how much water?

TinmanJones · 09-02-2010, 08:23 PM

hey everyone!
hope you all have had a great week!

how much water do you give your basset?

ive been feeding twice a day, once in the morning (6ish) and once in the afternoon (7ish)! while feeding, i give her water!
sometimes, she goes straight for the food, as fast as she can! other times, shes checking out her food, then heading straight to the water bowl and stays there for awhile!

im just wondering if she needs more water? or not!

thanks in advance!

SophieB · 09-02-2010, 08:37 PM

Our dogs don't seem to drink with their food (dry food with some meat mixed in) but they always drink later on. I always make sure they have a big bowl of fresh water on the floor all the time and I often rinse round the inside of the bowl with a brush that is just used on the dog bowls to make sure it is clean because they sometimes slobber a bit and I hate to see the water looking murky.

Outside in the porch I have a watering can that is always topped up with fresh water because all of our dogs have always drunk out of it. Dogs can soon dehydrate if deprived of water and ours have it available all the time.... it's awful being thirsty and without a drink!

gsally · 09-02-2010, 08:50 PM

We had water available for Lucy at all times! In the summer time, we put ice cubes in the water. She liked ice pops too! When hiking we took a doggie canteen but she liked to drink the stream water too.

Kirska · 09-02-2010, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gsally

We had water available for Lucy at all times! In the summer time, we put ice cubes in the water. She liked ice pops too! When hiking we took a doggie canteen but she liked to drink the stream water too.

We do this too. We have one of those fountains that dispenses water. I have heard that most dogs don't get enough hydration.

They drink out of the toilet sometimes too :P

Soundtrack · 09-02-2010, 09:02 PM

Another vote here for water being available at all times. If housebreaking/scheduling is an issue it still needs to be offered frequently, not just at mealtimes.

TinmanJones · 09-02-2010, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soundtrack

Another vote here for water being available at all times. If housebreaking/scheduling is an issue it still needs to be offered frequently, not just at mealtimes.

thanks for the input!

this is where we are at! we are crating (which she is doing great) and house training has been very easy with our basset!

from the moment we got her home, we went directly to the potty area and she hasnt had any accidents in the house or the crate!

im afraid that if we had water available constantly, she might mess up! but, thats why i asked! i needed a feel for what others do!

i think we will start having her water available at all times out of the crate! i keep a constant eye on her while shes out, so it would be easy for me to monitor!

again, thanks for the input!

Barry&Betty · 09-03-2010, 03:40 AM

My Basset's drink quite alot but have fresh water available at all times!.....sometimes just after sleeping or resting for a bit they will go into the kitchen & have a big drink!
I think it's important have fresh water at all times!

SophieB · 09-03-2010, 08:10 AM

Here's an article I found about dehydration in dogs... which is far worse than in people!

What To Do When Your Dog Gets Dehydrated By: Nicolette Dial

Your dog can die from dehydration. Please understand how serious this can get. It's not like when humans get dehydrated, can drink some water and cool off, and they will recover quickly. It is much harder for a dog to recover. Caused by sickness, heat exposure, or lack of water intake, the situation must be taken care of immediately. If the dehydration lasts for too long, your dog's organs can start failing and he will die. Unfortunately, it is much easier for a dog to become dehydrated than it is for humans. But, luckily, it is also very easy to prevent it from happening.

To be able to prevent dehydration, it is important to understand how and why it occurs in dogs. Dehydration occurs after an extreme loss of bodily fluids. The essential minerals called electrolytes are depleted from the body. Dogs do not have sweat glands to cool them off like humans do. To relieve themselves from heat, they pant to regulate their body temperature. But the process of panting results in a rapid loss of bodily fluids, which will result in dehydration if the electrolytes do not get replaced.

Dehydration will not occur if your dog always has access to a fresh supply of water. If you keep your dog indoors, make sure that there is always at least one large bowl of water. If you live in a large home, consider placing two or three bowls of water in other areas of the house. During hot and humid summer months, try to keep your dog indoors as much as possible. If you keep your dog outside during warm temperatures, ensure he has access to not only a constant supply of water, but also shady areas to rest.

If you think that your dog is dehydrated, you can check for certain symptoms. The skin will become tight, the eyes will dry out, and the tongue and nose will be dry. If your dog is dehydrated, he will also have problems with the circulatory system. To rest for this, push your finger into its gums until the area under your finger turns white. If the color does not quickly return to normal, a delay is a sign of fluid loss.

Once you determine that your dog is probably dehydrated, you need to cool him off and start replenishing fluids. Then immediately take him to the vet. Start by wrapping him in a cool, wet towel. The prime areas you want to cool off are the head and the underbelly, which is the best place to access the internal organs. Do not give the dog too much water. A severely dehydrated dog will start vomiting after a large amount of water intake. This will cause more fluid loss and make the situation even worse. Even if your dog recovers from the dehydration and stops showing any symptoms, you need to take him to a vet as soon as possible to determine the exact cause of the dehydration. Even though most cases are caused by heat and fluid loss, it can also be a result of a larger illness, so the vet needs to do a full checkup to make sure he will stay in good health.

09-02-2010, 08:23 PM	#1 (permalink)
TinmanJones Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 12	how much water? hey everyone! hope you all have had a great week! how much water do you give your basset? ive been feeding twice a day, once in the morning (6ish) and once in the afternoon (7ish)! while feeding, i give her water! sometimes, she goes straight for the food, as fast as she can! other times, shes checking out her food, then heading straight to the water bowl and stays there for awhile! im just wondering if she needs more water? or not! thanks in advance!

09-02-2010, 09:02 PM	#5 (permalink)
Soundtrack Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,577	Another vote here for water being available at all times. If housebreaking/scheduling is an issue it still needs to be offered frequently, not just at mealtimes. __________________ Rosie-Ch Soundtrack Cracklin' Rose CGN AGN RA Am RN TT Melody-Ch Soundtrack Unchained Melody TT Sailor-Ch Soundtrack Expedition Sailor RN TT Chili-Ch Soundtrack Spice Up Your Life Curry-Ch Soundtrack Canadian Brass Pepper-Ch Pennieslogon Living La Vida Loca CGN Vina-Ch Soundtrack Grand Illusion Leila-Ch Soundtrack Almost Paradise Deela-Ch Soundtrack Wink Of An Eye Hermione - Soundtrack Spellbound Eowyn - Soundtrack Rain Dance

09-03-2010, 08:10 AM	#8 (permalink)
SophieB Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 838	Here's an article I found about dehydration in dogs... which is far worse than in people! What To Do When Your Dog Gets Dehydrated By: Nicolette Dial Your dog can die from dehydration. Please understand how serious this can get. It's not like when humans get dehydrated, can drink some water and cool off, and they will recover quickly. It is much harder for a dog to recover. Caused by sickness, heat exposure, or lack of water intake, the situation must be taken care of immediately. If the dehydration lasts for too long, your dog's organs can start failing and he will die. Unfortunately, it is much easier for a dog to become dehydrated than it is for humans. But, luckily, it is also very easy to prevent it from happening. To be able to prevent dehydration, it is important to understand how and why it occurs in dogs. Dehydration occurs after an extreme loss of bodily fluids. The essential minerals called electrolytes are depleted from the body. Dogs do not have sweat glands to cool them off like humans do. To relieve themselves from heat, they pant to regulate their body temperature. But the process of panting results in a rapid loss of bodily fluids, which will result in dehydration if the electrolytes do not get replaced. Dehydration will not occur if your dog always has access to a fresh supply of water. If you keep your dog indoors, make sure that there is always at least one large bowl of water. If you live in a large home, consider placing two or three bowls of water in other areas of the house. During hot and humid summer months, try to keep your dog indoors as much as possible. If you keep your dog outside during warm temperatures, ensure he has access to not only a constant supply of water, but also shady areas to rest. If you think that your dog is dehydrated, you can check for certain symptoms. The skin will become tight, the eyes will dry out, and the tongue and nose will be dry. If your dog is dehydrated, he will also have problems with the circulatory system. To rest for this, push your finger into its gums until the area under your finger turns white. If the color does not quickly return to normal, a delay is a sign of fluid loss. Once you determine that your dog is probably dehydrated, you need to cool him off and start replenishing fluids. Then immediately take him to the vet. Start by wrapping him in a cool, wet towel. The prime areas you want to cool off are the head and the underbelly, which is the best place to access the internal organs. Do not give the dog too much water. A severely dehydrated dog will start vomiting after a large amount of water intake. This will cause more fluid loss and make the situation even worse. Even if your dog recovers from the dehydration and stops showing any symptoms, you need to take him to a vet as soon as possible to determine the exact cause of the dehydration. Even though most cases are caused by heat and fluid loss, it can also be a result of a larger illness, so the vet needs to do a full checkup to make sure he will stay in good health. Last edited by SophieB; 09-03-2010 at 08:13 AM.

09-02-2010, 08:37 PM	#2 (permalink)
SophieB Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 838	Our dogs don't seem to drink with their food (dry food with some meat mixed in) but they always drink later on. I always make sure they have a big bowl of fresh water on the floor all the time and I often rinse round the inside of the bowl with a brush that is just used on the dog bowls to make sure it is clean because they sometimes slobber a bit and I hate to see the water looking murky. Outside in the porch I have a watering can that is always topped up with fresh water because all of our dogs have always drunk out of it. Dogs can soon dehydrate if deprived of water and ours have it available all the time.... it's awful being thirsty and without a drink!

09-02-2010, 08:50 PM	#3 (permalink)
gsally Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: PA Posts: 275	We had water available for Lucy at all times! In the summer time, we put ice cubes in the water. She liked ice pops too! When hiking we took a doggie canteen but she liked to drink the stream water too.

09-03-2010, 03:40 AM	#7 (permalink)
Barry&Betty Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 7	My Basset's drink quite alot but have fresh water available at all times!.....sometimes just after sleeping or resting for a bit they will go into the kitchen & have a big drink! I think it's important have fresh water at all times!

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