What Can Dogs Drink Besides Water? (Safely)

We love our dogs—that’s an indisputable fact. Because they’re like our own children, it can be difficult to resist sharing our goodies, including our beverages. After all, sharing a sip of our coconut water couldn’t be that bad?

On the other hand, our dogs are excitable when trying new things, whether it’s safe for them or not. It’s up to us to do our due diligence to protect them and make sure they’re ingesting things that aren’t toxic for them.

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what can dogs drink besides water — What can dogs drink besides water? (Safely)

Let’s explore what is safe for our fur babies to enjoy and learn why water is best.

Is Water the Best Choice for Dogs?

As they say, water is the source of all life. Nothing can survive without it, so it is the best beverage of choice for your dog. Water is so vital to your dog’s diet that it should be the primary beverage of choice.

Why is Water the Best Choice?

Water is the best choice for your dog because it’s safe to drink and keeps your dog hydrated. Keeping your dog hydrated is necessary for a multitude of reasons. It promotes urinary tract health, regulates body temperature, and helps the body function properly.

How Much Water Does My Dog Need?

Normal water intake is one to two mL per kilogram of body weight per hour. If you have a 9-pound (4.08 kilograms) Miniature Poodle, it should drink about 193 mL or 6.4 oz within 24 hours.

Other factors to consider are how much water your dog loses through exercise or panting and whether they eat dry or wet food.

dog drinks water — Golden Retriever drinking at the water fountain.

What Else Can My Dog Safely Drink?

Although water is best, your precious pup can indulge in special beverages every so often. But, what can dogs drink besides water?

bernese mountain puppy drinking milk — A Bernese Mountain puppy feeding a bottle of milk.

Coconut Water

Coconut water is harvested from young, green coconuts and is an excellent source of electrolytes. Even in its bottled form, coconut water is full of vitamins and minerals. It’s a great way to stay hydrated and helps improve skin issues your dog may have.

While it’s not as good for your pup as pure water, it is okay in moderation. BUT ONLY IF IT IS FREE FROM FAKE SWEETENERS!

Juiced Vegetables

Freshly juiced vegetables are low in calories and chock full of nutrients. Vegetables are an essential part of a dog’s diet, as it provides vitamins they need to stay healthy and aid in digestion.

Vegetables that are good for dogs include spinach, yams or sweet potatoes, cucumbers, and celery.

Do your due diligence before making vegetable juice for your dog. Do not feed your dog vegetables such as rhubarb, mushrooms, or onions.

If you don’t have a juicer, you can use a food processor instead and a sieve to remove any roughage.

Juiced Fruits

Like vegetables, freshly juiced fruits are also safe for your dog. Making the juice yourself at home using a juicer or food processor ensures that there are no additional ingredients that could be detrimental to your dog’s health.

As with vegetables, you need to double-check which fruits are appropriate and safe for your dog to ingest.

Dogs can eat fruits including apples, blueberries, bananas, cantaloupe, cranberries, kiwis, watermelon, and strawberries.

On the other hand, dogs cannot have grapes, currants, or stone fruits like peaches, cherries, or apricots.

Beef or Chicken Stock

Beef or chicken stock is safe for our canine friends to drink. Stock is easy to digest and contains all the nutrients of the protein without the added salt found in broth.

Beef or chicken stock is an excellent alternative to food if your dog isn’t feeling well and isn’t up to enjoying its regular meal.

Alternative Kinds of Milk

Non-dairy milk is an excellent substitute for dairy milk as dogs can be lactose intolerant. In addition, they may even have an allergy to dairy products which can cause various infections.

Alternative kinds of milk, such as almond, soy, or coconut milk, have many nutrients that your dog needs without the unfortunate side effects of dairy milk.

The one caveat is that you need to ensure your dog does not have a nut allergy.

Specialty Drinks

There are specialty drinks explicitly created to benefit dog health available on the market. Wolf Spring brand drinks, for example, are developed to provide your dog with specific nutrients, like glucosamine and potassium.

Some drinks even serve specific purposes, like helping your dog manage its stress levels. These drinks use natural ingredients such as chamomile, which is safe for dogs when dosed appropriately.

These drinks are available to purchase over-the-counter and are safe for your pet. However, it’s best to consult your dog’s veterinarian before introducing something new to their diet.

What Should I Never Give My Dog to Drink?

We established that alternatives to water are safe for your dog to drink. The opposite is also true—there are some things your dog should never drink. Even in small quantities, some things can be lethal for your dog.

Alcohol: Alcohol can damage your dog’s liver and its nervous system. Wine, in particular, is awful for dogs due to grapes.
Drinks with added sugar: Dogs get enough sugar through their regular diet. Additional sugar can lead to insulin resistance and diabetes.
Drinks with caffeine: Beverages containing caffeine are toxic for dogs. Ingesting caffeinated beverages can lead to seizures and vomiting, among other symptoms.
Drinks with added salt: Seawater or drinks with added salt, like homemade broth, can be fatal. Too much salt in the system will lead to diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration.
Carbonated drinks: Carbonated drinks can cause gastric issues and stomach ulcers. Soda, in particular, contains a high amount of sugar and caffeine that is bad for dogs.
Citrus drinks: The citric acid in fruits like oranges and lemons isn’t safe for dogs.

dog with beer — Dog biting a beer bottle on the grass.

What Should I Do if My Dog is Dehydrated?

Giving your dog water to drink is the best solution to dehydration. However, adding electrolyte mix or offering coconut water are good alternatives to expedite the process.

If your dog cannot drink on its own, you need to take them to the vet. First, to address their dehydration as they can have fluids introduced via IV. Second, to find out and fix the underlying issue.

dog drinking water — Thirsty brown poodle drinking water.

Summary

What can dogs drink besides water? As it turns out, quite a few things. From coconut water to alternative kinds of milk, like soy milk, your fur baby has options for beverages.

Of course, all good things should be enjoyed in moderation—even water!