Should I leave water out for my puppy at night
Should I Leave Water Out for My Puppy All Day?
Puppies are manic and with all that running around they do, can be at risk of becoming dehydrated. Evidently, they will need water, but it begs the question whether theres such a thing as too much, and whether you should keep water out for your puppy all day.
For example, it can be difficult to know if there are any risks associated with leaving water standing for long periods, or how regularly sources of water should be changed. Similarly, knowing how much water to leave out for your pup to avoid accidents in the house can be extremely useful, too.
Should I leave water out for my puppy all day? You should leave water out for your puppy all day, so they have access to it. However, the water should be changed twice a day for a clean supply, and the water bowl should be cleaned every 24 to 48 hours to avoid bacteria.
How to leave water out all day for your dog or puppy
Thats the very short answer above about leaving water out for your puppy or dog all day. But theres a bit more you should also know which Ive detailed below.
How often should I change the water in my puppys bowl?
Looking after a new puppy can often be stressful. Although most young dogs are able-bodied and sturdy, there are many factors to consider in keeping them happy and healthy.
Alongside providing them with regular exercise, we need to make sure our furry companions are receiving enough nutrition and water in their diets, as well as regular check-ups, grooming appointments, preventive measures for ticks and fleas, and the right amount of socialization.
Therefore, it can be easy to forget smaller tasks such as changing the water in our puppys bowls, keeping it fresh throughout the day. In colder weather, it also means taking measures to stop the water freezing, if its an outdoor bowl.
Unfortunately, when you leave water out for your puppy all day, the bowls can quickly become a breeding ground for bacteria without regular cleaning and the supply of new water.
Microorganisms present in your puppys saliva are often responsible for this change, being transferred to their water bowl each time they decide to take a drink and thereby causing bacteria to form.
Therefore, you should make sure to change the water in their bowls at least once a day to prevent this from happening. In addition, you should also make sure to thoroughly clean the bowl each time you do this.
Although some owners may think this is over the top, puppies can quickly become sick if they are exposed to bacteria-laden water.
Likewise, you should also make a habit of washing your pups bowl with hot soapy water (or stronger cleaning agents) once every 3 or 4 days, eliminating any chances of strong bacteria persisting after initial cleanings.
Furthermore, ensure that you sweep and mop any areas that your puppys bowls are located, together with washing any placemats the bowls are placed on. This is vitally important if you tend to feed your pup close to where it drinks from, as bacteria can quickly spread from food to water.
Doing so can also offer protection against other dogs in your household. Sometimes older dogs can urinate on or near water bowls when new puppies come into the home.
Typically, this happens when small pieces of food, sometimes lying undiscovered for days, are picked up by your puppy and transferred to their water bowls, leading to contamination.
For this reason, we recommend keeping standing water and food sources separate when possible.
Should I leave water out for my puppy during the night?
There is nothing fundamentally wrong with leaving your puppy without water overnight, it is perfectly safe to do so. In fact, this is sometimes essential to prevent your pup from having an accident in the middle of the night, especially if they are not house trained yet.
However, in particularly warm climates, puppies may occasionally wake up and search for water. If you reside in an area such as this, do not ignore your pups behavior as it could be dehydrated.
If this is a regular occurrence, you should leave water out for your puppy all day and night in a water bowl. Put it in a suitable area and try to create a spot where your puppy can pee safely in a spot of your choosing.
Similarly, always make sure that your pup has had a drink of water at least an hour or two before bedtime to prevent dehydration during the night. Unfortunately, most young puppies are unable to hold their urine for more than a few hours at a time.
Therefore, it is not unusual for puppies to need multiple potty breaks during the night even when they do not have access to water. For owners who crate their pups, waking up in the middle of the night is a regular occurrence.
Interestingly, there exists a semi-reliable way for owners to figure out how long their pups can hold their bladders. As a general rule of thumb, pups can hold their urine for the same number of hours as they are months old.
For example, a four-month-old puppy can normally hold its pee for 4 hours, and a 5-month-old pup around 5 hours. However, from time to time, and typically when they are exhausted, they may be able to hold their urine for longer periods.
How much water does a puppy need to drink per day?
Fresh cool water should always be made available for your puppy. As previously mentioned, puppies burn a lot of energy throughout the day and this activity plays a role in how much water they require to drink.
Puppies come in all different personalities, sizes, and breeds and this can sometimes affect how energetic or lazy they can be.
Therefore, less energetic pups will typically drink less water when compared to their high-energy siblings. This is entirely normal and should not cause you any concern.
Despite this, it is essential to take the current temperature and humidity levels of your area into consideration make sure to put out plenty of extra water when the weather turns hot, especially if you own several dogs.
In general, puppies recently weaned off their mothers milk require around 15 to 30ml water per pound of body weight per day to stay healthy.
Without access to this critical amount of fluid, puppies can be at risk of suffering from kidney damage and heart problems caused by dehydration, as well as heatstroke during the warmer months.
So long as fresh water is easily accessible, puppies will naturally drink when they are thirsty enough. However, in rare circumstances, some pups may refuse water entirely. If you notice this is the case with your pooch, take them to the vet as soon as possible. This could indicate that they are suffering from a serious medical condition.
Handy Hint: I dont advise giving puppies freedom of the house until they are 12 to 18 months of age, as I learned from my mistakes!
Can puppies drink too much water if you leave it out?
Although it is very important to ensure that your puppy does not suffer from dehydration, sometimes drinking too much water can be a bad thing for them.
Worryingly, many dog owners are unaware that the presence of dangerous quantities of water in their pups bodies can lead to severe illness and even death. On the flipside, some dogs wont drink enough water at all, but thats different problem.
Water intoxication, also known as water poisoning, water toxemia, and hyperhydration is a relatively rare condition that is most commonly seen in water-loving canines (where they inadvertently swallow water whilst swimming).
However, puppies can easily develop water intoxication just from spending too much time at their water bowls.
When a young canine is overwhelmed by water, its sodium levels drop which in turn causes swelling to occur throughout its cells. Some areas of the body can cope with this abnormal activity, but others, particularly the brain will struggle to function.
At this stage, water intoxication can quickly turn fatal. It is vital to get your puppy to the vet if they show any symptoms of water intoxication, no matter how small, as this condition progresses rapidly.
Similarly, you should also take your puppy to the vet if you notice they are drinking excessive amounts of water, as quick action can stop the condition from occurring in the first place. In most cases, excessive drinking can be treated without canines suffering any negative health issues.
Some of the most common symptoms of water intoxication to look out for are loss of coordination, bloating, vomiting, excessive salivation, seizures, glazed eyes, pale gums, and lethargy.
In worst-case scenarios, affected puppies can enter a comatose state, becoming unresponsive to touch and sound. Whilst at the vets, canines will be treated with a mix of IV delivery and administration of electrolytes, drugs, and diuretics to reduce brain swelling.
Conclusion
Ask any owner about their puppys strongest characteristics and they are likely to mention their seemingly never-ending amount of energy as one of the most defining.
Throughout the day, young pups keep themselves entertained by taking part in numerous vigorous activities like chasing their siblings around the home, playing with their toys, and running around the backyard.
Naturally, with this high level of activity comes an increased need for water. Without drinking regularly, puppies can quickly become dehydrated, leading to a whole host of health problems.
Thankfully, most dog owners are aware of this, and as such, they make sure to leave countless water bowls out for their furry companions to quench their thirst.
However, one question that puppy parents rarely ask themselves is whether leaving water bowls all day long is safe.
In my view, you can leave water out all day for your puppy, but closely monitor them.
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Image in header via https://pixabay.com/photos/puppy-golden-retriever-dog-young-1207816/
Should I Leave Water Out for My Puppy at Night?
Water is one of the basic requirements for humans and dogs alike. We need it to survive. But needing to drink water constantly means also needing to pee constantly, and while it is not a big deal for us to constantly pee, figuring out a way to stop our furry pets from peeing all over the house definitely is! This is even a bigger problem at night.A lot of you might have tried or heard a friend having to reduce the water intake of their pets at night to avoid having to deal with a fresh delivery of urine each morning. While this might be effective, it can be concerning especially for new pet parents. After all, your pups health is always the top priority. Should you leave water out for your puppy at night?There is no need to put water out overnight if your puppy is healthy and has no medical issues. Enough water during the day, especially for puppies older than 12 weeks, is sufficient to keep your dog hydrated.Now that you have an idea of whether or not you should put water out for your puppy during the night, lets go on to a more in-depth explanation of why you should do so, as well as what you should do, to ensure that your puppy stays hydrated.
Why Should You NOT Leave Water for Your Puppy at Night?
If you leave water out for a puppy that has not yet been housetrained, you could end up doing more harm than good. It goes without saying that we do not want our puppies to become dehydrated; but, as long as they have unrestricted access to water throughout the day, they will not require any more hydration in the evening.Leaving your puppys crate with water in it when you go to bed increases the chances that your puppy will have an accident while you are sleeping. Puppies fill their bladders quickly and easily. If you are unable to prevent their access to water while they are kept in their crates throughout the night, your puppy wont be able to control peeing, which will lead to the crate becoming filthy and uncomfortable for him to sleep in.
How to Keep Your Puppy Hydrated While You Sleep
1. During the day, give your puppy unlimited access to water.
Because they have complete access to water during the day, there is no need to provide them with water at night.
2. Allow your puppy to drink two hours before going to bed.
Allowing your puppy to drink two hours before night ensures that he has enough water to last until his next potty break. Make sure your puppy goes to the bathroom before going to bed.
3. Allow your puppy to drink prior to his midnight potty break.
If your puppy isnt old enough to hold his bladder for an entire 8-hour period, youll have to take him to the potty every four hours, even at night. Give your puppy water during his midnight breaks before he goes to the bathroom so he will stay hydrated till morning.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Allowing your puppy to go without water at night should only be done if your dog has access to water during the day.
How Much Water Does My Puppy Need?
Dogs need a daily intake of one ounce of water for every pound of body weight. 1 fl oz per 1 pound per day is the formula. Your dogs food diet will also be taken into account. Wet dog food is about 35% water. This means that if you feed your dog wet dog food, like the water he drinks from a bowl, it will count toward your dogs water consumption.Puppies will need a little bit more than this amount because they are more likely to become dehydrated than older dogs, particularly when the temperature is high or when they have been active for a long time playing or running around.
When Should You Leave Water for Your Puppy at Night?
While we have established that leaving water at night for your pup is not the best idea, there are some exceptions to this. Do not take away their water if your pup is sick in any way, particularly if they have a fever, are vomiting, or have diarrhea. These symptoms could result in your dog becoming dehydrated, which is a serious health risk that could even be fatal.In addition to this, you need to make sure that they have access to water after being in hot weather or after engaging in strenuous activity. If you cant adjust your schedule to allow for them to have time to drink and potty before bed, youll need to leave water out during the night.Last but not least, if your pup is only allowed limited access to water during the day, you will need to leave some water out overnight.
Possible Issues with Withholding Water
Water Obsession
Your dog could develop an unhealthy obsession with drinking water if it is only offered to it occasionally. This frequently results in the dog drinking all of the water that it can drink, regardless of whether or not he is thirsty. Dogs who develop an unhealthy obsession with water and mistakenly believe that it isnt always available may start drinking from inappropriate sources, such as the pool, puddles, or other areas.
Resource Guarding
Your puppy may begin to demonstrate resource guarding tendencies, like snarling or biting at anyone who approaches their water bowl, in addition to excessively drinking the water. In the same way, your dogs obsessive behavior around water can turn a dog into one who guards the toilet, sink, or other locations containing water. Resource guarding can become a serious problem, especially if your puppy bites another dog or person.
Urinary Tract Infections
Restricting your puppys access to water puts him at risk for painful urinary tract infections. These infections are not only unpleasant, but they can also lead to other health issues such as bladder stones and kidney damage. Furthermore, if your puppy develops a UTI, they are much more likely to regress in their potty training due to the increased need to urinate as well as the pain involved in urinating.
Should You Risk It?
Limiting your puppys water intake during the night poses little risk as long as he has complete access to water in the morning. Keep track of when they need to go to the bathroom and when they drink water. This will give you a good sense of whether or not they are getting enough water.
Dehydration on Puppies
What are the Early Signs of Dehydration on Puppies?
Dry Mucous Membranes
Early signs of dehydration for puppies include sticky or dry gums and tongues instead of wet ones. His saliva may become sticky or even stringy.
Loss of Skin Elasticity
The skin of a puppy typically has the qualities of a comfortable coat, with some freedom for movement, particularly in the shoulders. Take hold of the skin that covers your dogs neck and shoulders and lift it gently; the skin will immediately return to its natural position once you let go of it if your pup is adequately hydrated. Puppies with skin that retracts slowly is about 7% to 8% dehydrated. When the skin is dehydrated by 10% or more, it forms a ridge that does not spring back into place when retracted.
Other Signs of dehydration include:
Nausea, Lethargy, Dilated Pupils, Vomiting, Loss of Coordination or Staggering, and Bloating
What to Do if Your Puppy is Dehydrated?
Puppies who are simply thirsty will recover quickly once you give them enough water. However, if your dog is not getting better after you give him water, take your puppy to the vet.
Water Intoxication on Puppies
Can My Puppy Drink Too Much Water?
While keeping your puppy hydrated is great, there is also what we call water intoxication/overhydration or simply putting too much water. This is not very common for puppies as they usually know when to stop drinking. However, if you and your puppy are fond of water activities like playing with the sprinkler, swimming, or water retrieving, then there is a big possibility that your pooch is accidentally drinking water without him knowing. This can result in water poisoning that causes the organs and the cells to swell, which will lead to all sorts of problems.
What are the Signs and Symptoms of Water Intoxication?
LethargyVomitingBloatingPale gumsDilated pupilsStumbling and falling or general loss of coordinationRestless demeanor
How to Treat Water Intoxication?
Intoxication with water results in a deficiency of sodium due to the fact that an excessive amount of water consumption causes a dog to urinate more sodium than normal. Sports drinks may help with puppies who are water intoxicated as sports drinks has a huge amount of electrolytes. However, it is still best to consult your vet for specialized medications that increase sodium level at a controlled rate without overhydrating your pup.
