A wise person once said, “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make them drink.” If you’ve tried to make sure a cat or dog is drinking enough water, you know the same wisdom applies: you can provide your pet with water, but you can’t make them drink it. Sometimes, no matter how much you encourage your pet, they just don’t want to drink, which can lead to dehydration. Why is hydration important? Being proactive with your pet’s hydration is important because animals can’t cool themselves as easily as humans can. Their internal temperatures stay hotter, and they use up their hydration more quickly. The primary way that dogs cool themselves is through panting, which evaporates air from their mouths and lungs and replaces it with cooler outside air. The more a pet pants, the more water they lose. Pets also lose hydration quickly through daily activities, like urination and salivation. Keeping your pet hydrated, especially before strenuous activities, is important because it prevents severe dehydration which can lead to irreversible kidney and joint damage, unconsciousness...
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