Water is the most important element in your dog’s diet. It has a hydrating and cleansing effect and protects the pooch from overheating. Instead of water, you can give your dog juices, but only those freshly squeezed or made by yourself, and herbal teas. Occasionally, the dog may receive milk.
What will you learn from this article:
- water is the most important part of a dog’s diet
- if the quality of the tap water is satisfactory, feel free to give it to your dog
- occasionally, the dog may drink juices or herbal teas instead of water
What a dog can drink
What is your favourite drink? In my case, it’s definitely orange juice. However, have you ever wondered what your four-legged friend likes to drink the most? I admit that for a very long time, I didn’t even think that my pooch might want to drink something other than plain water.
I began to wonder what exactly my pooch might be drinking, if not just water. You surely know that a large part of what we eat every day is not recommended for our pets. Is it the same with drinks?
So, what can a dog drink besides water? Of course, at the beggining, I excluded all kinds of products with alcohol, as well as coffee. I decided to get more interested in this topic and today I want to share with you what I have learned.
Why the dog should drink water
First, I want to focus on why it is so important for your four-legged friend to drink water. Water is the basis for the functioning of the body for both humans and dogs.
We can safely say that among our needs, drinking water is ranked higher than eating. The body is able to function much longer without food than with drinking.
Water has a very positive effect on your pooch. It has many advantages that you may not even realize before.
– water helps the dog to digest
By drinking water in the stomach of your pet, digestive processes take place much easier. That is why it is so important that your dog has constant access to a bowl of clean water during his meal. I pay special attention to this when buying a bowl for my dog. I always choose a model with space for two bowls. One is for food and the other is for water.
My pet uses the DUO bowl from Bowl & Bone Republic on a daily basis. What is extremely important to me is the fact that it has removable inserts. Thanks to this, their thorough and hygienic cleaning is easy and can be done without damaging the wooden frame.
– water removes toxins from the pet’s body
The water in your dog’s diet helps to remove toxins and harmful substances from his body. This is very important because your pooch’s body cannot deal with them internally. Their removal from the body is the basis of the processes inside the dog’s body.
– water protects the dog from overheating
As you’ve probably noticed many times, your canine cools his body by sticking his tongue out and gasping. At the same time, this behaviour causes his body to lose water.
This is why it is so important that your dog always has access to cool, clean water during very high temperatures. On such days, water has a thermoregulatory function for your pet.
Dog bowl |DUO amber
What water to give your dog
Surely you’ve been wondering what water is best to give your dog. Will tap water, bottled or filtered water be your best choice? Alone from your daily life, you certainly know very well that one water is completely unevenly matched by the other. We can even feel the difference in taste.
The type of water you drink is also important for your pet. His body isn’t much stronger than ours. Therefore, not all water will be suitable and good for his health.
The water you give your dog should be clean first of all. That’s why it’s so important to change the water in your dog’s bowl regularly. It should not stand for more than a day.
I have made a habit of changing my pet’s water every time I give him food. Thanks to this, I can be sure that my dog always has clean water in his bowl.
Water for the dog from the tap or a bottle
What water is best to give your dog? I live in the centre of a very big city. The water that flows in my tap is fine, but unfortunately, it has quite a lot of stone in it. That is why I use a jug with a filter cartridge daily.
My pooch gets filtered water from me, just like I drink it myself. This is a key principle for me. I give my four-legged friend only water that I would drink myself.
If the tap water is fine where you live, you can give it to your dog. My family home is right next to the forest in a very small town. We always drink tap water there. When I have the opportunity to stay with my pet in the family home, I always give him water straight from the tap.
However, when I’m in a place where I’m not sure about the quality of tap water, I give my dog bottled water. The condition of the water can have a huge impact on your dog’s health. Especially if he is very sensitive. Therefore, I believe that you shouldn’t take any chances.
However, on a daily basis, I do not think there is a need to give your dog special bottled water if you do not drink it yourself.
What the dog can drink besides water
You already know how important water is in your dog’s life and which one to choose so that it has the best effect on his health. So it’s time to think about what your four-legged friend can drink in addition to water.
– the dog can drink the juice
Your dog can drink juices, but juices that are freshly squeezed or made by yourself. Typical store juices will be way too sweet for your dog.
Serving your pooch juices of fruits and vegetables is a great solution when your pet lacks vitamins in his diet. This is a very good way to sneak them into his daily menu.
– tea for the dog
Classic tea will not hurt your dog. However, it contains theine in its composition, which has a stimulating effect and in too much can have a negative effect on the dog’s body.
Therefore, it is much better to give your dog herbal teas, such as chamomile. However, before giving your pet the herbs to drink, make sure that they are suitable for your pooch.
– the dog can drink milk as well
Some dogs are very fond of the milk taste. However, keep in mind that cow’s milk can be difficult for your pet to digest. You can give them to him, albeit more in the form of a treat, i.e. once in a while.
If possible, choose lactose-free or goat’s milk. It will be a better alternative to cow’s milk.
Water is the best choice for a dog
What can a dog drink in addition to water? Definitelly water is the best choice for your pet. This is what your dog should be drinking the most. The remaining drinks should only be an addition to the main fluid the – water.
My dog really likes to drink the fruit and vegetable juice that I prepare for him. His favourite combination is apple and carrot. But I noticed that he can’t drink too much juice. He can sense when he’s fed up and doesn’t want to drink anymore.
Water is a permanent element for him. He’s always happy to go to his bowl, especially when he wants to quench his thirst.
If you have any questions for me, want me to bring up a topic in the next post, be sure to share your idea with me in the comments section.
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