How Much Water Should a Yorkie Puppy Drink?

There are a lot of things that you need to consider when you bring home a Yorkie puppy. One topic to really watch out for when it comes to the health of your Yorkie is how much they drink during the day. Many Yorkie owners wonder how much water their Yorkie puppy will need to drink.

A Yorkie puppy needs to drink between 1 to 1.5 ounces of water per pound of weight. This can help you figure out how much water they need based on their size. If the weather is really warm or they exercise quite a bit, then you can give them more than that to make sure they do not get dehydrated. If they drink too much more or less than this, it is a sign that something is wrong and you should discuss it with their vet.

Let’s take a closer look at how to properly hydrate your Yorkie puppy to ensure they will not get sick and that they can stay healthy for you for a long time.

How Much Water Should a Yorkie Puppy Drink?

It is important to make sure that your Yorkie is getting the amount of water that they need. This will help to prevent dehydration and can make them feel better and stay healthy. But many Yorkie owners wonder how much they need to give their Yorkie in order to keep the puppy healthy without overdoing it.

Just like humans, your Yorkie is going to need water on a regular basis. This is needed for all the body functions to do well, from the brain to the heart. The amount of water that your Yorkie will need depends on a few factors.

You have to consider their activity level, health status, how much water is already in some of the food that the Yorkie eats, and how hot it is around the Yorkie. For example, your Yorkie will need more water in the summer than in the winter and if they have just finished a long walk, you may need to give them more too.

With all of this in mind, it may seem like a complicated matter to figure out how much water your dog will need. However, your Yorkie will need between 1 to 1.5 ounces for each pound of body weight. This may seem like a small amount of water for the Yorkie, but since they are so small, this is perfect for them. Some guidelines for the exact amount of water your Yorkie will need includes:

• 1 pound they will need 1 to 1.5 ounces of water
• 2 pounds they will need 2 to 3 ounces of water
• 3 pounds they will need 3 to 4.5 ounces
• 4 pounds they will need 4 to 6 ounces
• 5 pounds will need 5 to 7.5 ounces
• 6 pounds will need between 6 to 9 ounces

If you are feeding the Yorkie a type of food that is low in water or they are really active and spend a lot of time outside, then they can drink up to 10% more water than usual and be just fine.

If they drink a lot more or a lot less than these numbers though, then there are potential health issues that you need to worry about.

What Will Happen If My Yorkie Doesn’t Drink Enough?

It is important to make sure that your Yorkie is getting the amount of water that they need. If your Yorkie does not get the amount of water they need, this can cause mild dehydration that will put a strain on the kidneys and can affect their energy levels overall.

When the Yorkie is undergoing heat stress from being outside too long in the summer, then this can be a life-threatening condition that you need to look into right away.

Even a small amount of dehydration is not good for your dog. If the dog is losing 1 to 5% of their body fluid, they may struggle to focus and listening to your commands. If they get up to 5% body fluid loss, then they can have bad breath, problems with muscle pain or constipation, and dry skin issues.

The issues will get worse the more fluid they lose. If they lose between 5 to 10% of the body fluid, then this is a type of moderate dehydration and will quickly turn into a serious issue when the treatment is not given quickly.

Some of the signs that this is going on include urine that is dark, heavy breathing, dry mouth or nose, and weakness in the puppy. It is important to get them inside and provide them with some water right away when this problem happens.

If the water loss gets worse than this, it is time for some drastic changes. This can happen quickly in the heat with a Yorkie because they are so small. If the Yorkie loses up to 15% of their fluid, then they are in severe dehydration.

Do not wait; get to the vet right away. There can be all the signs above along with tremors of the muscles, seizures, and sometimes even a coma if it is not helped.

The good news is that it is easy to keep your Yorkie hydrated. Offer them lots of water when it is hot outside and do not overwork them during the summer or let them be left alone on really hot days. This can help keep them hydrated and prevents some of the issues that we talked about before.

How to Know If My Yorkie is Getting Enough to Drink?

Outside of the signs that we listed above, there are a few things that you can look for to determine whether your Yorkie is getting the amount of water that they need or not. Some of the signs to look at include:

• If you think that the Yorkie is not getting enough water, then it is time to track their water intake. You can keep note of this for a week to get the average and see whether the Yorkie is getting enough water each day. You may be surprised that they are getting plenty. If not, then you will need to look for ways to add some more water to their diet.
• You can test out the Yorkie’s capillary refill time as well. The gums will have tiny blood vessels. When you apply pressure to a small spot of the gums, the blood is forced out. When you let go, the blood will flow back in. a delayed time can be a sign that the Yorkie is not getting the water they need.
• You can check the urine as well. If the Yorkie is drinking enough water, then the urine will be a light yellow. If it turns into a dark yellow color, then your Yorkie is starting to get dehydrated. If you see it as another color, this is a sign that the Yorkie has another issue and you need to discuss it with their vet.

It is important to give your Yorkie the amount of water that they need. If you see any of the signs above, then it is time to get them more water. Keep their water bowl full, make sure that the water is fresh and cool, and even offer them some fresh or frozen fruit to help them get some of that extra water.

The Yorkie does not need a ton of water like some of the bigger dogs, but it is still important that they get the amount of water that is necessary to help stay hydrated and to avoid some major health problems down the line.

What If My Yorkie Drinks Too Fast?

It is possible that your Yorkie will get thirsty and try to drink too fast. While water is good for them, you need to make sure that they do not drink too quickly. The most common issue that will happen with your Yorkie if they drink too fast is that their stomach will get upset or they will start to vomit right after they are done drinking.

No Yorkie owner wants to see their Yorkie get sick. But there is a bigger issue that the vomiting can make the Yorkie get rid of all the water that they just drank plus more, and then you need to worry about dehydration.

The best way to solve this is to make sure that your Yorkie gets water on a consistent basis so that they will not feel like they need to gulp it down in a few seconds when they see it.

Keeping Yorkie Hydrated

It is important to take care of your Yorkie and make sure that they get the amount of hydration that they need. This will ensure that they are able to feel good, can keep them healthy, and allows their bodies to do normal functions.

By following the recommended water amounts each day, you can help keep your Yorkie as healthy as possible.