How do I know if my dog ​​is getting enough hydration during the hot, dry months? (And can that lead to less hair loss and a healthier senior dog?)

Do you know if your lab is getting enough humidity? Here in this drought-ridden country this summer, it’s all on our minds. Most pets don’t get enough fluids, and just giving them a bowl of water to drink doesn’t solve the problem. The bodies of dogs and cats contain 65% humidity, and unlike us, they are designed to get their moisture from their food – not just their drinking water. They need 70% moisture in their FOOD to keep them hydrated all day, through the digestive system, despite the intake of water from a bowl of water.

As with humans, water forms the basis of many functions in your pet’s body, aiding in the absorption of nutrients from their food. Water is also essential for circulation, joint and spinal cord padding, waste removal, and much more. When your pet doesn’t get enough fluids, dehydration stresses their kidneys, eventually leading to kidney disease and even kidney failure. Often this is what kills your beloved elderly pet – they lose their mobility (their joints stiffen), then they stop getting up to drink and eventually die of organ failure (usually the kidneys or liver first) caused by dehydration. I can’t tell you HOW OFTEN this happens!!! It’s so sad !

A raw dog food is a natural way to provide your pet with truly enhanced hydration. with each bowl.

The croquettes only provide between 6-10% moisture that animals need in their diet. When a pet is fed only kibble, they are probably not getting enough moisture to be healthy, even if they have a bowl of water left. A better solution is to provide a diet that already includes moisture, such as a raw diet, which mimics the prey that your pet’s ancestors consumed for both food and liquids. Especially during the hot summer months and ESPECIALLY in dry climates like the Southwest, Midwest and South.

4 PRIME WAYS TO ADD MOISTURE TO YOUR PET’S DIET:

1. Frozen formulas. formulas include moisture. For example, BARF World patties) contain 70% humidity, making it a great option for adding necessary liquids to your pet’s diet. Discover more canine and feline Raw frozen formulas for other meal options with lots of moisture.
2. raw goat milk. That’s everything kibble isn’t. Known as universal milk, goat’s milk is readily absorbed by a variety of mammals. It not only adds great moisture to kibble (make a pet cereal!) or a Freeze-dried formulas, it also contains vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, enzymes, proteins, bioavailable nutrients and fatty acids that contribute to the optimal health of your animal. Raw goat’s milk is 79% humidity.
3. Bone broth. Add much-needed moisture to kibble, canned food, dehydrated, freeze-dried and raw foods with nutritious and delicious bone broth. With key benefits such as digestion and liver support, joint health, appetite stimulation, and more, bone broth supplementation is an easy way to keep your pet hydrated and healthy. Primal Bone Broth is a huge 98% humidity.
4. Add room temperature or warm (not hot, or you could cook raw food) water to kibble or our freeze-dried formulas to soften foods and add liquid to their diet. Be sure to continue to leave water for your pet to drink between meals.

***Whatever the reason, pre-moistening your dog’s dry food can make it easier to eat and more palatable. Softening food can be as simple as adding water or other tastier liquids.

What if your pet doesn’t like wet food? Start by crumble some freeze-dried formula into a bowl. Serve it dry first, then slowly rehydrate as directed on the back of the package. Over time, as you add a little more water to each meal, you may be able to get your pet used to consuming rehydrated food.

Soaking foods softens them and thus eases the initial workload of digestive enzymes which may well be struggling during illness or a recovery period..

By feeding your pet a diet that provides the moisture it needs, you will protect its kidneys, tissues and many other systems for a long and healthy life, as any good “parent” should do. Not only that, all that hydration will be PREVENT LOSS AND CREATE A LUXURIOUS AND SHINY COAT!!! Good hydration!

****As a guideline, a dog’s normal water intake is approximately one ounce per pound (50ml per kg) of body weight per day. This means that a 65 pound (30 kg) Labrador would drink approximately half a gallon (1.5 liters) of water per day.