The first point to determine if your dog is dehydrated: Pay attention to your dog’s behavior

If a dehydrated dog still has energy, he will look for water to drink. If your dog is dehydrated, you may notice some unusual behavior, such as being restless or pacing as if looking for water. If your dog cannot find enough water, he may lick his lips repeatedly and appear anxious. When some dogs are dehydrated, they will lie on the ground with their noses against the water bowl.

Second point to determine if your dog is dehydrated: Check the dog’s nape

Pulling up the skin on your dog’s nape is a very traditional test for dehydration, and you may have seen veterinarians at animal clinics do this. This test actually tests skin elasticity recoil, which becomes less elastic in dehydrated skin. Follow these steps to test it yourself: Find your dog's scruff, which is the loose skin on the shoulders or back of the neck. Grasp the skin at the nape of your neck and gently pull it up 5 to 7.5 centimeters. Release and observe the nape of your neck. The skin with sufficient moisture will rebound immediately. Dehydrated skin becomes less elastic and does not bounce back as quickly. If the skin takes more than 2 seconds to return to normal, the dog is dehydrated.

The third point to determine if your dog is dehydrated: Check your dog’s gums

Early signs of dehydration can be seen from the gums. Normal dog gums are moist, shiny, and very similar to human gums. Dehydrated animals produce little saliva and their gums are often dry or sticky. Be aware that when an animal is anxious or frightened, its gums may also become dry. Keep your dog relaxed when checking the gums to avoid being misled.

The fourth point to determine dog dehydration: Check the dog’s urine

If the dog does not drink enough water, the body will automatically retain water. In this case, his bladder may not urinate because he has no urine, or his urine may be very concentrated. Concentrated urine is a dark yellow color because your dog's kidneys are working hard to recycle the water in the body and try to retain it. Pay attention to whether your dog urinates less often than usual or if his urine is an unusual color.