How to Detect Dehydration In Your Puppy

Monitor your puppy for signs of dehydration, as it can kill a puppy quickly.

Dehydration kills puppies lightning fast. If you are a dog breeder or own a puppy, you need to know how to detect dehydration in your puppy, so you can get proper treatment started ASAP. Fortunately, detecting dehydration in your puppy is a simple matter of following a few straightforward steps.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Nothing but a puppy and your fingers.

1. Put your puppy somewhere it will hold still for more than a few seconds. A counter usually works, as you will need a good view. Be sure to put a towel underneath your puppy.

2. Lift up the skin at the back of the puppy's neck. Make a sort of "tent" with it, as if you were going to give a vaccination.

3. Let go. If the skin goes back into place immediately, your puppy is likely just fine. If the skin stays in place for any length of time, they are likely dehydrated. Keep in mind this test is not necessarily as effective on heavily wrinkled breeds.

4. Severely dehydrated puppies will also get the appearance of sunken eyes. If you see this, it is time for an immediate trip to your veterinarian.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep some Pedialyte on hand if you own a puppy or planning a litter to be born. A call to your vet over dehydration will likely follow with instructions to give the puppy Pedialyte. Pedialyte only lasts for two days once opened so, if possible, purchase the small containers.

References

• Daily Puppy; Signs & Symptoms of Dehydration in Puppies; Tucker Cummings
• ASPCA: Dehydration