My Cocker Spaniel

Definitions & Formulas

dehydration

Dehydration in clinical practice refers to the loss of body water at a rate greater than the body can replace it.

daily energy requirement (DER)

DER represents the average daily energy expenditure of any animal, dependent on lifestage and activity.

resting energy requirement (RER)

RER represents the energy requirement for a normal but fed animal at rest in a thermoneutral environment.

daily water requirement

The daily water requirement of dogs and cats, expressed in milliliters/day, is roughly equivalent to the daily energy requirement (DER) in kilocalories/day (for dogs 1.6 x resting energy requirement [RER], for cats 1.2 x RER).

daily water requirement

70 × (weight in kilograms)^0.75 × 1.6 = (volume in milliliters)/day

$$70\times {\left(W\right)}^{0.75}\times 1.6=V$$

Examples

1. What is the daily water requirement of a 24 pound cocker spaniel?

• Convert pounds to kilograms
  • 1 kilogram ≈ 2.205 pounds
  • 24 ÷ 2.205 ≈ 10.884
• Enter the pet's weight into the water requirement equation. To calculate 10.884^.75 use the x^y exponent calculator key. Enter 10.884, x^y key, then .75.
  • V = 70 × (weight in kilograms)^0.75 × 1.6
  • V = 70 × (10.884)^0.75 × 1.6
  • V = 70 × 5.992 × 1.6
  • V = 419.440 × 1.6
  • V ≈ 671.104

• To convert milliliters to cups use the following equation then enter your values.
  • Cups ≈ 1 milliliter ≈ 0.0338 ounces ÷ 8
  • Cups ≈ 671.104 × 0.0338 ÷ 8
  • Cups ≈ 22.683 ÷ 8
  • Cups ≈ 2.835
• To convert 2.835 cups to cups with ounces use the whole number for cups. Then multiply the remainder by 8 for ounces.
  • Cups and Ounces: cups = whole number; ounces = remainder × 8
  • Cups = 2; 0.835 × 8
  • Cups = 2; Ounces ≈ 6.680

So this cocker spaniel has a daily water requirement of approximately 671 milliliters per day or 2 cups and 6.7 ounces.

2. What is the daily water requirement of a 12 kilogram cocker spaniel?

• Enter the pet's weight into the water requirement equation. To calculate 12^.75 use the x^y exponent calculator key. Enter 12, x^y key, then .75.
  • V = 70 × (weight in kilograms)^0.75 × 1.6
  • V = 70 × (12)^0.75 × 1.6
  • V = 70 × 6.447 × 1.6
  • V = 451.290 × 1.6
  • V ≈ 722.064

• To convert milliliters to cups use the following equation then enter your values.
  • Cups ≈ 1 milliliter ≈ 0.0338 ounces ÷ 8
  • Cups ≈ 722.064 × 0.0338 ÷ 8
  • Cups ≈ 24.406 ÷ 8
  • Cups ≈ 3.051
• To convert 3.051 cups to cups with ounces use the whole number for cups. Then multiply the remainder by 8 for ounces.
  • Cups and Ounces: cups = whole number; ounces = remainder × 8
  • Cups = 3; 0.051 × 8
  • Cups = 3; Ounces ≈ 0.408

So this cocker spaniel has a daily water requirement of approximately 722 milliliters per day or 3 cups and 0.4 ounces.

General Rule

I hope you found this page interesting and informational. Although, a dog's water requirements are dynamic and very day to day. ALWAYS PROVIDE YOUR DOG WITH CLEAN FRESH WATER unless your vet specifies otherwise. Your dog is the best judge of how much water he needs. Just keep that bowl full 😁

Water Requirements for Cocker Spaniels

This applies to pets lying around the house. Pets playing outdoors will need more water.

Dehydration in Dogs

Dogs don't lose much water from sweating like humans. Water loss occurs through urine, feces and breaths (respiration). Exercise and strenuous activity can double or quadruple water requirements. Working dogs, such as police K-9s and sled dogs are at increased risk of dehydration. The combination of environment and activity can increase canine water loss 10-20 times above normal through respiration.

Causes & Risk Factors for Dehydration

• Lack of water
• Neglect
• Hot weather
• Strenuous activity
• Poor health, disease (e.g. diabetes), illness (e.g. diarrhea)
• Age: puppies and senior dogs
• Owner awareness and education

Signs & Symptoms of Dehydration

• Thirst
• Poor skin turgor
• Dry mucous membranes
• Decreased appetite
• Sunken eyes
• Increased heart rate
• Weak pulse
• Dry stool or constipation
• Difficulty walking (severe dehydration)
• Shock, death (severe dehydration)

For Dogs at Risk for Kidney Stones

• Ensure multiple bowls of fresh water are available in prominent locations in the dog's environment. This may mean providing several bowls outside as well as inside including each level of the home.
• Add small amounts of flavoring (e.g. salt-free bouillon) to make water more palatable.
• Offer ice cubes as treats.
• Use canned dog food to help prevent concentrated urine.
• If dry food is used, add liberal amounts of water.

Anecdote

This seems like a lot of water but don't forget your pet gets water from his food as well. Dry foods contain around 8% water while canned food contains about 75% water. I've search several sources on their recommendation with varying results. Information by the Canadian government suggests dogs should have 80 milliliters of water per kilogram of body weight. Veterinarian, Janet Tobiassen Crosby, recommends dogs and cats should have 30 milliliters of water per pound of body weight which comes close to the formula on this page.

I've never really paid attention to how much my cocker Gabby drinks. His bowl holds 2 ½ cups of water. It seldom goes empty but then again we're always filling it with fresh water. He's a fat boy at 36 pounds so he should need about 4 cups of water a day.

References

• Hand, M. S., Thatcher, C. D., Rimillard, R. L., & Roudebush, P. (Eds.). (2000) Small Animal Clinical Nutrition. (4th ed.). Marceline, MO: Walsworth.
• Warrington, P. D. (2001, September 17). Animal weights and their food and water requirements. Retrieved from http://www.elp.gov.bc.ca/wat/wq/reference/foodandwater.html
• Tobiassen, J. C. (n.d.). Veterinary Q & A - Should I Call The Vet? Part I. Retrieved September 19, 2005, from http://vetmedicine.about.com/cs/diseasesall/a/whentocallvet.htm
• Bohm, R. P., & Gilbert, M. H. (2012). Emergency medicine and critical care for nonhuman primates. Nonhuman primates in biomedical research, 1, 359-389.
• Thomas, D. R., Cote, T. R., Lawhorne, L., Levenson, S. A., Rubenstein, L. Z., Smith, D. A., ... & Council, D. (2008). Understanding clinical dehydration and its treatment. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 9(5), 292-301.
• Taylor, A. J., & Kuhl, E. A. (2023, October 28). EMS Canine Evaluation and Treatment of Dehydration. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK597364/
• Reynolds, A. J., Sneddon, K., Reinhart, G., Hinchcliff, K., & Swenson, R. (1998). Hydration strategies for exercising dogs. Recent Advances in Canine and Feline Nutrition, 11, 259-267.