Is your Dog Dehydrated?

One thing your mother always taught you about choosing fresh (dead) fish from the market is to check its elasticity. By that you put finger pressure on its texture. If it bounces up easily and quickly to its original position, then it’s fresh.

Likewise for dogs, but I don’t mean to check the freshness of your dog, we check on the elasticity of the dog’s skin to determine his hydration level. For us humans, it’s so easy to see the sign since we aren’t covered with fur. So instead of poking your dog’s body or running your fingernail along his skin, we gently pull a fold of his skin around the middle of his back. If the skin stays up or returns to its original position slowly, then your dog is dehydrated.

The immediate remedy would to get him drink more water. Make sure your dog has fresh water available at all time, filtered water is much preferred. If the weather is really hot, you might add some ice cubes to the water. Dogs love licking on ice cubes.

If he is under the weather and loses appetite eating his regular kibbles, you can give him chicken soup. Boil chopped carrot cubes together with the chicken breast for that added natural sweetness. Remember to shred the cooked chicken meat for easy swallowing.