Quenching Your Yorkie’s Thirst: Essential Tips for Proper Hydration

Many Yorkie parents worry a lot about the quality of the meals and treats they give their dogs, but water is frequently ignored as a crucial part of a dog’s diet. You should know that the water you provide your Yorkshire Terrier affects his or her health.

Key Takeaways

We’ll talk about the following in the following paragraphs:

• An average Yorkshire Terrier’s daily water intake recommendation.
• The dangers of dehydration in puppies and dogs
• Insightful advice for getting your Yorkie to drink more and staying hydrated in other ways.
• The dangers of giving your Yorkie too much water too quickly, and what to do if it happens
• Canine dehydration and hyperhydration may both be symptoms of underlying health problems.
• The dangers of drinking unfiltered tap water by a dog are well-established, and there are several reasons to avoid doing so.
• Dogs, like us, have a constant need for water. It’s essential for everything from beating hearts to healthy brains, glowing skin to regular bowel movements, and much more.

Water requirements for Yorkies

Droplets of water continually evaporate off a dog’s tongue and in the breath when panting. This water has to be supplied for the dog to maintain an ideal core body temperature. Even a dog’s sense of smell may be affected by dehydration since the nose works best when moist.

A Yorkie’s water requirements are conditional on his activity level, health, the quantity of water in his diet, and ambient temperature. This being the case, a good rule of thumb for toy-breed dogs is 1 to 1.5 ounces per pound.

How much water should you give a Yorkie puppy?

Remember that weaning puppies will consume water via the milk replacer to deliver a mushy “stew” of food. The puppy’s water demands rise proportionately when he transitions to solid food and drinks more water from a bowl.

Factors Affecting Yorkie’s Daily Water Intake

Let’s look at the daily water intake a Yorkshire Terrier needs depending on its weight. The number will be lower on cooler days when Yorkies are more likely to be inactive and greater on days when dogs are more likely to be active or when temperatures are higher.

If the food a Yorkie eats has very little water or the dog is particularly active, he or she may consume up to 10% more liquid than recommended. Puppy or dog water intake much higher or lower than this may indicate a health problem (more ahead).

How long can a Yorkshire terrier go without water?

As with any dog breed, ensuring that Yorkshire Terriers can always access clean drinking water is essential. While the exact amount of time a Yorkie can go without water varies depending on age, health, and activity level, it’s generally not recommended to let a Yorkie go without water for more than 24 hours.

Dehydration can occur quickly in dogs, leading to serious health problems, including kidney failure and even death. Therefore, it’s crucial to ensure that your Yorkie has access to fresh, clean drinking water at all times and to monitor their water intake closely, especially during hot weather or increased activity.

When Doesn’t a Yorkie Get Enough Water, What Happens to It?

Not giving your Yorkie enough water daily may lead to moderate dehydration, which can sap his vitality and cause stress on his kidneys. A Yorkshire Terrier can suffer from life-threatening complications if it does not drink enough water regularly or experiences rapid dehydration (heat stress).

• Mild dehydration, defined as a loss of 1–5% of body fluid, is a common problem in dogs that is often misunderstood. A Yorkie may have problems concentrating with even a 1% decrease.  Even a 5-percent drop may lead to uncomfortable symptoms including dry skin, poor breath, nausea, diarrhea, and even muscular pain.
• Moderate dehydration, defined as losing 5 to 10% of total body fluid, may rapidly worsen if treatment is delayed. Symptoms include a lack of strength, sunken eyes, labored breathing, pale gums, and/or a dry nose and/or mouth.
• Loss of 10–15 % of body fluids – This level of dehydration in a dog requires emergency medical attention. Muscle tremors, convulsions, coma, and even death might accompany the aforementioned symptoms.

The Proper Amount of Water for Your Yorkshire Terrier

A Yorkie’s water requirements are conditional on his activity level, health, quantity of water in his diet, and ambient temperature. Toy-sized dogs should eat between 1 and 1.5 ounces per pound of body weight, as a general rule.

In addition to the aforementioned symptoms, here are a few more ways to tell if your Yorkie isn’t getting enough water:

1. Keeping track of your Yorkie’s daily water intake is recommended if you feel that he or she is not drinking enough based on the water intake recommendations given above. During the next week, remember this. If your dog or puppy isn’t eating enough, you’ll need to find a way to make up the difference (more ahead)
2. Determine how fast the blood in your Yorkie’s capillaries can replenish (CRT). Many capillaries may be seen inside the gums. A brief diversion of blood flow occurs when pressure is given to a specific area of the gums; after the pressure is lifted, blood returns to the area normally. Delays in this response indicate underlying health concerns, such as dehydration or heart disease. If you have a Yorkie, you should use your fingertip to exert firm, even pressure on a specific region of its gums for the duration of the count of 10. Let go, and the area will become white. Typically, this should return to its original hue after around 1.5 seconds. Your Yorkshire Terrier may not get enough water if there is a delay.
3. The color of a dog’s urine is subjective, but a light yellow indicates that he or she is getting adequate water. An indicator of dehydration is urine that has a dark yellow color. Please be aware that dark orange or brown urine might indicate several medical conditions, such as liver illness, kidney stones, bladder infections, and UTIs.

Ways to Get Your Yorkshire Terrier Hydrated

Some suggestions for increasing your Yorkie’s water consumption, whether regularly because he isn’t drinking enough or after activity because you want him to rehydrate:

Keep The Water Cool & Fresh

One always has cold water available. We’ll go into what kind of water to offer your Yorkie later, but know that it’s essential to provide him with fresh, cold water. Most canines won’t willingly drink water at room temperature from a dish that’s been sitting around for a while or that has bits of old food floating abo ut in it.

In addition, stagnant water or water topped off rather than changed may cause a sticky buildup. Many dogs won’t drink if there’s even a trace of slime in their dish, whether floating on the surface or settling to the bottom. It is recommended that the water bowl be cleaned once each day. The nightly washing of the dishes is a good reminder for many homeowners.

A dog water fountain is another excellent choice since the constant water flow encourages dogs to drink. Soon, when we talk about how drinking water might affect your health, we’ll go into more detail about these topics.

Make sure the food and drink dishes are made of stainless steel

We can’t stress enough how awful plastic dishes are. Scratching them causes germs to develop fast in the cracks; they don’t help keep drinks cold, brightly colored ones may slowly leak colors into food and water, and a dog’s nose can push them around too readily. Water will stay cleaner and cooler if you choose a high-quality stainless steel (or ceramic) bowl.

Have fresh fruit available!

All Yorkshire Terriers need to eat fruit. Some are not only edible but also rich in beneficial substances like vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that may aid in warding off disease and bolstering the immune system.

Natural sugar (fructose), unlike processed sugar, does not cause an increase in insulin levels. In addition, many natural sources of sugar are relatively low in calories and include a significant proportion of water.

You can reframe your goal of getting your Yorkie to “consume” more water rather than “drink” more water.

Choose a watermelon without seeds, strawberries with 92% water content, mango with 84% water, orange slices with 87% water, pear slices with 86% water, or blueberries with 80% water. Dogs love these fresh and frozen treats, perfect for hot summer days. Canned fruits can have excessive amounts of sugar and chemical preservatives, so it’s best to stick with new options like these.

Make the water easily transportable

If you plan on taking your Yorkie on a walk longer than 20 minutes each day or going outdoors on a hot day, carry some water along. Packing water if you plan on bringing your Yorkshire Terrier on outings with you, such as visiting friends or doing errands, is also a good idea.

Far too many people believe their pets will automatically drink adequate water once they get home.

Bringing a dog water bottle and a portable bottle is one convenient option. In addition to keeping water cold, a high-quality one will be lightweight and double as a bowl. Stop and serve your Yorkie when you get to the halfway mark. When introduced to a new setting, dogs are more likely to drink water supplied to them.

What If My Yorkie Drinks Water Too Fast?

Yorkies who down their drinks too quickly often experience nausea and vomiting shortly thereafter

In addition to the apparent fact that you don’t want to see your Yorkie sick, vomiting causes the dog to lose the water he’s just consumed and other fluids, potentially worsening his dehydration.

Providing the Yorkshire Terrier with access to water regularly will help avoid this problem before it becomes severe. Still, a slow-feeder dish is one of the finest tools for encouraging a dog to drink more slowly.

With them, the dog has to lap (or eat around) the safe protrusions that disperse the water (or food), resulting in a significantly slower consumption rate.

Dogs’ Illnesses That Prevent Them From Drinking

A puppy or dog’s inability to drink as much water as normal, or to drink at all (a condition known as adipsia), may be the result of a number of various medical issues.

A dog may refuse food and water if it is experiencing stress, such as during a home move, meeting a new family member, or a long car ride.

Problems with the mouth and teeth, such as a cut or abrasion, gum disease, cavities, or a splinter caught in the gums or between the teeth. A dog may stop drinking or eating if it is experiencing discomfort in its mouth or if the dog experiences an increase in pain whenever food or water goes through its mouth.

A wide variety of diseases, including distemper, leptospirosis, and parvovirus, may cause weight loss and lethargy, so it’s important to rule out these possibilities. Other symptoms may likely be present, such as nausea, fatigue, loss of appetite, and/or diarrhea.

An inability to drink water is one of the symptoms of parasitic diseases like Lyme disease (which can also cause intermittent acute limb lameness, loss of appetite, depression, and/or irritability) and Rocky Mountain spotted fever (which can also cause nose bleeds, discolored spots, and/or lethargy).

Canine cognitive impairment, a condition often seen in geriatric dogs, may also make a dog lose interest in drinking.

Why Some Yorkshire Terriers Drink Too Much Water Due to Illness

Increased urination is often associated with polydipsia, or excessive thirst (polyuria).

Remember that your Yorkie may increase his water intake in warmer weather when he’s more active, and/or if his food is too dry. It’s important to rule out medical causes if your pup or dog is persistently thirsty.

Diabetes

The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association reports that 1 in 100 and 1 in 500 dogs may acquire diabetes over their lifetimes.

Several of the top 9 most susceptible dog breeds are terriers, including the Yorkshire Terrier.

Most cases are seen in canines between the ages of 4 and 14, with unspayed females at a substantially greater risk than their male counterparts.

Weakness, skin problems, altered appetite, altered body weight, UTIs, bad breath, and even vomiting may all be symptoms of dehydration. In the end, some people may have difficulties with their eyesight.

Other Diseases

Conditions such as renal or thyroid illness, Addison’s disease, Cushing’s disease, hormone problems, and electrolyte imbalances are also possible, although less often.

Low Protein Diets

Increased thirst is a symptom of protein deficiency in dogs. Yorkies have a higher protein need than other dog breeds, around 25-30% for pups and 20-25% for adults. Your Yorkshire Terrier’s protein requirements may be met by consuming premium dog food or cooking chicken and/or fish at home.

Although protein-losing enteropathy (where the body can’t absorb protein) is relatively common in a few breeds, the Yorkshire Terrier is, unfortunately one of them.

Intestinal cancer, bacterial, fungal, or parasite infection, inflammatory bowel illness, stomach ulcers, and food allergies are all potential triggers.

There Are Serious Health Risks for Dogs While Drinking Tap Water.

Giving your Yorkie a drink is a breeze. Just go over to the sink, turn on the water, and you’re done. Right there… Many owners never consider this.

Tap water, on the other hand, may contain highly harmful contaminants in several locations throughout the globe, including several states in the United States, several regions in Canada, and who knows where else. It is astonishing that certain substances are deemed safe for human consumption while others are not.

According to research by the National Resources Defense Council, inadequate civic infrastructure has led to contaminated tap water in 19 U.S. cities, including Atlanta, Fresno, Albuquerque, and San Francisco.

Contaminants allowed by law – Out of more than 60,000 potential pollutants in the water supply, only 91 are regulated by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Several of the 91 substances subject to regulation have been linked to cancer and other deadly illnesses, yet their presence in trace amounts is nevertheless permitted.

To be safe, drinking tap water should be done only in occasional and small quantities. Yorkshire Terriers may suffer serious health problems if they are regularly exposed to unfiltered tap water for an extended period.

Let’s examine some of the poisons that are LEGALLY present in municipal water supplies:

In the United States, 60–80% of individuals consume water treated with fluoride; in Canada, 40–60% do; and in the United Kingdom, just 10% do. Over eight thousand canines are diagnosed with bone tumors annually, with osteosarcoma being the most common. Studies have connected fluoride exposure to an increased risk of osteosarcoma in dogs.

Excessive fluoride consumption in dogs may cause bone loss, hormone difficulties, and cognitive brain impairment should be enough to make you think twice about feeding your Yorkie tap water. According to the toxicity scale, this chemical is “very toxic” in dogs.

Byproducts of chlorine treatments (intended to kill bacteria) include carcinogenic trihalomethanes and teratogenic halo acetic acids.

Chlorite, a byproduct of chlorine-based disinfectants, has been linked to long-term ingestion and subsequent central nervous system dysfunction.

According to the IARC, arsenic is a carcinogenic substance in the highest possible risk category. While trace amounts are permitted in public water supplies, random tests have shown that several western and New England states often exceed the legal limit.

In their 2009 report, “National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals,” the CDC discovered that both PFOS and PFOA were present in the blood of almost every person they tested, suggesting widespread exposure.

According to a study, almost everyone in the United States has PFOS and PFOA in their blood. What’s wrong with this picture, exactly? Evidence suggests a connection between these and gastrointestinal disorders such IBS, colitis, and even cancer of the thyroid, ovaries, and testicles.

Trichloroethane (1, 1, 2) is a chemical found in factory runoff permitted in small quantities in most municipal water sources. Liver and renal illness, as well as possible immune system problems, have been linked to this.

Here’s what you can do: There are a few different ways to make sure your Yorkie only drinks healthy water and avoids ingesting any of these toxins:

• Install a filter on your sink’s water supply. This is a fantastic alternative if you and your Yorkshire Terrier (and everyone else in the home) tend to guzzle water straight from the sink. You have to change the filters once a month, and they’re pretty simple to install. This is something you can get at any hardware or home improvement shop.
• Have your dog drink from a filtered and recycled system explicitly designed for canine use. They are often manufactured with efficient charcoal filters and have a fountain for constant water circulation. Besides helping to purify the water, the soothing sound and motion of cascading water will also likely entice your Yorkie to drink more.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to ensure my Yorkie is drinking enough water?

Monitor daily intake, check urine color, and perform Capillary Refill Time (CRT) test.

What if my Yorkie drinks water too fast?

Utilize a slow-feeder dish to control the rate of consumption and prevent vomiting.

Is tap water safe for my Yorkie?

Potential contaminants in tap water might be harmful; consider using filtered water or canine-specific water systems.

How can I encourage my Yorkie to stay hydrated?

Provide fresh, cool water, introduce water-rich fruits, and consider canine water fountains for continuous fresh supply.

What are the signs of dehydration in Yorkies?

Dry skin, sunken eyes, lethargy, dry nose or mouth, and delayed capillary refill time.

Craig

As a lifelong dog lover, I fell in love with Yorkies for their spunky personalities, intelligence, and unwavering loyalty.

As a dedicated Yorkie owner, I have spent years learning about the breed and how to provide the best possible care for them. From finding the proper diet to exercise, and so much more! I take every aspect of my Yorkie’s life seriously.

In addition to being a loving dog parent, I’m an avid blogger, sharing my experiences and insights on all things Yorkie-related. From training tips to grooming advice, Yorkieclothing.com is a go-to resource for other Yorkie owners worldwide.