Adult Dogs – Nutrition & Health
Why Is Water So Important
As we are a Pet Drink Company let’s first talk about the value and necessity of good nutritional water and an adequate daily intake.
Why Does My Dog Drink a Lot of Water?
A balanced diet is not the only necessary part of keeping your dog healthy. Water for drinking is also a very important part of your dog’s daily requirements and overall nutrition. Water is the main component of healthy, living cells of the body. Without water, your dog’s body will not be able to function properly. More specifically, your dog will dehydrate. In order for your dog to get enough water daily, you need to provide water along with a healthy, balanced diet (which also provides some moisture).
The six basic nutrients are:
Water, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins. These essential nutrients are required as part of the dog’s regular diet and are involved in all of the basic functions of the body.
A complete and balanced diet is essential to maintain your pet in good health. He needs fresh water, protein, fats, minerals, vitamins and carbohydrates. Water is by far the most important nutrition your pet requires. … Protein is a very important part of your pets’ diet, as it is the building blocks for life.
WHAT DOES WATER DO FOR DOGS?
The purpose of water is to carry and move important nutrients into and out of the cells of the body. It aids in the digestion of food and helps the body to absorb the nutrients. Water also serves to cool the body down and works to maintain a normal body temperature.
Water lubricates and cushions joints and makes movement easier. The spinal cord and other internal tissues are also cushioned by moisture and wastes are removed from the body through urination and bowel movements.
Basically every important body function requires water and without adequate supply, your dog can become ill quickly and become dehydrated. Organs will eventually become damaged with sustained water deficiency. If the deficiency lasts long enough, organs (such as kidneys, liver, etc.) will begin to shut down. Death will follow shortly after.
The main purpose of water is to transfer important nutrients in and out of the body’s cells. It helps digest food and absorb nutrients. … A healthy dog should drink about 40 ml of water per kilogram of its body weight per day.
Providing Adequate Water to Dogs
Keep your dog’s bowl filled at all times and always refill with fresh, clean water daily. As a rule of thumb, dogs should drink approximately one ounce of water per pound of body weight each day. There are many factors that can affect how much your dog will drink, however.
How much water should a dog drink daily? How much and how carefully you have to monitor him depends on several factors:
Size: On the average, a healthy Adult Dog drinks about 1/2 to 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight per day.
Food: A healthy diet is as important as water and the type of food your dog eats affects his water intake. Dogs that eat only dry food will need a little more water than those that eat canned. Also, avoid ingredients that can artificially increase your dog’s thirst such as sodium.
So, how much is too much – or too little?
Most Adult Dogs need about an ounce of fluids per pound of body weight per day, so a 10-pound dog needs a bit over a cup of clean water daily. Really active or lactating dogs may need more and puppies generally drink more than adult dogs. If your dog drinks a lot more than that, it may signal a health problem.
It all depends on his activity level, size, age and the weather, but in general, an average dog needs to drink between 8.5 to 17 ounces of water per 10 pounds (55 to 110 milliliters per kilogram) per day.
Adult Dog Feeding Mistakes: Offering Too Little Water
Clearly water is vital, for cats as well as people. Essential to life, water accounts for 60% to 70% of an adult dog’s body weight, say ASPCA experts. A serious water deficiency can have critical repercussions for pets, causing serious illness or death.
Although wet foods can go far toward meeting your feline friend’s water needs, cats should also have several sources of fresh water available through the house, say the pros. Pay attention to where the dog likes to be so that there’s water there. And be aware that some Adult Dogs prefer running water; but most can detect the taste of chlorine in tap water so you might want to buy bottled water for them.
Exercise:
Bring water along on any exercise excursion with your dog. The bottles that have the drop down cup work well. After exercise, give your dog Pet C Cola ice cubes to start and then just a little water at a time to prevent bloat.
Weather: Summer means more panting which means an increase in water intake.
Keep your dog’s bowl in the shade whenever possible.
Freeze a water bottle and place it in your cat’s bowl. …
Get your dog a clay or ceramic water bowl. …
Purchase a cooling pet bowl.
Weather:
Summer means more panting which means an increase in water intake.
Reverse Osmosis: The Best for Pets!
Reverse Osmosis is perfect for your pets. It contains trace minerals just like water in nature, without potentially harmful contaminants that can make their way into your ground water.
SIGNS OF DEHYDRATION IN DOGS
In general, a healthy dog will drink enough water daily to stay well hydrated, but there are a few instances where dehydration can occur. Dogs suffering from illnesses like kidney disease, metabolic disorders (such as diabetes), cancer and pregnant/nursing animals are at risk of becoming dehydrated more readily.
To check your dog for dehydration, pick up a fold of loose skin over the top of the shoulder blades, pull it up gently and release it. Watch for the skin to fall back into place. Under normal circumstances, the skin should quickly return to place without any hesitation. If dehydration is present, the skin will slowly return or may even stay up for a time before falling back into place.
Another place to look for dehydration is in a dog’s mouth. If the gums appear dry, sticky or pale, this is a sign of illness and dehydration. Dehydrated pets will also have dry, sunken eye balls and a dry nose and mouth.
Can dogs drink tea or coffee?
We don’t recommend you give your dog tea, coffee or any other caffeinated drink. Caffeine can be toxic to dogs and even the smallest amount can give them caffeine poisoning. Dogs are much smaller than us and what might seem like a small serving of tea or coffee could be big enough to cause serious health problems.
Can dogs drink alcohol?
Some people think it’s okay or even funny to give their dog a sip of beer, wine or other alcohol. But alcohol is toxic for dogs and shouldn’t be given to them under any circumstances.
Adult Dog Feeding Mistakes: Creating Nutrient Deficiencies
The interest in homemade food for Adult Dogs is on the rise, say the pros. It is important to realize however that homemade does not always mean healthy.
A mistake that we often see well-meaning people make is the feeding of unbalanced homemade diets.
That’s because when making cat food from scratch, some people fail to balance the meat with the correct amount of calcium, forgetting “that an adult dog would be eating both the meat and bones which provides a proper calcium-to-phosphorus ratio.”
A dog’s diet too heavy in tuna, liver, or liver oil (such as cod liver oil), can lead to vitamin A toxicosis, resulting in bone and joint pain, brittle bones, and dry skin. A diet too rich in raw fish can destroy vitamin B1, causing muscle weakness, seizures, or brain damage. If a dog caregiver wishes to make their pet’s food, they need to follow a properly balanced recipe.
Wet dog food has a high appeal to many dogs, and they’ll identify a favorite quickly.
The most popular are Red Meat, Chicken, Seafood, Cheddar Cheese, Salmon, Green Beans, Peanut Butter, Liver.
ADULT DOG VITAMINS
Animals’ bodies need vitamins for growth and maintenance. You are probably familiar with most of the vitamins human and animal bodies need on a daily basis:
Vitamin A. B vitamins (biotin, folate, niacin, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, thiamine, vitamin B-6, and vitamin B-12). Vitamin A, B vitamins (biotin, folate, niacin, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, thiamine, vitamin B-6, and vitamin B-12)
Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Choline, Glucosamine HCL: 200 mg, MSM (OptiMSM): 100 mg, Cod Liver Oil: 100 mg, Omega 3, Enzyme Blend: 90 mg, Total Microbial Count: 500 million CFU, Chondroitin Sulfate: 75 mg,Vitamin A: 3,501 IU, Vitamin D3: 234 IU, Vitamin E (D-Alpha Tocopherol): 7.65 IU, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid): 20 mg, Niacin: 18 mg, Coenzyme Q10 (Kaneka Q10): 10 mg, Vitamin B1 (Thaimine): 2 mg, Pantothenic Acid: 1 mg, Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine): 1 mg, Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): 1 mg, Manganese: 60 mcg, Folic Acid: 210 mcg, Biotin: 20 mcg, Vitamin B-12: 5 mcg, Chicken Meal, Coconut Glycerin, Flaxseed Meal, Natural Chicken Flavoring, Oat Flour, Palm Fruit Oil, Powdered Cellulose (Coating Only), Pumpkin, Rice Flour, Sorbic Acid (Natural Preservative), Sunflower Lecithin. These are all supplied by Pet C Cola every day.
ADULT DOG MINERALS
These are essential to the Adult Dog also on a daily basis and are involved in almost all physiological reactions. They contribute to enzyme formation, pH balance, nutrient utilization, and oxygen transportation and are stored in bone and muscle tissue. Biological availability may vary widely depending on the source of the nutrient. Elemental minerals are generally taken from the earth or water; chelated minerals are those that are bound with other organic substances, often making them easier for the body to absorb. Pet C Cola supplies all of these.
Minerals include calcium, chloride, chromium, cobalt, copper, fluorine, iodine, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, phosphorous, potassium, selenium, silicon, sodium, sulfur, and zinc. Minerals, like vitamins, work synergistically, with a cooperative action between them.
Medications:
Check with your vet to see if you need to decrease or increase your dog’s water intake while taking a medication.
If you are concerned that your dog is not getting enough water to maintain health, talk to your veterinarian for advice. Maintaining proper hydration is too important to your dog’s health to ignore.