Signs of Sodium Deficiency in Dogs
Most commercial kibbles contain all the sodium your dog needs to stay healthy, which means deficiency is rare.
However, certain conditions and injuries can cause sodium deficiency in dogs, also called hyponatremia. The most common cause of hyponatremia is an increase in total body water, not a loss of sodium. Some dogs with hyponatremia may have normal or even increased sodium levels.
In dogs with certain types of hyponatremia, the concentration of sodium in the blood becomes diluted due to excess water retention. Hyponatremia is often secondary to a more serious condition, infection, or injury. It can also be a side effect of certain medications, including chemotherapy drugs and tricyclic antidepressants. Hyponatremia may indicate an inability for fluids to pass through cell membranes.
Onset symptoms of hyponatremia are typically mild but will appear alongside other, potentially more severe signs of the primary cause. Symptoms of sodium deficiency in dogs include:
Treatment for hyponatremia varies depending on the cause of the condition and severity of symptoms. First, the vet will work to stabilize the dog and manage symptoms of the underlying disease. They may also administer sodium intravenously.
Is Salt Safe for Dogs to Eat?
Sodium plays an essential role in your dog’s fluid levels and balance. For now, you must know that your dog requires salt in their daily diet, but it’s equally important to remember that too much salt can be fatal. This is where a lot of confusion and misinformation comes into play. For example, if you read other similar articles about foods like peanuts, bacon, or beets, you will most likely read something like…
“Make sure the nuts are unsalted!”
When you continually see warnings like this, it can lead you to believe that salt is bad and should be avoided, but that is not the case. Let’s look closer at why dogs need sodium in their diet, and how much they should be getting with each meal.
How Much Salt Do Dogs Need?
As we mentioned, canines need salt in their diets to survive and be healthy. Why? Salt is an electrolyte (which is the medical term for salt). When your pup eats, salt enters the bloodstream and turns to ions. These ions then regulate different body functions like fluid levels, blood pressure, blood volume, the transmission of nerve impulses, digestive impulses, and much more.
Now, another important note to remember is that there are several different electrolytes that your body needs. Salt, being made of sodium and chloride, make up two of them. This is important when you are looking at dog food labels as you will want to check for the levels of both salt ingredients.
On average, dogs need 0.06% sodium and 0.09% chloride with each meal. Unfortunately, checking a bag of dog food for these levels is not as easy as it sounds. First of all, salt can be listed as:
As you can see, not all salt is actually “healthy” in dog food, but that is another story. For now: the salt content of dog foods can be tricky to look at, but there are some guidelines:
Secondly, the guidelines for canine salt consumption can be confusing. The “official” minimum daily requirement is 5 mg per kilogram of body weight, yet the National Research Council (NRC) increased it to 13.3 mg/kg per body weight to make up for sodium that is not properly absorbed in your dog’s system. This is equal to 0.2g/1,000 kcal per day.
Checking for these amounts on your dog food label is harder than it sounds. Depending on their formula, the way brands measure the sodium levels can vary. As a reference, the brand should have between 0.5g/1,000 and 2.5g/1,000 kcal per day (this is approximately 2-10g/kg of dry matter) in order for it to be within healthy limits.
Why Salt is Bad for Your Dog
Straightaway you should know that excessive canine consumption of salt can cause dehydration and a bunch of other problems.
Some sodium is necessary, but your pet’s regular food will fulfill this requirement.
Thankfully there is no reason to panic if your dog has eaten a salty snack. Just provide lots of fresh water.