: The pressure of the spray adjusts easily, thanks to the one-hand button mechanism. Use the low setting for the face, ears and sensitive areas. The high setting is ideal for scrubbing areas where your pet’s coat is thicker.
- Quality materials: The scrubber tool is 100% FDA-grade silicone – strong enough for scrubbing thick fur, yet soft enough to be gentle on your pet’s sensitive areas.
- The Aquapaw Bathing Tool is the first wearable combination sprayer-scrubber that can be turned on and off by simply making a fist.
Dog Care Pet Fountain Giveaway (ended)
Open to USA
To celebrate a healthy life of pets, I would like to give away one self-cleaning water fountain for dogs or cats in your home. Enter to win a DOG CARE water fountain to enjoy all the benefits it can provide for your precious furry friends.
In comments below, share your ways about how to hydrate your dog or cat during different seasons. There’s always something to learn for all of us.
Sponsored by DOG CARE
157 thoughts on “Creative Ways of How to Hydrate Your Dog For Optimal Health”
It was really great to read this. in fact this is the first time I am reading something dog and enjoyed it. Nice writeup!!!
We leave water inside and outside, daily.
We provide lots of fresh water.
peaches is my baby. I always keep fresh water available for her.
I make sure there is a lot of fresh water available and change the water throughout the day.
I keep my dog hydrated in the summer by making sure her water dish is always full and by not letting her into the direct sun too much.
Philip,
Agree that pets can be overheated when spending too much time playing in the sun. Hydration plus cooling off are an optimal combo.
I try to give my pets cold water often.
We take our dog on lots of walks. We always bring a little collapsible dog bowl
I keep giving my dogs and cats fresh,clean water.Sometimes I’ll put water on my rabbit’s food.
Renee,
These are some awesome things you keep doing for your pups to keep hydrated. It doesn’t take a lot of effort – just the effort of adding clean fresh water for our pets.
We keep multiple bowls of water around the house and replenish and keep it fresh often.
We make sure his water bowl is constantly filled up.
I have bowls in two rooms and on top of that one of my cats likes to drink out of a “special” emtpy cat food can on the counter in my bath (meaning I fill that can with fresh water for just him)
Dana,
Really nice ensemble of water distribution!
And I do like the kitty-only water bowl.
We take our dog on lots of walks. We always bring a little collapsible dog bowl and some water to fill it with. She gets a water break and rest on our walks.
We make sure the cat’s bowl is filled. We also clean it every day.
So important to keep your cat hydrated. We notice our cat wasn’t drinking and we put out a separate glass of water for her to drink out of and she loved it. But a water fountain would be ideal for her. She would an ice cube in it too.
Heather,
It would be great to have a water fountain to entice her to drink more.
My dog quickly returns inside when it’s too hot. I gotta try the pupsicles and see if he likes it.
Jan,
The pupsicles are awesome!
I give my dogs about 2 pupsicles with peanut butter a day. And then, I have water ice cubes for the rest of the time. They like to play with them.
I have a cat fountain for the cats and a dog fountain for the dogs.
I freeze ice bowls and set out for our dogs.
my kitties are indoor kitties with Central air so luckily the heat is not an issue but they do love their water
I keep water bowls in shady areas in the yard and a big one in the house
Our kittehs are in the house all the time and we just keep their water dish filled up for them. Thanks and God bless!
we have a large water bottle over their water dish, so it a self water dish.
I give my dog ice and plenty of fresh water.
I keep water dishes throughout the house and sometime add ice cubes in it.
Lots of water and my cat loves ice.
Shannon,
This is so unique that your kitty adores ice!
We have three bowls of water in the house, I sometimes give them ice chips. I love the idea of pup popsicle, looking forward to try that later this week.
Robin,
Try the popcicles!
One more quick recipe: add a small treat into the water and freeze the ice cubes. Dogs love them.
All three of us in the family will check their water dishes throughout the day and refill… three dishes for three cats. We give them a complete cleaning every morning an add an ice cube or two on very hot days.
Tonya,
You are an amazing Momma!
I make sure my fur babies have plenty of clean water
This is essential and really helps with hydration for pets. Changing water during the day also can drastically reduce dehydration in our animals, especially in summer time.
I love this idea, my dogs would love it.
Heather,
Glad to hear your pups would enjoy this fountain.
Lots of water and a nice cool house.
Kyona,
It is a great addition: a cool environment for a pet.
We provide plenty of fresh water. I’ve been wanting to get a fountain to provider access to fresher water
I leave extra bowls laying around.
B.J., and those bowls are full of water, yes?
We have a cat. We have a bowl of water upstairs and downstairs.
They are all pretty good on their own staying hydrated. I keep multiple bowls of fresh, cold water around. When we go out- I bring water and a bowl with us.
My pup likes ice added to his water.
My pug does not do well in the heat, so we keep him inside most of the time and make sure to keep his water bowl full.
I always bring her dog water bottle with when we go anywhere.
I have clean water bowls in every room. My two pups partake of water often from a variety of sources. They seem to enjoy the convenience. 🙂 Thank you.
I put ice cubes in their water and they like playing in their plastic pool or bathtub when it’s hot.
I am not a dog parent but I am sharing it with my neighbours. This is really an exhaustive list and Austin is right now under major heatwave for this week! Thanks for sharing.
I have an older pet fountain but it is such a pain in the you-know-what to take apart to clean. I’d much prefer to have this one! It’s good for cats with kidney problems like mine.
Carolsue,
This fountain featured in the post above is a real game-changer.
I run it non-stop for a week, just adding water to it by pouring into a bowl.
And at the end of the week, I rinse off the inside-ourside parts.
It is easy to twist it open and rinse.
Faith likes ice cubes in her water. Thank you
I always have water for her. She also has a small pool she can get in when she’s outside.
I put ice cubes in their water dish.
they like to stay in the cool house
We have a pet fountain in the living room for our cats
I always keep a bowl of fresh water out for my dog and cat and I keep a water bowl in my car for when I take my dog to the park.
I always had a kiddie pool filled with water for her to get into when she was hot and always water dished filled and kept in the shade.
I have many water bowls available to my doggies and check them several times through the day.
I give them ice chips and sometimes make them popsicles
Crystal,
It’s all about little things like ice cubes and plenty of fresh water. The pups will hydrate once they know the water is clean and cool.
I buy my babies frozen puppy treats and set out a swimming pool in the shade for them to cool off in! 🙂
Merysa,
You are a good mama to your puppy.
Those frozen treats are really liked by my dogs. They go bonkers about them. Can’t get them enough.
That is why I began making my own dog pupsicles.
We keep him inside in the air conditioning. And leaveva full water bowl out always.
Kacee,
He is totally appreciative of that for sure!
I always make sure he has plenty of fresh cold water.
I am so much concerned with my dogs now that I used to be. Taking care of them and staying them hydrated is really important.
Don’t get overwhelmed! The dogs are smart and most of the time do get to the water on time.
Just make sure that water is available at all times and get refreshed frequently during hot times of the year.
I freeze stainless steel bowls half full of water, then add a bit of water to give to Casey twice a day. Also, I freeze a couple of his favorite little treats in ice cube trays. This way, I am sure he gets hydrated while getting to his treats! Casey also likes it when I give him a plain ice cube. He chases it around the kitchen floor like a toy! It is only water and he has so much fun with it! Thanks for the awesome giveaway opportunity and stay safe!
Pauline,
Thank you for sharing these creative ways to add more water options to the hydration of the pets at home.
I will include your first tip into the post and credit it to you.
I try to make sure their water dishes have water throughout the day.
I keep my dogs hydrated in the summer by having water bowls all over the house.
Molly,
Great Mom to your furry friends you are!
keep her water bowl full and bring her out early morning and after dark
Ken,
Clean water and keeping the bowl full is one of the most helpful things to entice our pets to drink more. They know when water is fresh.
l keep bowl full of water
They like to chew on ice cubes
I provide several bowls of water inside and outside the house.
Leave out multiple water bowls around the house
I have several water bowls for my cat and refill them several times each day.
Cynthia,
Cats are such special creatures.
My three Cornish Rexes passed away one-by-one last year, and they adored running water. I had smaller water fountains in different rooms where they liked to dwell. One of the kitties always checked out the tub in the shower if there’s any dripping water.
I put ice in their water
I always have water ready for her to drink!
I always carry a water dish with me wherever we go!
I make sure my pets have plenty if fresh water inside and outside if we are in our yard. I have a doggy water bottle that has a little bowl for water on the go,
Melissa,
This is usually what our pets need: plenty of water and attention from their parents.
I have a collapsible water bowl for walks, as my dogs really get thirsty.
I love these pet water fountains! One of the things I have always done, though, is to have water bowls in several areas outside and inside so it was always easily accessible.
Marie,
That’s what I do as well. But what I notice is that one of my pups follows the other and copies what she does.
Right now, they are very fond of a new water fountain which is a giveaway prize.
It’s a quality product, that is why I decided to share this giveaway with my readers.
My girls stay inside with fresh water all the time.
Linda,
What pets do you have?
I just make sure their water bowl is always full and make sure they look good. 🙂
Stephanie,
This is usually all we need to do: be attentive to our pets and notice any changes in their behavior.
We have four different water bowls in our apartment. I change them out at least once a day but more often if it is running low on water or if it is dirty from my cats sticking their paw in there.
Lisa,
I find that having more than one water bowl is tremendously helpful. Especially, if there are more than one pet in the home.
My dog loves ice cubes sometimes when it’s especially hot.
Both of our furbabies stay inside most of the time. When they do get hot, they love having ice from the ice maker!
Kaycee,
Some animals are so content with the water, but others do like to receive ice cubes. Mine fall into the latter category.
I make sure the water is fresh daily and sometimes add ice cubes.
Kristen,
These are usually the things that keep a pet well-hydrated.
To keep my cat hydrated I offer fresh water daily. I also offer him soft food along with his hard food.
Heidi,
These are precious things within your routine to hydrate your kitty.
Oh wow it sounds quite interesting and amazing read..glad you shared this blog post with us..great work though..
Reminders are useful for anyone of us, no matter what kind of reminders they are.
I don’t have dog but these are great tips to those who own dogs at their house like my cousin. I will let her know these things, thank you!
Gervin,
These reminders work for any pet owner. Water is one of the key elements that can be easily underestimated.
Wow really helpful, my dog is an outdoor dog . And this gives me more ideas.
Dogs love to play with the water hoses. Mine go bonkers about it.
This blog post is highly helpful for pet owners and how to hydrate pet dogs! i’ll share with my friends who have pets at home.
I have a pet dog and these tips are really helpful for keeping track of your dog’s daily dose of hydration! Thanks for sharing these with us, I’ll be sure to keep them in mind!
You’re so welcome, my friend.
Dehydration can happen at any time of the year. But summers are the most prominent in this occurrence.
I don’t have any dogs but I’ll keep this in mind when I get one. Thanks for sharing!
These are really awesome tips!! Thanks for the popsicle recipes! My dog will surely love that!
Toni,
You’re welcome. The pupsicles are some of the best ways to entice pups to hydrate more.
My dogs are pretty good about staying hydrated. Last week one of my furkids was sick and thankfully I had some wet food on hand that I added a bit of water too, which helped to keep her hydration up. Thankfully she’s back to her normal self this week.
Krysten,
I agree that dehydration can happen so quickly. I am glad your puppy is back on track.
I didn’t know that this was possible. We just give a big bowl of water to our dog twice a day.
Kathy,
Changing your pet’s water bowls twice a day really works. You give fresh water and it really entices a pet to drink more of it.
we change the water in the waterbowl frequently and my wife makes frozen treats for the pups.
Daniel,
These are some of the best ways to ensure your pets are adequately hydrated.
This was extremely helpful! I will be more educated when I’m looking for signs of a dehydrated dog! Thanks for sharing!
Kileen,
Glad it could be of help to you!
My cat has multiple bowls but prefers to drink from the bathroom faucet.
I never thought about making doggy popsicles. I think my Rott would love those. It would help keep her occupied too when she’s antsy.
Monica,
Your pup would really adore the pupsicles!
They are easy to make and good for dogs, too.
I fill my dog’s bowl constantly. She loves to paw at it and play with it, so I have to make sure its filled a lot. I also fill up her kiddie pool. Its for her to play in and keep cool, but sometimes she will drink out of it.
I just make sure the bowls are full of fresh water every day.
We keep fresh water out for our little man.
Our dog loves ice cubes so he’s sure to love dog popsicles. I don’t know why I haven’t made them before. I really want to try the self cleaning water fountain.
I add ice cubes to our kitties water ,inside and out
Stacey,
This is really helpful.
Inside the house, I add a few ice cubes to get the water cooled down a bit. Outside, it is almost impossible to keep it cool for some time. So, I just bring her fresh water with ice cubes.
These are great ways to make sure dogs stay hydrated. I love the different bowls that you showed.
Tara,
Dogs are especially fun to watch when they try to explore the water fountains. My dogs love the one I am giving away.
The cats really like the one with the flower waterfall.
All of my pets adore falling, flowing water.
I have no tips
I freeze broth balls and give it to them on hot days!
Lyvona,
This is awesome! I need to do a few broth-rich pupsicles for my furry friends.
no tips
I like to go running with my dog and I always bring a collapsible bowl so that he keeps hydrated!
Natalie,
This is so essential.
I have a regular water bottle with water and a small collapsible bowl when we go for a run or a longer walk with her.
My dog likes to play with the hose, so I spray him all the time!
Nicole,
My dog is crazy about the water hose!
I cannot water any of my plants outside when she’s out. But when I am done, I play with her and allow her to chase a water pouring out of the hose.
I fill a small plastic pool with water every morning for my dog, so when she’s outside she has a large water source. Even though we don’t leave her outside for any real length of time, it really helps her hydrated when she’s moving!
Victoria,
This pool ideas is marvelous! One of our dogs is afraid of water in the pool, and the other jumps into the pool all the time.
My kids began water training of the one who is terrified of water.
My dog likes to eat ice! I don’t know if that counts as a tip… I like the popsicle idea!
Yes, it does count as an idea!
Many dogs adore ice-cream and pupsicles.
I used to buy a special pet ice-cream, but now I make the dog popsicles myself.
I usually just change my dogs water bowl frequently. These tips are really helpful. Thank you
I make up a mixture of water and fruit water flavoring together and pour it into ice trays and put them into the freezer and after they have frozen I give them to my dogs on hot days such as the ones that we have been having for the past two months now over one hundred everyday.
Robert,
I find that ice cubes really work!
I put some flavoring into the water before I freeze it. My dogs love these cubes.
No special tips. I have 3 cats and change their water twice a day. Sometimes I add ice cubes.
Dana,
Changing the water twice a day for cat will do it. It is really goo and allows your kitties to enjoy water more and hydrate more frequently.
I don’t have any tips.
Not really. Just make sure the bowl is always full.
Will,
This actually is a simple, yet important fact. Some forget to refill the bowl and never clean it.
I always put ice cubes in their water and I will hand feed them crush ice. I keep their water bowls with fresh ice cold water.
Cathy,
I like this idea of adding ice cubes to the water.