Due to this hot weather I am giving my cockapoo puppy frozen diluted (10:1) homemade pure chicken stock to help her keep cool and hydrated. If I was trying to protect a human from dehydration I would add a little salt, so is it the same for dogs?
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2Bit of a frame challenge - but what's wrong with water? In theory dogs would regulate the salt in their food intake with water so as a water substitute, the stock wouldn't need it, but in this case I'd be more concerned with the risk of the stock going bad. If its a fussy puppy, anything that works, but we just used to add ice to our late dog's water.– Journeyman Geek ♦Commented Jul 30 at 13:45
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@JourneymanGeek the frozen stock is only out for a short time and the puppy is more interested in it then water, she tends to eat less on hot days.– Ian RingroseCommented Jul 30 at 18:25
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@JourneymanGeek Interesting after using some cheese and ham to desensitise her to the hair dryer she have started to drink more water.– Ian RingroseCommented Jul 30 at 20:52
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Please keep in mind that it's perfectly normal for dogs (and humans) to eat less on hot days. That being said, some ice cubes surely won't hurt her and are a nice treat, but personally I wouldn't add any salt to them. Humans have a higher need for salt because we sweat a lot, but dogs don't sweat, so they need less salt.– Elmy ♦Commented Jul 31 at 5:38
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2 Answers
A little wouldn't hurt - but generally folks tend to avoid it, especially for smaller dogs. In general, balanced dog food contains whatever salt they need and they sort of self regulate via water intake.
I think there's 2 elements here. Dogs don't sweat the same way humans do, and lose as much salt through sweat. They pant, and to an extent, lose heat via their skin. These processes excrete less salt that sweating.
The other is outside some of the worst cases, where you need oral rehydration therapy, or drinks meant for athletes, you probably don't need the salt even for humans. When I was in the military, we hardly, if ever relied on isotonic or added salt to prevent heat stroke. We just drank water in large quantities. You probably don't need the added salt to ensure proper hydration.
Your dog's food should have the necessary amount of salt for them and I suspect a SMALL quantity wouldn't hurt, the examples AKC gives for too much salt seems to be dogs getting into pure salt,
As for safety, I quote the above article
According to the American College of Veterinary Pharmacists, salt toxicosis can occur when a dog eats as little as two to three grams of sodium chloride for every kilogram of body weight.
Which isn't very much - a teaspoon is ~6g, and that is a small breed puppy. I feel like its a better idea not to, simply because a 'safe' amount here is very very small.
I'd say that on the whole, you shouldn't need to - and if you do, it should be sparingly. There's probably more value here in positive reinforcement for drinking water, and perhaps ensuring there's cool water in ensuring your pup is properly hydrated.
answered Jul 30 at 23:51
In reference to "If I was trying to protect a human from dehydration I would add a little salt, so is it the same for dogs?"
Most of the information here is right, but I would like to add about salt in general. Dogs being mostly carnivore mostly get salt from the blood of their prey.
Out of the six taste buds dogs have salt is one of the least important.
"Saltiness (dog taste buds).
This is the ability to discern salt in liquids or dried. The “amiloride-blockable sodium channels on the tongues of dogs.
(Avenet and Lindemann, 1988). (Ref 1) Unlike humans and other animals, dogs do not have an affinity for salt. Most carnivores do not crave salt.This is likely because their ancestors "diet consisted of roughly 80 percent meat in the wild, and meat is a very salty food. Making salt less palatable is nature’s way of prohibiting excess salt intake"
(Ref 2)Compared to people, dogs can’t taste salt very well. That’s because they evolved to eat meat, and meat naturally contains enough salt to satisfy their body’s need for it without them having to seek it out. But they can still taste it.
Source: https://www.healthydogtreats.com.au/dog-taste-buds/
Ref 1: Do Dogs Have Taste Buds? By Dr. Kaitlin Wurtz July 10, 2020
Ref 2: Can Dogs Taste? By Katie Finlay Mar 17, 2017
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There is probably a good chance that your chicken stock contains enough salt by itself. So no, I would never suggest adding SALT to any dog food or dog treat. Commercial dog food usually has salt and sugar and oils added to make bland grains taste attractive or at least different. The salt added (above what is in the meat) is not needed.
In fact dogs are more likely to have a mechanism to remind them to get rid of salt rather than require additional. The mechanism is via their taste bud that senses WATER. Unlike humans, dogs have a specific bud that provides a taste/ enjoyment from drinking water. it is thought that this is so after they have eaten prey (and the salt in the blood, that a taste and enjoyment of water, is used to flush excess salt that they have just eaten.
Just feeding your dog commercial dog food (that often has salt added) and meat based treats (that naturally contain salt) should be plenty of salt in their body already. Hope that helps.
