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    How Much Water Should My Pet Be Drinking?

    By Webvet | Pets – Mon, Feb 6, 2012 9:33 PM EST

    By Steve Dale for Webvet.com

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    How much water should my dog/cat drink a day?

    Well that depends on how thirsty your pet is. I don't mean to be sarcastic - but it's true, if your dog just came in from a jog, its different than if your dog just came in from another room.

    Also, just like us - if it's drier outside (think Minnesota winter) or, of course, if it's hot - pets will drink more.

    Also, what are you feeding your pet? If you're feeding moist food - then there's inherently a high water content in the food, so a cat, for example, on a moist food only diet, may require less water than cats on a diet of only kibble.

    Related: 8 Ways To Participate In Responsible Pet Owner Month

    In general, our cats probably don't drink enough. Here's what motivates cats to drink: Choices.

    Offer more than one water dish - even if you only have one pet. For sure, if you have several pets offer options, including one that is elevated. Cats sometimes aren't the best at sharing a slobbery water bowl used by dogs. Can you blame them?

    For lots of cats who might not be drinking enough, running water seems a great motivator - really fascinating. Water fountains for cats are found online, and at most pet stores.

    Related: Your Guide To Cat Health Vocabulary

    Anytime you note a change in the amount of water for whatever seems the norm for your pet, contact your veterinarian. Either drinking more or less water can be a sign of illness.

    Steve Dale is a pet expert and certified dog and cat behavior consultant. His new books,Good Dog! and Good Cat! are available for purchase here.

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    4 comments

    • tanya
      tanya  •  Dallas, Texas  •  3 months ago
      what a useless article it tells you nothing
    • Anita
      Anita  •  Vancouver, Washington  •  3 months ago
      I agree this gives very little information. How much on average should they drink a day. I keep water down all the time for my dog. Right or wrong?
      • Dawn E
        Dawn E 3 months ago
        Your dog should have access to water whenever he or she wants it. The only exception to this would be either an animal that is going in for surgery (such as neutering) or one like my boyfriend's dog who will drink until he makes himself sick. Otherwise both dogs and cats are fairly self regulating and just like you will get a drink when they are thirsty as long as they are healthy.
    • Waymon
      Waymon  •  Dallas, Texas  •  3 months ago
      Worthless article, at least for dogs....my dogs drink a lot of water. I keep water bowls for them in the yard and in the garden. They like to bark and chase squirrels around and are always ready for a drink.
    • ty
      ty  •  New York, New York  •  3 months ago
      are U FING kidding, DRINK THIS,thanks for the waste of time
     Post a comment

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