Want your dog to drink more? Use chicken flavouring

Electrolyte drinks may be an effective solution to help our canine friends stay hydrated, according to a study published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science.

Sniffer dogs, such as search and rescue or police dogs, work in very challenging environments that can include immense heat, long hours and working to the point of exhaustion. These conditions can cause severe dehydration and heat stroke, which the study highlighted as being one of the most common potentially preventable causes of death in military working dogs.

Since dogs barely sweat, they rely on panting to cool their body temperature, meaning they overheat very easily.

Three common methods are used to hydrate dogs:

1. Plain drinking water.
2. Subcutaneous hydration, which is injecting the dog with water and electrolytes.
3. Drinks containing electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium.

However, electrolyte drinks have caused controversy in the past as critics have argued they cause an unhealthy build-up of electrolytes in the body, since they cannot be released through sweat.

"People use different techniques to hydrate working dogs," said Cynthia Otto from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. "Dog handlers disagree about the most effective method, and since there was no data on the safety or effectiveness of each technique, we wanted to provide some clarity."

Researchers conducted the first comparison of the three hydration strategies in seven vehicle-screening sniffer dogs working for Customs and Border Protection at the Sarita, Texas, border. After taking several measurements for each dog, including their hydration levels, fluid intake and work performance, Otto concluded "all the hydration techniques were safe and effective".

The hydration method did not appear to have an impact on the dogs’ behaviour, body temperature or work performance. While large quantities of electrolytes can lead to high levels of sodium in the body causing negative health implications, the study showed the dogs did not suffer any ill effects. Those who drank a large amount of the electrolytes excreted the sodium in their urine, meaning their blood levels remained normal.

However, the research did find that they drank significantly more of the chicken-flavoured electrolyte drink than water and had greater hydration levels.

Since previous research has suggested that dogs drank very little when offered a non-flavoured electrolyte drink, the researchers assumed that the increased consumption of the chicken-flavoured drink was a result of the taste itself. The chicken flavour may have caused the dogs to assume it was a treat, making them more inclined to consume more, but more research would be needed to test this theory.

"If a dog is reluctant to drink, then a highly palatable flavoured electrolyte solution may give them a boost," said Otto. "However, these are healthy dogs in a controlled environment, and we don't know if all electrolyte or flavouring approaches are created equal, so we will need to do further work."