Listen up and keep that dog bowl full of water at all times. You know, people are made up of a large percentage of water; without water a human being would be completely unable to survive, so what makes people think that a dog can survive without enough fresh, clean water? Just like people, a huge fraction of a dog's overall makeup is water, so without enough water a dog will be unable to survive. It’s not difficult to provide a dog with enough water in clean ceramic dog bowls every day but needless to say there are many dogs out there in the world that die due to lack of clean water. While some of this is due to neglect, some of it is due to misunderstanding. While people as a whole tend to love dogs and the companionship they provide, not everybody is nearly as educated about the health needs of their pet as they should be. Clean water is an important part of your dog's health and is necessary for their survival, just as essential as nutritious food if not more so. For those out there who need a bit more convincing, here are three facts that prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that water is the most critical element to your canine's survival.

Your Dog Knows What He Needs

Scientifically speaking, your dog requires a base amount of 2 milliliters of water per pound of weight on their body. If they are thirty pounds, they will require sixty milliliters of water; if your dog is sixty pounds he will require at the very minimum 120 milliliters of water per day. By no means does this mean that you should only provide your dog with a couple milliliters of water per pound of their weight, but at the very minimum your dog could survive on that. Trust your dog to know what he needs, and leave an unlimited supply of clean water out for them at all times. With a constant bowl of water in front of them, your dog will drink much more than that two milliliters per pound—just be sure that he has a way to get outdoors to relieve himself!

Water is Used to Absorb Nutrients and Perform Bodily Functions

Dog food is about more than filling your canine's belly. It is about getting vital nutrients to the organs in the body that needs them for essential function. Without enough water, there is no way that your dog's body will be able to consistently absorb the nutrients that they need to be healthy. Water can help to carry nutrients to the various cells throughout the body, including the skin cells and the various cells inside the bodily organs. Water is also needed to help the body eliminate waste and get toxic poisons out of the body as well, so in the event that a dog becomes dehydrated he may be unable to properly defecate.

Water Keeps His Temperature Stable

Every year many dogs die of dehydration and heat exhaustion. With proper hydration, many dogs who died from the heat could have potentially survived. Water is one of the key components for helping your dog to maintain a steady body temperature, and without it he risks overheating even if the weather doesn't seem unbearably hot. There are so many reasons why your pet must have enough clean water every day, but these are the most important three. If nothing else, dogs love water and it is the perfect treat for them on a hot day after a long walk. If you have a hard time remembering to keep your pet properly watered, you might want to consider investing in raised dog feeders for your pet as they have deeper bowls than some of the regular pet bowls and if you fill both sides with water, they have much more of it to last them throughout the day.