Cats need fresh water to drink every day to stay healthy
Water is essential for the kidneys to adequately filter pollutants from the blood. Whether brought on by illness or a lack of fluids, dehydration in cats is serious and, if handled, can be fatal.
Whether the renal failure is acute or chronic, cats typically require extra fluids that are given intravenously or subcutaneously. The latter therapy is widely used at home and is very easy to understand and put into practice. After these treatments, the majority of cats significantly and frequently show improvement.
Exaggerated hydration
Water-loving cats are more likely to develop diabetes or feline hyperthyroidism. Despite the fact that cats may tend to drink more when it’s hot outside, it’s important to know how much water a cat regularly drinks. If they suddenly start consuming large amounts of water and show other symptoms, a trip to the clinic is required right away.
Your water needs are affected by your diet
Water makes up roughly 67 percent of the tissues in a cat’s body. By chance, that is also about how much water is in the food they seek and eat in the wild. Dry cat food only includes 6 to 10% water in comparison to canned cat food, which at least has a moisture level of 75% and is a significant source of hydration. Therefore, a cat eating only dry food would require more more water to drink than a cat eating only raw or canned food. Additionally, a cat that consumes both canned and dry cat food will need more regular water.
A 10-pound adult cat eating dry food per day requires around a cup of water, according to a calculation made by Dr. Jennifer Coates and published in an article on PetMd.com. The identical cat on a canned food needs a third of a cup of water every day.
Recommendations
- Make sure all cats have access to fresh, clean water at all times, ideally from an automatic water dispenser, regardless of diet.
- Be on the lookout for dehydration signs. A useful test is to pull up the lax skin at the nape of the neck. If it recovers right away, the cat is well-hydrated. If it takes a long time to go away, consider dehydration. Try adding water to canned food to make it more enticing for your cat. You can also add a few ice cubes to their water bowl. If the cat displays any other signs of illness and the skin on the neck does not dramatically retract, contact your veterinarian right once.
- Learn what beverages your cat enjoys. If they suddenly “went off water” or begin drinking excessively on a regular basis, contact your veterinarian.
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