Dehydration

Dehydration is a body water deficit, occurring when fluid losses exceed intake, and it can result from too little drinking, vomiting, diarrhoea, intense heat, or diseases that increase losses such as [chronic kidney disease](/glossary/chronic-kidney-disease) or [diabetes mellitus](/glossary/diabetes-mellitus). Water is essential to all vital functions, and a deficit has rapid consequences: possible signs include reduced skin elasticity, dry mucous membranes, lethargy and, in advanced cases, shock, making dehydration a potential emergency especially in the young, old or sick animal (WSAVA; veterinary literature). On the dietary side, water intake influences hydration, and [wet food](/glossary/wet-food) contains a much higher water share than dry kibble, which is of particular interest in cats, a species that drinks little spontaneously and is prone to urinary conditions such as [feline lower urinary tract disease](/glossary/flutd). Clean, fresh water should always be available, and during diarrhoea or vomiting the risk of dehydration warrants vigilance and often veterinary advice. The marker: promoting hydration, notably through wet food in cats, is part of preventing certain urinary disorders, which ties dehydration to both diet format and water access across the [Petipedia glossary](/glossary). A persistent change in drinking, in either direction, also overlaps with [polydipsia](/glossary/polydipsia) as a warning sign.

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