Don't Fur-get Your Water!
Cats have a terrible tendency to fail at consuming enough water to keep themselves hydrated. Our favourite felines have essential minerals in their body that are necessary to function properly. When your furry best-furr-iend becomes dehydrated, it's not just water loss that should be concerning. Water loss is linked to the loss of essential minerals like chloride, sodium, and potassium that keep your cats health in check.
So, how concerned should you really be about whether or not your cat is suffering from dehydration? Furr-tunately by paying attention to your cat, there are ways to tell if dehydration is the culprit! If your cat isn't getting enough water, here are a few tips to encourage them to hydrate more.
Symptoms and Causes for Dehydration
Causes
There are two main culprits when it comes to a dehydrated cat. The first is the most obvious, that your cat may simply not be consuming enough water on their own. The second cause could be that your little fur ball is actually experiencing excessive water loss. Both of these issues could arise due to different factors.
Changes in the environment and weather could be a cause, as well as an underlying medical condition. If it is really hot, your cat could easily be overheating. While on the other hand, if your cat is using the litter box frequently or having trouble with vomiting, they might need extra hydration or they will easily become dehydrated.
Symptoms
There are a few claw-ful symptoms you can look out for when it comes to your cat. They may stop eating as much or altogether because their body lacks enough water to digest the food. It could also cause your cat to be less energetic than usual. Another symptom to look out for is excessive panting, especially with a lack of exercise.
A couple of the physical symptoms you can look out for in your cat are tacky and dry gums or sunken eyes. You can also do a skin test where you pull the skin to see how quickly it recoils. The longer the skin takes to return to its natural state is a good indicator of how dehydrated your cat might be. A dry or cracked nose can also be a sign of dehydration.
Itty Bitty Kitty
Remember that while we need to consume plenty of water daily to survive like our pets, we are much larger than them. Basically, just to say that while your feline is much smaller than you, they also require much less water and sustenance to survive. The downfall is that if they are not consuming water consistently, they will easily start to display health issues.
For every 5 pounds your cat weighs, they should consume an average of 4 ounces of water. So a 10-pound cat should consume at least 8 ounces of water daily.
What Can You Do to Help?
If your cat is dehydrated, it's best to first try to figure out the cause. Some cats have proven that a feline's best friend is a little running water. Perhaps it's because of their natural instinct to drink running water, or they're just picky drinkers. Some great drinking alternatives for your cat are the PlayPaw LED water fountain and the PlayPaw Pureflow. Both fountains are built to encourage your feline to consume the proper amount of water daily.
While some cat breeds are more prone to dehydration, it is certainly a fur-midable opponent for any feline. So knowing how to spot when your cat might be experiencing dehydration is very important for any kitty pur-rent.
