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Holy woof! It’s another scorcher at Casa de Kolchak. When the weather is hot, it can be so hard to encourage your dog to drink enough water!
Yesterday, we got to chill out by the lake and have some fun. The breeze off the water was so refreshing and it made the heat feel tolerable, even though it was actually unbearable.
I have a ton of tricks and ways to help dogs stay cool during the summer. Dogs have a different internal cooling system than humans, so you can’t assume that just because you’re comfortable, that they are.
An important part of helping dogs beat the heat is making sure they stay hydrated. The loss of as little as 10% of a dog’s water can result in serious dehydration. I always makes sure we have a bowl of cold, fresh water, but sometimes when it’s hot out, my dogs don’t always drink as much as I think they should.
I work hard to make sure my dogs want to drink enough water to keep hydrated, cool and healthy – and I do it with flavored dog water.
Many dog owners use beef or chicken stock to entice their dog to drink more, but to be honest, I’m not a fan.
Here at Casa de Kolchak, we make our own chicken stock. It’s a hassle, but the thing is, most store bought chicken stock isn’t dog safe. You would think that chicken stock is just chicken-y water, but it’s not. All of the commercial stocks available at our grocery store have onion in them and every dog owner knows that’s a major no no. So what can you do to help your dog stay hydrated instead?
How to make delicious flavoured dog water that will help your dog stay hydrated on a hot day.
1. Canned food cocktails – Our favourite (and easiest) trick is to mix a tbsp. of your dog’s favourite canned food with 16 oz. of water. Whisk it until the chunks are gone (or even easier, use a shaker cup. Those babies are magic.)
2. Frozen Dog Treat Mixes: not just for freezing – There are a lot of premade mixes out there, designed to make tasty frozen treats for dogs, but they don’t have to be frozen. Kol loves the Puppy Scoops mixes from Amazon.
3. Liver dust – Remember when we told you about these awesome liver grinders? Liver dust makes a great addition to your pups water bowl. Simply grind a fine layer over the water and watch them lap it up. Felix thinks it’s better than gold dust. If you can’t get the fresh grinders where you are, no fear! Etta Says! makes liver sprinkles you can buy on Amazon that work great.
4. Peanut butter addicts unite! Did you know that peanut butter powder is a thing? Um yeah…awesome. Simply take a 1/4 tsp. of peanut butter powder and whisk it into your dog’s water. Just make sure you watch how often you do this – peanut butter, especially dehydrated peanut butter, can be really calorie intense.
5. Use a dog-friendly bone broth – Bone broth is ALL the rage these days and it’s no surprise why. This flavourful, meaty broth packs a big punch of nutrition into a taste dogs love. You don’t necessarily want to use it plain though. It can be very rich, so if you want your dog to drink a lot of it, you need to water it down. Mix 1 part bone broth to 2 parts water for the perfect yummy flavoured dog water.
In my experience, Casa de Kolchak dogs lap up these pretty delicious flavoured waters pretty darn quickly.
If your dog wasn’t as excited, I would pick up the bowl and put it in the fridge between servings. Make sure your dog always has access to fresh plain water as well, since dogs are built to enjoy water and some will actually prefer it plain!
Sabrina
Monday 25th of January 2021
This is so creative! haha Thanks for sharing!
Gwendolyn
Sunday 24th of January 2021
Last year my dog became ill ( shaking ) and I immediately went to the vet to have her check. She was put on a special dog food and antibiotics. Two weeks later, it happen again. So I decided to changed her diet. I put her on a veggie and protein meal plan. She was slightly over weight, and this new way of eating has given her so much energy that she lost weight. Now she meet us in the kitchen every morning for her meal. I then notice she pretty much stop drinking water. This went on for months. So I decided to give her water again and she refused. So I decided to do something about it. I got out my blender and add 16 oz of water and a half of a banana and blend. Oh my gosh she went buck wild with the flavor water. Now I have no more worries. She's very healthy now.
Jodi & Kolchak
Sunday 31st of January 2021
A banana blend sounds delicious! I'm not surprised she loved it. Such a great idea - thank you for sharing it!
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