You probably already know how important drinking water for your pet is (just like for you). Adequate hydration is crucial in maintaining proper blood circulation and the health of their organs and tissues – especially the heart, brain, kidneys and intestines. Read my post about pet water fountains for your cat and dog.
Pets don’t really know how much they should drink, so usually they drink as much as we give them or even less. Because you should know better, here are some tips on how to make your pet drink more water.
1. Place more than one water bowls for your pet around the house, probably 3-4. A good tip to follow is to place one bowl in each room (plus the back yard). This way your pet can always be close to drinking water and won’t need to walk long distances in order to hydrate.
2. Think of what’s more accessible for your pet. If you have a big and old dog, you might try to place the bowls a bit higher and make them more accessible for your pet. Vets say that the best height for dogs and cats is placing the bowl above the level of their wrists, but below the elbow. This way, your pet will get less stress on the muscles and ligaments, because your pet’s head remains at a normal, natural level without the need to stretch.
3. Add some extra water into your pet’s food or opt for wet canned food instead of dry. If your pet is not drinking enough water, make sure it gets hydrated by adding some to their diet. Wet canned food is a better choice for this purpose, since it contains much more moisture (70-80%) than the dry option that has only 10%.
4. Make the water tasty by adding some pet safe flavour, like chicken broth or bone broth. This will make your dog enjoy the water more.
5. Change the water often. Make sure your pet has fresh water at all times, no pet enjoys drinking old, warm water. When changing the water, make sure you wash the bowl, too, in order to keep it constantly clean.
6. In summer, try ice cubes. Pets love them and they’re definitely not harmful. They are a great refreshing summer treat, and you can also add some extra petsafe flavour like chicken broth to make them even nicer.
7. Take a bottle with water when you go out for walks. In the hot summer days, make sure you add some ice cubes in order to keep it fresh and cold. You can use any kind of bottles, there are a million options out there nowadays.
8. If you live in a house with a yard – get a pet fountain. Pets love playing with them, they’re super fun for your pet and keep them hydrated at the same time.
