Surely you remember from the course of school biology that any organism is 80% water. Without food, you can hold out for quite some time, but if you do not update your fluid supply, you can reach the finals very quickly. This applies not only to man, but also to his faithful friend - the dog. Owners are often careless, leaving for several days to rest and leaving the animal unattended, and sometimes locked. Today we’ll talk about how long a dog can live without food.
The problem of modernity
A man hurries through life. He has business, meetings, deals. The fact that a faithful dog is waiting at home, he sometimes can not remember. The animal cannot call and remind itself, it will not call for help. Do not forget that only you are responsible for those who have tamed. Each owner should have an idea of how much the dog can live without food in order to be aware of the features of the functioning of its body. To prevent a hunger strike from affecting the animal’s health, it should not last more than two days. During this time, the dog will have time to get hungry well, but nothing more.
Tragedies unfold nearby
Usually we just don’t want to see them, but this does not make them smaller. Dogs are locked in a car and left in the hot sun. They can be thrown tied to a tree, left on a chain in the yard of a country house. How long can a dog live without food in such conditions? Veterinarians say about two weeks. In practice, there have been cases where a dog tied to a tree managed to live for three months, sometimes catching birds suitable for it. But this is an isolated case. Most animals would die within the first month. Human cruelty sometimes knows no bounds.
Personal involvement
Of course, this imposes responsibility on each of us. If a dog howls desperately for more than one day, you must definitely go and make sure that the owners are in place and have a conversation with them. If it turns out that the animal is abandoned, then care should be taken to provide it with food and water, and also inform the nearest shelter. Perhaps today the dog will be transferred to overexposure, where he will begin to look for a new family.
It is difficult to unequivocally answer the question of how long a dog can live without food. It depends on her state of health, age, and many other factors. Being under stress, she may not touch food and water for days.
What can aggravate a hungry dog
First of all, the lack of water. In this case, the chances of survival are sharply reduced. How many days a dog can live without food, you already know. It is clear that in some cases we can count on a successful outcome. But if she does not have water for more than 1-2 days, then the condition will soon become critical.
What other factors can aggravate the condition of the animal:
- Disease. In severe cases of viral diseases, the animal refuses to even look in the direction of the bowl, and very soon stop drinking water.
- Winter is on the street. In this case, most of the energy will go to heating. The smaller the dog, the more often it needs to eat in order to survive.
- Physical condition and size. If a large and healthy animal is left without food, then it will last much longer.
Wild ancestors
Developing the theme of how long a dog can live without food, many refer to its wild ancestors. Yes, no one feeds wolves three times a day. But they have behind them generations of animals that normally survive under similar conditions. They can comfortably do without water for a week and without food for about three weeks.
Domestic dogs are not capable of such feats. Scientists did not set their task in practice to establish how much a dog can live without food and water, but the experience of veterinarians makes it clear that in such conditions a poor animal can survive no more than four days.
Effects
Even if the animal has survived after a long hunger strike and dehydration, irreversible processes can begin in its body. The dog will need the help of a veterinarian, but even with the best scenario, dystrophy, rickets and digestive problems will remain with her forever. In most cases, paws fail in dogs: first the hind, and then the front.
If you find an exhausted animal, take it to a doctor immediately. Do not try to feed him yourself. Of course, if you find a dog that did not eat for just one or two days, then a cup of warm porridge with meat is the best thing you can offer. This also applies to pets who refused to eat on their own. If on the second day the dog did not touch the bowl, you should immediately take him to the veterinarian.
How much water does an animal need?
Water dissolves and transfers nutrients. That is, for the normal functioning of all organs and systems, a sufficient amount is needed. During illness, in hot weather, with vomiting and diarrhea, fluid stores in the body melt quickly. If these conditions are not corrected, the dog will die almost within a day.
The animal's need for water is 40 ml per 1 kg of weight. For an adult watchdog, this is approximately 2.5 liters per day. Half should come with water, and the second half with food.
Serious illness
The first signs will be a refusal of food. Knowing how much a dog can be without food, you can not panic and give the animal time to recover. With a banal digestive upset, this picture can be observed. The situation is more complicated with water. If there is no vomiting and diarrhea, then you can wait a day, constantly offering a bowl of fresh water. Otherwise, you need to contact the veterinarian to correct the condition. If there is night on the street and there are no round-the-clock clinics nearby, you can inject 10 cubes of saline solution every hour subcutaneously. This is not a substitute for treatment, but will help to live to see a doctor.
Instead of a conclusion
Without food and water, your pet is doomed to die, just like a person. Therefore, each owner must be attentive to his pet. Provide the animal with good nutrition and clean water every day. Water should be clean, odorless, not too cold or harsh. Since water in various water bodies, streams and puddles can be infected by pathogens, you need to limit access to your pet. Before leaving the house, you need to give your pet a good drink or take water and a cup with you. Food for the dog should also be fresh and of high quality.