If your dog is vomiting or having diarrhea, then you should speak with your vet before attempting to treat them at home. While dehydration is dangerous, the underlying cause of the dehydration needs to be diagnosed and treated, as well. Typically, a vet is required for this purpose. If your dog is dehydrated, then Pedialyte may not be enough to keep them hydrated. Often, dogs will require IV fluids if they are severely dehydrated. Medication to prevent further dehydration due to diarrhea and vomiting may also be necessary. Simply put, Pedialyte is safe for dogs. However, it is not a great treatment option, since the formula does not have a suitable amount of electrolyte for dogs. Plus, your dog should be seen by a vet if they are severely dehydrated.
How Much Pedialyte Can I Give My Dog?
You should speak to your vet about the correct dosage for your canine. Dogs can vary widely in size. Very small dogs will need much less than a Great Dane. For this reason, providing a generalized dosage is challenging. However, the usual recommended dose is 2-4 mL per pound of body weight. This dosage should be given every 1-2 hours. You can provide this in a syringe, though many dogs will lap up the solution, as well. Furthermore, you can freeze the solution and offer is as ice cubes. With that said, this solution is often not enough to prevent serious dehydration if your dog is actively vomiting or having diarrhea. Therefore, you should speak with your vet for a complete treatment plan – not just give your dehydrated dog Pedialyte.
What Happens If My Dog Drinks Pedialyte?
Pedialyte is not a great option for dogs. However, nothing terrible will happen to your canine if they consume Pedialyte. If they accidentally lap some up after a spill, there is no reason to worry. Yet, that doesn’t mean that you should give your dog tons of Pedialyte. If your dog is dehydrated, simple water is often the best option. If they become severely dehydrated, we recommend speaking to your vet. Often, the underlying reason of the dehydration needs to be treated. Your vet is the best option for this, as they can run test and determine why your dog is dehydrated. Sometimes, Pedialyte can make vomiting worse. It doesn’t contain the correct ingredients to keep your dog hydrated. However, some of these ingredients can make your dog’s stomach churn. Therefore, it may make their dehydration worse in the end. Pedialyte is not formulated for pets. While it isn’t toxic, it also can’t help with dehydration to the degree it does with people. Instead, water or IV fluids are the best option for most dogs. The sodium and sugar amount in Pedialyte is far too high for most canines. While a little Pedialyte isn’t typically an issue, given long term it can cause diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease. Dogs may become overweight or even obese. Therefore, this option isn’t the best for most dogs.
Is Plain Pedialyte Safe for Dogs?
Technically, this drink is safe for dogs. It doesn’t contain anything toxic and works similarly to water for this reason. However, that doesn’t mean that you should give your dog Pedialyte if you think they are dehydrated. Dogs become dehydrated for a reason. Pedialyte is not enough to prevent dehydration unless that underlying reason is treated. Therefore, dogs may need medication to prevent diarrhea or vomiting to prevent fluid loss. Furthermore, Pedialyte can actually make vomiting and diarrhea worse in some pets, making them more dehydrated. In the case that it works, Pedialyte can cover up symptoms of an underlying condition. Your dog may need to be seen by a vet to get the underlying issue resolved. However, by giving them Pedialyte, you may unknowingly be covering up this underlying problem until it gets worse.
Can You Give Dogs Pedialyte for Dehydration?
While you can give your dog Pedialyte, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you should. Pedialyte may prevent dogs from becoming severely dehydrated for a short period of time. However, it can make diarrhea and vomiting worse in some dogs, which can make dehydration worse. Furthermore, Pedialyte is designed for humans – not dogs. Therefore, it doesn’t work as well for dogs as it does for humans. it contains excessive levels of sugar and sodium, which can cause health problems for dogs when used long-term. Plus, there is typically a reason that your dog is so dehydrated. This underlying cause needs to be diagnosed and treated, which means that your dog needs to get seen by a vet.
How Can I Hydrate My Dog Fast?
The fastest way to hydrate a dog is with an IV drip. For this reason, very dehydrated dogs are often hospitalized and put on IV fluids. IV fluids are useful for many different illnesses, including those that can’t be treated directly. For this reason, if your dog consuming something toxic or has a really bad stomach virus, they may need to be admitted to the vet’s office for IV fluids. While these issues can’t be treated directly, providing IV fluids prevents dehydration and can lower the chance of worse symptoms. Another way to hydrate a dog is through administering fluids underneath the skin. These create a “camel hump” under the dog’s skin, which is reabsorbed over a few hours. This sort of method is typically only used if the dog cannot stay hooked up to an IV drip for one reason or another. Oral hydration methods are often recommended and can be helpful if your dog can keep fluids down. However, many dogs become dehydrated because they are unable to keep fluids down. In this case, oral fluids may be restricted until your dog’s symptoms have lessened. Often, to help your dog recover, other medications will need to be given. For instance, antibiotics, anti-sickness medications, and similar medications can all be useful for dehydrated dogs. Usually, there is an underlying reason your dog is dehydrated. Solving this problem can help them consume liquids on their own and prevent further dehydration.
Conclusion
Pedialyte is designed to help rehydrate humans, particularly small children. It can be used in this manner for dogs, as well. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it is the best choice for all dogs out there. In many cases, a dehydrated dog needs to see the local vet. Dehydration is usually caused by an underlying problem, and that underlying issue needs to be addressed. While Pedialyte may help reduce the dehydration, it won’t treat the underlying reason. Therefore, it just works as a band-aid. Your vet may recommend Pedialyte if the cause of your dog’s dehydration is known. However, in many cases, you’ll need to visit your vet for this to be determined.
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The usual recommended dose is 2-4 mL per pound of body weight. This dosage should be given every 1-2 hours. What should I do if my dog is vomiting and having diarrhea? If your dog is vomiting or having diarrhea, then you should speak with your vet before attempting to treat them at home. While dehydration is dangerous, the underlying cause of the dehydration needs to be diagnosed and treated, as well. Typically, a vet is required for this purpose.
