Last week, Benjy came in for a follow-up visit, still alive and kicking, much to the surprise of his owner after the scare he gave her 10 days ago when he was brought in as an emergency.
Benjy is a nine-year-old, large-framed but very gentle, male tabby, much loved by his owner with never a sick day in his life.
Benjy had suddenly become extremely lethargic and depressed, with heavily sunken eyes and completely off his food. His mouth was also very dry, and when the skin between his shoulders was elevated, it was markedly slow to return to position. Benjy was suffering from typical signs of dehydration.
Sixty per cent of the body is made up of water. Two-thirds of this water is found within the cells that make up the body, while the rest is found between the cells, inside blood vessels and in the lymphatic system that contributes towards draining toxins from the body.
This means that with a cat like Benjy, weighing five kilos when in full heath, three kilos of this weight is pure water. When the skin on the back of a cat’s neck is pulled upward and remains turgid, that is, it does not spring back into place, this indicates that the cat has already lost about 10 per cent of its bodily fluid. This translates to approximately 300ml.
To be able to compare, if you have a person weighing 50 kilos, this loss of bodily fluid translates to three kilos, and a three-kilo weight loss in a total mass of 50 kilos is a big loss of water. When the level of bodily fluid falls below 60 per cent, the result is mild to severe dehydration, depending on the extent of loss of fluids.
Dehydration can occur due to reduced water intake or an increase in fluid loss. Naturally, reduced water intake can occur in cases of water deprivation as in unfortunate situations where dogs and cats are trapped without any source of water.
Repeated vomiting and severe diarrhoea can also cause enough fluid loss to result in dehydration, as can kidney and metabolic diseases such as diabetes. In Malta, we also have the hot weather, whereby overheating is a common cause of dehydration.
When the skin on the back of a cat’s neck is pulled upward and does not spring back into place, this indicates that the cat has already lost about 10 per cent of its bodily fluid
Mild dehydration is not uncommon in cats. Some are very lazy drinkers, or rather, they are very particular about their source of water. Cat owners often report that their cat will drink only running water while steadfastly refusing to drink from a water bowl.
Cats that do not drink enough water are prone to having urine bladder stones and irritations which, in turn, can cause life-threatening blockages, especially in male cats.
Severe dehydration is life-threatening and should be considered as an emergency situation. Without water, all the body’s systems start to shut down: the circulatory system cannot function, the heart goes into overdrive trying to compensate for the lack of fluid, blood pressure decreases and the kidneys cannot filter toxins, so the body starts to accumulate ‘poisons’ which, in turn, places additional stress on the liver.
At cellular level, where every internal function and exchange with its surroundings is dependent on the right amount of moisture, everything is thrown into confusion. It is truly an assault on the body.
Water intake in dogs is possibly easier to monitor. Generally, a dog drinks approximately 40 to 50ml of water for every kilo of body weight. Therefore, a dog weighing 20 kilos should drink approximately one litre of water each day.
Try to be conscious of how much your dog is drinking, since any significant increase or decrease could be an early sign of the onset of a disease or other medical condition.
It is a good idea to fill your dog’s water bowl from a two-litre bottle of water, and 24 hours later measure whatever water is left.
One point to remember is that whereas severe dehydration may be easy to diagnose, mild dehydration may not be so obvious, but may still be sufficiently disruptive to the system to reduce your pet’s appetite.
As an analogy, it is worthwhile remembering that if you are very thirsty and you are presented with the most lavish banquet you could ask for, there is no way you could start eating before you satiate your thirst.
Benjy responded very well to fluid therapy. The cause of his dehydration was attributed to the high temperature he was running at the time that, in turn, brought about reduced water intake.
Thankfully, blood tests showed that his internal organs were not yet impaired and Benjy should now be well on his way to a full recovery.
There are a number of things you can do to make sure your pet does not suffer from the more common causes of dehydration:
• Invest in a water bowl your dog or cat cannot tip over.
• Wash your pet’s water bowl every day to prevent bacteria from forming in the water and inside the bowl.
• Refill the bowl with fresh water every day.
• Monitor the amount of water your dog or cat drinks; if water intake is low or high, seek the advice of your vet.
• If your cat drinks only running water, humour it or invest in a water fountain. It’s vital that it gets sufficient water to drink.
• Dogs are not averse to drinking water from the toilet bowl, so keep your toilet lid closed to prevent your dog from ingesting bacteria.
• If your dog or cat is vomiting repeatedly or has diarrhoea, visit your vet.
• If possible, avoid chaining up your dog, since dog chains are easily tangled and may prevent your dog accessing its water bowl.
• When travelling or going out with your dog, take water and a bowl along with you.
thisweekwiththevet@gmail.com
Dr Martin Debattista is a veterinary surgeon.