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Dehydration in dogs and cats – Pet podcast #42 – Interview with Dr. Lee

Pet podcast #42 features an interview with Dr. Lee a veterinarian in Mesa and Phoenix Arizona. In this interview we discuss dehydration in cats and dogs. We talk about why our pets get dehydrated, we talk about simple tests that may indicate dehydration and we talk about treating dehydration.

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3 Responses to this Article, So Far

  1. Avatar sugarcatmom says:

    Thanks Marko and Dr. Lee for another interesting podcast.

    I’d like to expand on Dr. Lee’s comments about dehydration in cats. He mentioned that they typically prefer running water to still water, and suggested the addition of a cat fountain to encourage drinking. On top of that, I’d highly recommend feeding cats a wet food diet to ensure proper hydration. Modern domestic cats are descendants of the desert-dwelling cats of North Africa and Asia, which evolved getting the majority of their water requirements met through the consumption of live (juicy, 60-80% moisture) prey. As a result, they have a rather low thirst drive. The relatively recent trend of feeding cats only dry kibble (which is 10% moisture or less) has resulted in their chronic dehydration and the corresponding medical consequences, such as FLUTD. Here is quote from a website that explains it better than I: http://maxshouse.com/feline_nutrition.htm

    [quote]“Cats increase voluntary water intake when fed dry food but not in sufficient amounts to fully compensate for the lower moisture content of the food. In a recent study, cats consuming a diet containing 10% moisture with free access to drinking water had an average daily urine volume of 63 milliliters (ml). This volume increased to 112 ml/day when fed a canned diet with a moisture content of 75%. Urine specific gravity was also higher in cats that were fed the low-moisture food. Decreased urine volume may be an important risk factor for the development of urolithiasis in cats. Diets that cause a decrease in total fluid turnover can result in decreased urine volume and increased urine concentration, both of which may contribute to urinary tract disease in cats. Several studies have shown that dry cat foods contribute to decreased fluid intake and urine volume.

    Homeostatic control of water balance in cats differs in some important respects from that of dogs Cats make less precise and rapid compensatory changes in voluntary water intake than dogs in response to changes in the water content of their food. Similarly, their compensatory drinking response to dehydration due to increased environmental temperature is less effective than dogs. This apparent weakness of the cat’s thirst drive to respond to changes in her state of hydration has led to the conclusion that feeding canned food assures adequate hydration at all times. “[/quote]

  2. Avatar rosario says:

    use a good water filter get clorine out of water dogs cats love rain water no clorine better for humans

  3. Avatar Marian Martyn says:

    This is very interesting about dehydration in cats. My cat had a higher than normal S.G., but I was not told by my Vet what to do about it. I will add some canned food to her diet.

    Thanks so much for the info.

    Marian Martyn

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