We all know how crucial it is to stay hydrated during hot summer days, but not everyone realizes this includes our four-legged friends as well. Learn more about how important it is for pets to stay hydrated in the heat.

During hot Kansas City summers, keeping our pets hydrated is critical to prevent sickness and promote good health. While we tend to make concerted efforts to drink enough ourselves, throughout the summer pets may not instinctively drink as much as they should.

Dehydrated animals can become irritated and aggressive, which can begin a cycle of drinking even less. Dehydration can also result in bowel and digestive issues and cause extreme lethargy and a lack of appetite.

While the human body is normally between 60-70% water, our pet’s bodies are as much as 80% water! As a general rule of thumb, dogs should drink one ounce of water per pound of body weight every day and cats should drink 3.5-4.5 ounces of water per every 5 pounds of body weight.

Unfortunately, it can be difficult to know when our pets need water, especially since dehydration can cause pets to grow disinterested in eating and drinking! Common signs of dehydration include lethargy and a lack of engagement with their surroundings, possibly combined with agitated gestures such as excessive panting, restlessness, or distressed vocalizations. Other signs that you can check for include dry gums and mucous membranes such as eyelids, sunken facial contours, and decreased skin elasticity.

Much of the time when pets aren’t drinking enough is due to water not being accessible. The easiest way to make sure our four-legged friends are drinking enough is to make sure there is always clean, visible drinking water available. Keeping the water clean is important. Many consider water filters a requirement for human drinking water. It’s no wonder that clean, filtered water is also more appealing to our pets! Consider whole home water solutions to make sure every member of your household has clean water always available.

During the summer, pets are also likely to get caught up in the fun and get distracted enough to fall short of their optimal water intake. Pets in summer will be set up for success when we provide them with easy access to clean water at all times, but pet hydration itself isn’t all we should focus on.

In order to combat overheating, it’s important for us to bring our pets indoors and out of the heat for regular resting periods. Incidentally, this is also a prime opportunity to let them drink without distraction. Other ways to boost pet safety, include letting them jump into the pool, lake, or bathtub to cool off.

As we sit back and enjoy the summer, it’s important for us to consider heat and dehydration risks for our pets. Most importantly, make sure you provide your pets with constant access to clean water!

At Culligan Water of Kansas City we don’t drink poor-quality water and we don’t expect our pets to either! Call us today to find out about the water solutions we can offer you and your furry friends.