Clean out and provide fresh water in water bowls every day. Provide multiple clean water sources around your house for the cat to drink from. Try giving your cat an electrolyte supplement or meat-flavored water from a trusted pet food store. Use a cat water fountain with fresh water to encourage them to drink.
In order to recover, your sick cat needs to have both food and water. When cats are ill they will often stop eating and drinking, therefore, it is important to monitor your cat's food and water intake so that you know when intervention is necessary.
Cats with dental infections, inflammation in the mouth or gastrointestinal disease may avoid drinking water due to the discomfort it causes them. Cats with underlying health issues may be more likely to become dehydrated, especially those with kidney issues, hyperthyroidism, some cancers and diabetes.
There are several different ways to administer SQ fluids, but the way that is best tolerated is usually by using a 'drip bag' (ie, the bag containing the sterile fluid for administration – this is actually most commonly given by intravenous drip, hence the name) and a length of 'drip tubing' attached to a needle which ...
Yet they still need water and can't survive longer than two or three days without access to it. "Once about 24 hours pass without water, dehydration sets in," she says. "The longer this goes on, the more stress and strain is placed on their internal organs, leading eventually to failure and death."
Not drinking enough water will cause dehydration if it goes on long enough. This is a serious condition that can even be fatal. Unfortunately, pet parents don't always notice the signs of dehydration in cats until they become severe.
So when it comes to water, the average time a cat can survive without it is three to four days. “Within 24 hours of not drinking water, cats will become dehydrated,” Dr. Burch told The Dodo. “The longer a cat is not drinking water, the worse dehydration will become, electrolyte imbalances will occur and organ damage.”
There are many causes of a reduction in appetite, and these include any illness causing nausea (feeling sick) or pain for example. A cat may also eat less if they are dehydrated or constipated.
Adding canned food, low-sodium chicken broth, or tuna to dry food and then warming it makes everything smell 10 times better and is more likely to entice your cat to eat. This is particularly helpful for cats who may be stuffy from upper respiratory infections.
Your cat needs more attention when sick. The cat might not like noise or high traffic, so keep him in a quiet space, away from any commotion. Provide a warm sleeping space, special food, and an easy-to-reach litter box. Make sure you don't provoke your cat or try to rile them up.
The key is to rehydrate your kitty slowly over time. If your cat does have access to water, but you realize they are dehydrated anyway, try to get your kitty to consume moisture any way you can. Sometimes a few drops of chicken broth in your cat's water can entice them to drink.
If your cat is still eating, you can increase her liquid intake by feeding canned food and/or adding water to her food. In some cases you may be able to give her water with an oral syringe or a squirt bottle, but this should be done carefully.
In addition to giving them a can of tuna or salmon here and there, you can also add more water to their food—whether it is wet or dry. Additionally, Dr. Fox says you can make your cat's water more palatable by adding a small amount of tuna water or chicken broth to it.
Add some flavour. Adding a few drops of tuna juice (from tuna packed in water, not oil) or chicken broth will make the water more enticing for your feline friend. Just make sure the flavouring doesn't include too much salt, as this is unhealthy for your cat.
Dehydrated cats will continue to urinate, as the body has to get rid of waste products.
Cats suffering from a minor infection or illness can recover very quickly once treatment begins, usually within a day or two. If the underlying condition is more serious, recovery could longer and require a number of different treatment approaches.
Most cats are very good at covering up illnesses, so increased thirst could be the first sign you notice. If you think your cat is drinking a lot more than usual, look out for these other common signs: Changes in appetite – eating more or less than usual.
Frequent Vomiting
If they are vomiting frequently – especially for two or more days – it could be a sign of serious problems, though. Keep in mind, too, that vomiting that persists for more than two days could lead to dehydration.
Do Not Give Milk to Cats. Cats, like many people are lactose intolerant. Therefore, providing milk for hydration isn't the best option since it can cause gastrointestinal issues such as vomiting and diarrhea. Both of these issues can prevent your cat from drinking and can cause or worsen dehydration.
Feline kidneys can filter out the salt from water, which allows them to consume and rehydrate by drinking salt water. While it's safe for your cat to occasionally drink from saltwater pools, and while they can tolerate higher salt intake than dogs, this does NOT mean that should consume large amounts of salt.
Also, it's probably best to avoid giving your cat cures for human dehydration like Pedialyte or sports drinks like Gatorade. Moyal says they can be too sugary and have too much sodium, respectively. Water is your best bet.