As we endure the “dog days of summer” nationwide, pet parents must be very vigilant about the importance of proper hydration for dogs. It seems obvious that thirsty dogs will drink water if we provide it, right? And that we as their guardians can prevent them from drinking too much water too quickly.

But we know that dogs can develop eating disorders across the spectrum from depressed appetites and picky eating to eating too much too fast. Similarly, dogs can also develop “drinking problems” that must be addressed to prevent a bad habit from becoming a health challenge. Here are some important points to consider:

1: Some dogs just aren’t as attracted to water as others; they are Picky Drinkers, and don’t drink enough water, especially in very hot weather. This seems contradictory, but the stress of the heat depresses their thirst mechanism. This is an evolutionary trait, because canines in the wild often face extreme climate conditions and must get by with very little water. That’s another reason why they need to eat game to survive. Prey game is indeed the original “wet food for canines.”

2: On the opposite side of the “doggy drinking problem” curve are dogs who are voracious drinkers, and gulp down very large amounts of water in one sitting. This may happen after exercise or walks in hot weather. The problem with this is that plain tap or purified water is lacking in electrolytes and can throw the body out of balance in an effect known as “water intoxication.” In this syndrome, the dog’s system can’t handle the excess water flooding the cells. This dilution “drowns the cells” and can create a temporary but potentially serious deficiency of sodium and other critical electrolyte minerals. In extreme cases, this can be very dangerous. Extreme water intake after vigorous exercise and food consumption has been theorized (but not proven) as a potential trigger for the potentially fatal syndrome known commonly as “bloat.” The scientific name for bloat is Gastric Dilation and Volvulus, abbreviated by veterinarians as GDV.)

3: It’s important To be vigilant and pay attention to your dog’s water intake. It’s also critical to not feed plain dry food or freeze dried food without thoroughly hydrating it. SuperGravy and water mixed in your dog’s food is the ideal tool for healthy hydration at every meal. But however you hydrate dry food for dogs, make sure that you DO hydrate it thoroughly.

4: SuperGravy Broth can be a very important part of managing and preventing these water consumption extremes in dogs. Here’s how:

• The taste and smell of broth may encourage more water consumption when dogs are hesitant or resisting drinking plain water;
• SuperGravy broth prevents water intoxication. The reason is that these healthy broths provide natural electrolytes in every sip. The electrolytes come from the whole food ingredients included in SuperGravy, not from added synthetic minerals. Drinking SuperGravy broth means that a dog is getting helpful amounts of electrolytes as well as protein, antioxidants, probiotics, prebiotics, and digestive enzymes. All of these benefits come while your dog is enjoying a deliciously nutritious broth!

5: Making SuperGravy broth is “super easy.” Just add three scoops of any SuperGravy formula to a quart of water, shake well, and chill in the fridge a few hours. Shake vigorously again before serving: the ingredients in SuperGravy are all natural, with no artificial emulsifiers. Some ingredients will settle at the bottom of your water container.

6: Did you know that SuperGravy broth costs less than $2 per quart to make? Compare this to bone broths on the market that cost $6 to $10 per quart. Ready to use broths are pasteurized, so they lack the living energy of SuperGravy, which includes active probiotics, prebiotics, and digestive enzymes.

7: With SuperGravy, you’ll not only be making a healthy choice for your dog, you’ll be making the right choice for your wallet by saving as much as 75% when you choose to make your own SuperGravy broth at home, instead of buying expensive premade pasteurized bone broth.