How can a dog become dehydrated, he has high temperature, hes in vets hospital on a drip to rehydrate?

Question

how long will that take, and has he dehyrated over night or a few days or weeks.

How dare you imply that my DOGS are not cared for correctly. I adore my dogs and so do the rest of the family.

He was a little bit sick on Sunday afternoon, we put this down to the really high temperatures out side. We kept both the dogs in for the afternoon and then they went out into the garden with us. After he was sick he didn't want his food but he has been drinking, but not as much as normal and hes not been eating his ice cubes either.
Just phoned the vet he is being treated with anti-biotics through the drip and he's responding to the treatment.

Answer 1

Animals and people become dehyrdrated basically when there is not enough fluid in their body. This may be caused through not drinking or eating enough, it can also be through episodes of vomiting and/or diarrhoea. High temperatures in themselves can be the cause of dehydration, so as your dog has a high temperature, there's your cause in this case.

High temperatures are usually a sign that a body is trying to fight off an infection - could be bacterial or a virus.

As to how long it will take to rehydrate him - you'll need to ask your vet because it depends what's wrong with him. If he's unable to keep food or water down, or if his kidneys are not functioning properly he may be on a drip for a few days. If it's a simple thing you might be lucky and it might only take 24 hours.

You need to speak to your vet because you need to know what is wrong with your dog, and obviously the vet looking after the animal is the best person to answer your questions.

Chalice

Answer 2

There are many reasons why dehydration occurs, and it can occur in hours, if he was fine yesterday! If he's been ill it could have built up over time, or he's not getting enough water!
You don't say what breed of dog it is, whether it's long-haired or short-haired or whether he's on dry food or even whether he has been ill so it's difficult to say. If he's under the care of a Vet then don't worry. They'll find out which once the re-hydration is complete.
For future reference
In hot weather it is important to make sure the dog has access to water at all times, Don't exercise the dog during the hottest part of the day, take him out early morning or in the evening! Depending on breed consider having him shaved or clipped. If the dog has had diarrhoea and/or vomiting try giving it an emergency rehydration drink, There are several commercially available products but an inexpensive home-made solution consists of 8 level teaspoons of sugar (not sweetners )and 1 level teaspoon of table salt mixed in 1 liter of water, half of a mashed banana can be added to each liter to add potassium. Plain water doesn't contain the electrolytes the body needs but any liquid given should be taken in slowly. A little at a time prevents vomiting.
It's a good mixture for humans too, and apart from the coat issue, the advice applies to us too! I add fresh orange juice as I don't like bananas.
Good luck and hope he's soon back to normal.

Answer 3

Dogs get dehydrated for the same reasons people do. He didn't drink enough water, or he threw up or had diarrhea or sweated too much and was outside too long. If he's sick, that could be why. It's good for him to get fluids from the vet, because that rehydrates him almost instantly. My dog got one treatment like that, and it took about 20-30 minutes. The vet might do it more than once on your dog if he's really dehydrated though.

Answer 4

If i had a dog that i believe was severely dehydrated , yes i would hospitalise . Fortunately i haven't had a dog that has needed treatment for such a condition , so have little knowledge of electrolytes or other treatments for dehydration , other than the obvious . I would certainly admit the dog if told to do so , as i would not be competent enough to know what treatment was needed . However I do think vets can fabricate and exaggerate situations , using scare tactics to potentially earn more money . My local vets recommend Science Plan as the best diet for dogs . If they are willing to do that i bet they are willing to exaggerate here and there to earn an extra buck or two.

Answer 5

Even in cold conditions, it is possible for your dog to become dehydrated. Although one of the most probable causes is related to your dog overheating, if your dog does become ill, then dehydration can become a major problem which can in turn lead to severe health issues such as organ failure, and death.

The loss of body fluid, such as water, and electrolytes composed mainly of the three minerals sodium, chloride, and potassium, will lead to dehydration. Unlike us humans dogs lack the ability to sweat. They do however have sweat glands on the bottom of their feet however, unlike us humans who will sweat when we get hot, dogs will pant in an attempt to regulate their body heat. Usually, a panting dog = a hot dog.

Determining if your dog is dehydrated can be done a number of different ways. The most common symptom of a dehydrated dog besides excessive panting and sunken eyes with a dry nose and mouth, is the skin pull test. If you grasp a dogs skin behind the neck of the animal and pull it out as far as it will go, releasing it should result in the skin returning to its proper position. If the dog is actually dehydrated, this loose skin will stay extended and will take a longer time than usual to reform to the dog's neck.

To prevent dog dehydration, your dog should have access to water all the time. If your dog is outside a lot, maybe an outdoor dog bowl is also appropriate. If your dog is dehydrated, allow it to drink small amounts of water over a period of time. Allowing your dog to tank up on water will simply increase the chance of your dog vomitting thus losing more electrolytes.

Answer 6

You haven't supplied enough information for most people to answer this.

He could be dehydrated due to a number of things. My dog (when he was a puppy) chewed off the cap to some bathroom cleaner and was sick. We rushed him to the vet (-thank goodness it wasn't life threatening and he recovered), but the vet did give him fluids for dehydration.

Answer 7

The dog might not have had enough water to drink or too much dried dog food/biscuits again without water.

In humans dehydration can occur rapidly in less than a couple hours, not so sure about dogs

Answer 8

It can be all kinds of things, heat, lack of drinking water an illness. It's good your dog is at the vet, they should be able to tell you how long it should take. Hope he's better soon. All the best;^()

Answer 9

In addition, dogs that overexert themselves in high heat can easily dehydrate.

I had a student with a tracking lab who did this.

One thing her vet suggested was to give the dog gatorade.

Answer 10

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