Energy drinks are the easiest ways of restoring the nutrients and electrolytes one loses during strenuous activity. While we don’t question their effectiveness, the side effects associated with drinking too many energy drinks certainly cannot be ignored. It is these side effects and the general composition of energy drinks, which make us wonder if it is safe to share them with your good boys and girls or not. In this discussion, we talk about one energy drink that has dominated the market for a long time and is still quite popular among fitness freaks and geeks. Yes, we are talking about Gatorade. But it is not Gatorade that we are going to discuss in detail in this discussion. Rather, we are interested in finding out if letting your dog guzzle down Gatorade is a good idea or not. Some of us have a habit of sharing everything with our pets, but is it safe to share Gatorade? Let us find out now!
A bit about Gatorade
Let us kick start this discussion with a bit about Gatorade first. Gatorade is an energy drink product of some wonderful research carried out at the University of Florida. There was a need for a drink that could replenish the lost nutrients, and electrolytes lost on an athlete’s part. The increasing number of cases where athletes and fitness freaks became dehydrated and never recovered properly urged food biologists and nutritionists to collaborate with the industry to develop a solution or a formula that worked. It must be noted here that Gatorade wasn’t the first-ever energy drink. Many drinks were available in the market, but their effectiveness was either not up to the mark or was dubious. Gatorade proved to be a game-changer! Have you noticed which energy drink features in most of the global sporting events as the main sponsor? Which energy drink bottles dominate the sideline area during a football game? In ninety-five percent of the cases, it is Gatorade!
What do dogs normally guzzle down?
Of course, your dog will drink anything you put in front of it. But should you be doing that? Most vets seem to agree with our point of view that the primary drink for your dog should be clean water. Nothing else. Most of the nutrients and electrolytes which your dog needs are readily available in clean water. A few refreshing gulps of water and your dog will not care about anything else. But some people experiment with tea, juice, milk, and even coffee! To all those people, we have got only one thing to say. Please have some mercy on your poodle; the human beverages are an absolute no-no for your canine friend. It sounds adorable, even fun when you tell your friends about the coffee mug you forced down your puppy’s throat in the morning. However, for your dog, it is nothing short of a traumatic experience. If you love your dog, please refrain from acts that are fun for you but toxic for your canine friend.
Why are we even talking about Gatorade?
It is a legit question. There are a couple of reasons why the focus is on Gatorade in particular in this discussion. This is a drink that has proved to be the most effective one among many that dominate the market. Second, athletes guzzle down Gatorade mostly for replenishing the lost electrolytes. When a larger portion of this tribe believes that allowing their dogs to drink some of this stuff will curb their dehydration, we have to pay attention to this particular energy drink. More and more people will likely follow the trend if they see the field’s pros doing something. What should YOU do? Stick with us till the very end to find out if letting your dog drink Gatorade is safe or not.
Can dogs drink Gatorade?
Ok, guys, no more beating about the bush. Your dog can drink Gatorade. However, this is only one side of the coin. On the flip side, there are all sorts of considerations that you must be mindful of. Should you serve the drink as it is without diluting it? Should you mix it with some other juice? How much of it is ok for your canine friend? These and many other questions must be answered satisfactorily before deciding on treating your dog with some Gatorade. Don’t worry; we answer these and many other questions in the upcoming sections of this discussion. You don’t have to search and read random, nonsensical articles; this one is perhaps the most comprehensive guide about dogs and Gatorade!
Drinking Gatorade: You vs. Your dog
There is so much that you will learn from this section of the article! You see, your dog’s digestive and assimilatory system will respond to Gatorade in pretty much the same fashion. The effect will be the same as well; you and your poodle will feel hydrated and replenished in quite the same fashion. The difference between the two acts is that your requirement of sugar and certain other electrolytes is much more than what your dog needs. Being the bearers of a smaller frame, dogs are likely to turn into lazy beasts if you are not careful with your diet’s sugar content. Hence, the quantity matters. It would help if you didn’t let your dog drink the same volume OF Gatorade as you do. Otherwise, this overindulgence would result in lethargy on your dog’s part, and that would be a start to its deteriorating health!
Serving Gatorade to your dog
Now that we have answered the basic queries let us figure out how you should serve your pet’s drink. The method that has worked for many is concocting a potion. Yes, that is right! A mixture that has an equal percentage of water and Gatorade. The most important consideration in this regard is, of course, the equal ratio of two liquids. Things can go south if you are not careful, something that we talk about right after this section of discussion! Anyhow, some people have figured out that letting your pooch lick the crystallized version of this mixture also works. Yes, you guessed it right, freeze the solution and then see if your dog responds to it eagerly or not. The rationale behind this tactic is that the intake of electrolytes and nutrients will be much slower this way than in the liquid form. Well, we will leave it up to your imagination and creativity!
Things can go south
Let us reiterate the fact. The ingredients found in Gatorade are not toxic to your dog’s health. But if you think that is a license to drench your dog in this energy drink, you couldn’t be more mistaken. Please note that eatables can hurt your pets without being toxic. The minor difference between an under-dose and an overdose is what decides the ultimate consequence of your actions. Gatorade is enriched with ingredients like sodium, sugar, water, potassium as well as citric acid. Then, there are certain additives and preservatives. Now, are these ingredients safe for your canine friend? Absolutely yes. Should you allow too many of them to be a part of your canine friend’s diet? Not. We want to implore here that serving Gatorade to your dog only when you feel clean; tap water is not doing the trick!
Is Gatorade safe for your dehydrated dog?
Dehydration is a common phenomenon, especially during summers. There are several reasons why your dog can dehydrate, but we will not bore you with these details. Rather, let us focus on the problem itself and see if Gatorade can be the antidote you are after. As responsible pet parents, you should never take dehydration lightly. The reason why we say this is because dehydration can lead to several other health consequences that can claim the life of your beloved pet. Yes, sirs and madams, that fatal a problem it is! Now, should you try Gatorade as a hydrant for your dog? Well, from our point of view, water should be your primary choice. Clean, plain tap water ought to do the trick in most cases. However, you can try injecting some Gatorade into your dog’s system if its condition deteriorates. We won’t recommend anything more than a few sips. Normally, when the dehydration is of a severe level, the wisest thing to do is to take the dog to the vet!
Conclusion
Well, folks, that would be all for now. We wish we could talk about the effect of Gatorade’s ingredients on your dog’s health. But the cruel limitations of time and space force us to conclude this discussion here. Losing electrolytes is common, but one should take all the possible measures to ensure that the lost nutrients are replenished. Energy drinks are a common way of achieving this feat, but too much of these are certainly not good for your dog’s health!