The Most Neglected Canine Nutrient..

[tigerlily46514]

It's summertime and our dogs need water. We should try our best to provide freshly refilled water, at all times, for our dogs....even if we take our dogs on an outing, we should bring along water.

Dogs can not sweat, and when they pant to cool off, they lose tons of body fluids panting. A well hydrated dog is less likely overheat as fast, and will just feel better . Who can stand being thirsty??

Keeping dogs well hydrated is healthy for dogs, in many ways, all year round, and makes a healthy kidney's job easier, water is vital for every part of the dog, inside and out.

HERE IS A GRRRREAT ARTICLE on "Water, the most neglected canine nutrient"
http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/canine-nutrition/water-most-neglected-canine-nutrient/
from the article:

//"
For example, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve taken my family to the beach on a hot day…
only to watch (in disbelief) as a dog pants in thirst… while her owner sits under an umbrella… sipping a cold drink!

Or that far more common habit of supplying water that’s been allowed to become dangerously polluted with germs from the dog’s own mouth."//
~~~~~~~~~

Anyway, here is thread,
~ to alert dog owners
of the need for fresh water for their beloved dogs, at all times, no matter where you are, on a beach, visiting pals, on long hikes, the upstairs at your house, out in the yard, in your garage, at the park,<---wherever your dog is going to be,
there should be a bowl of fresh water there.



~as well as a place to link ideas, products, tips, etc, to keep your dog hydrated.

 

[tigerlily46514]

In related idea, here is thread on keeping dogs cool:
http://www.dogtrickacademy.com/members/forums/threads/hot-dogs-keeping-dogs-cool-in-the-summer.3104/#post-21846

^that thread also has some clever ice-cube recipes, ice cube tricks, etc. which i'll try to link here.
A few ppl have recently posted some very clever ice cube recipes, if you see this, please link your thread in a reply here, cuz those ice cube recipes were great.

 

[tigerlily46514]

Here are some ideas on how to bring water along for your dog:

Keep bottles of water and a doggie bowl in all your cars at all times. Check before you leave that there are enough water bottles.
Regularly Clean the bowl you keep in the car.
~~~~
For hiking,
they have foldable water bowls,
like this:
(these come in many colors and some have clips to hang from your belt, or fit into a pocket.

 

[tigerlily46514]

some dog water bowls come with a "bowl" which fits nicely over the bottle, to save room, tons of types of these, and they can hang from your belt.

 

[tigerlily46514]

Bring your own bowl when you visit friends, and fill it up and make sure your dog knows where it is.

Show him a few times, each time you visit, in case he forgets or does not visit at that house very often to know where he should look for water there.

same for picnics, etc,
i show my dog multiple times, cuz he gets too excited and forgets where, amongst all these exciting people!! and great food!! and toys! --->where HIS WATER BOWL IS.

 

[tigerlily46514]

most dogs strongly prefer freshly poured water. THEY DO!

if you just fill up the bowl in the morning,
and let same old water sit there alllll day long,
it grows bacteria, and the dog is kinda turned off to "old" water.

so keep the water in your dog's bowl FRESH....we swap out our water every few hours, or at least, several times a day.

 

[tigerlily46514]

ON days i suspect my dog did not drink enough water,
i pour water into his meal, just a bit.

I always add meat to ever meal, so i put the meat in the bowl, pour water over it, swirl it around, so the water gets flavored, and then add the kibble, and feed the dog. My dog doesn't like his kibble mushy.

 

[Dogster]

I posted some good bwater bottles and bowls on another thread, here they are:

 

[tigerlily46514]

i keep some broth in my fridge all the time now, in hot weather.
I just boil up meat, skim off ALL fat,
and then store that liquid. covered, in the fridge, for a few days.
Guess you could freeze it, too.
guess you can cut the broth, half and half, with plain water, too.

I give Buddy a cup each day, he gobbles it down. I made mistake of filling up his entire water bowl with broth,
and Buddy drank entire bowlful, which i don't think is right, it freaked me right out,
so now, besides his plain water bowl, i also measure and set out just 1 cup of broth. (which disappears instantly) but i do think, my dog would drink entire gallon of broth, if i let him, so take care your dog doesn't drink TOO much broth!!!!!!!!

If you cool the broth, it's easy enough to skim off the fat with a spoon,
or they also sell measuring cups, which pour from the BOTTOM of the liquids in the cup, thus, avoiding the fat on top to get poured out.(IF you wait for fat to rise to top of liquid)


so there ya go, is a thought for any of you who live with dogs who are not good water drinkers.
try plain broth. (no salt, no fat, no spices, just plain ol water from meat boiling in it)

 

[tigerlily46514]

I have been making dog pop-sicles for Buddy.

I use most any plastic container,
and fill it with
broth (just from boiled meat, no salt, no spices, and fat is skimmed off)
or
water. Into soon-to-be-ice i drop in bits of meat, treats, too.

sometimes i make shallow pop-sicles,
sometimes bigger ones.
I just freeze this and, then usually pop the ice out of the form,
and give to Buddy, to help make sure he is getting fluids and to give something to do.

 

[tigerlily46514]

two people, both Caiti and Ariel, have great ideas,
for FLAVORED ICE CUBES, check this out: (SO CLEVER!!)

http://www.dogtrickacademy.com/members/forums/threads/flavoured-ice-cubes.5127/

and

http://www.dogtrickacademy.com/members/forums/threads/baby-food-ice-cubes.5151/


ICE is still fluid to a dog!! Lots of dogs would love either recipe there!

 

[Dlilly]

I use a frisbee as a water bowl! It easily fits in my bag, it's deep enough to
hold water, and I can dry it off by playing frisbee with Shiloh!

 

[Mr-Remington]

Keep bottles of water and a doggie bowl in all your cars at all times. Check before you leave that there are enough water bottles.

View attachment 1380

You want to be careful that you don't leave plastic water bottles in a hot car for a long time. I read somewhere that after a while the toxins from the plastic can contaminate the water. I leave a bowl in the car but take a frozen water bottle, and a cold bottle of water just for Remi. Because I'm confortable leaving water bottles in the car.

 

[Pawbla]

I have this cute portable bowl that I always take with me:

It is like the first one of these:

It's about the size of a small pencilcase.

And I always take water when we're going for something longer than just a 20 minute walk to the park!

 

[madeleine]

I must me honest. I don't always bring water for my dog along.
However....
This is during walks, where we'll walk past many watercreeks etc... And my dog always dives in there and she just prevers to drink that water rather than mine carried along water.

During matches we bring 2 bottles of water along. Drink they more than that we're always able to full it again.
And offcourse this also counts for the training. So, only on walks we don't carrie water along. instead there able to drink it out of creeks. I do have three of those "bowls" that fits nicely over the bottle (like tigerlily showed).
And if we drive in the care for many houres i buy a fress waterbottle for the doggies. Think that that will taste better than the bottle brought along..