We all know how important it is to stay hydrated in the summer. But did you know that drinking more water isn’t all there is to consider? Hydration is also affected by your electrolyte balance. We lose electrolytes (and water) through sweating and dehydration. But is this the same for cats? Should we be giving electrolytes to cats in hot weather? We asked two of our top cat writers, Sarah Elliott and Ben Witcomb, to give us the answer…

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What are electrolytes?

Electrolytes are a group of minerals that help maintain the fluid balance inside our cells, help regulate chemical reactions throughout the body, and support muscle contraction. They include sodium, magnesium, potassium, calcium, bicarbonate, chloride, and phosphate. 

For most people, our diet provides us with enough of these minerals and we don’t need to take supplements to support our electrolyte balance. However, if we’re losing electrolytes faster than we can replenish them, extra electrolytes are helpful. Sweating throughout the day during warmer months, increasing our exercise, or suffering from an illness that causes diarrhoea or dehydration might mean electrolyte supplementation is a good idea. You may be familiar with sports drinks that contain electrolytes, and many athletes use these to ensure they stay properly hydrated when they know they will be sweating a lot.

Are there any signs of electrolyte depletion?

Because electrolytes are crucial for cellular hydration and muscle contraction, most of the symptoms of electrolyte depletion are the same as those of general dehydration. You might notice:

  • Tiredness and fatigue
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Muscle weakness or cramps
  • Irregular heartbeat
  • Collapse

What are electrolytes? 

Electrolytes are minerals that are transported through the body in the blood. They help with the daily function of our cats bodies, including fluid balance, heart and muscle function. Electrolytes include:

Potassium 

This essential electrolyte regulates the fluid balance in the body and supports muscle contractions and heart function.

Sodium 

Similar to potassium, sodium regulates fluid balance as well as aiding in muscle contraction. It also supports the blood pressure through fluid balance regulation.

Magnesium 

Helping to support the nervous system along with the heart and muscles, magnesium is an essential but often overlooked electrolyte.

Calcium 

Calcium is essential for bone health as well as allowing muscles to contract and nerves to function.

Phosphorus 

Phosphorus helps with metabolism as well as supporting bone health.

An electrolyte imbalance can cause serious health problems in our pets. Electrolyte imbalances can be caused by dehydration due to heat, but also a variety of diseases and health conditions too.

Do cats need electrolytes too?

Cats’ bodies work a little differently to ours. As their ancestors lived in arid, desert conditions, cats seem to be able to tolerate a greater degree of dehydration than we can. You may notice that your cat rarely seems to drink in comparison to yourself. They also cope better than we do in the hot weather. Depending on their age, breed, size and health, cats may prefer an ambient temperature of around 30-38°C. As well as sweating through their paws, cats also keep themselves cool by grooming. Not only does this help to remove any excess heat-trapping fur, but when the saliva they leave on their fur evaporates it helps to cool them down too. Cats are very good at keeping themselves cool in general, being most active during the cooler times of dawn and dusk.

But cats are not immune to dehydration, and both very old and very young cats tend to be more prone to the effects of fluid loss. Vomiting, diarrhoea, and kidney disease are common causes of dehydration in cats. 

Do cats need electrolytes in hot weather? 

Healthy cats are usually tolerant of the kinds of summer temperatures we see here in the UK, and electrolyte supplementation is not necessary. They are unlikely to lose excessive fluids by sweating or panting, and if they are eating a balanced, complete diet, they should be getting all the electrolytes they need. 

But if your cat becomes poorly, especially during the summer, they may start to lose more electrolytes than they can replace. 

Things that might upset the balance include:

  • Not eating or drinking as much as usual
  • Vomiting or diarrhoea
  • An underlying illness, like diabetes, kidney disease or inflammatory bowel disease
  • Fevers
  • Injury
  • Overheating – very young and older cats are more at risk, as are cats with especially flat faces (brachycephalic), or those travelling in cars or carriers. 

What electrolytes can be used to help stop cats getting dehydrated?

We can support our cats in the warmer weather with electrolyte solutions which can help replace the lost electrolytes through sweating. These are usually available in both powder and liquid form.

Do not use electrolytes that are formulated for humans. These could contain different ingredients and the strength could also differ to what cats require. Electrolyte drinks for humans could also contain toxic ingredients which could cause harm to our cats.

Some popular electrolyte brands include:

Oralade 

This is a common supplement that is used at veterinary practices to help patients suffering from dehydration. Oralade helps to replace electrolytes as well as supporting organ function. It is also chicken flavoured, making it highly palatable for our fussy felines. 

Rehydration support powder 

Companies such as Royal Canin offer rehydration powder that can be added to your cat’s water bowl. This helps to replace essential electrolytes that have been lost in the warmer weather. These sachets are often available from your veterinary practice.

Hydracare 

This supplementary food for cats is a great way to increase water intake and replace electrolytes. It is also highly palatable and is relatively well received by cats.

Rehydration support and electrolyte supplements should always be used as recommended by the supplier. If you have any concerns, or feel like the supplements are not suiting your cat, always speak to your veterinary surgeon as soon as possible.

If your cat is dehydrated with depleted electrolytes, it’s not going to be as simple to fix as downing a sports drink or two

Contact your vet, if you are worried that your cat might be dehydrated. It can be tricky to judge how dehydrated a cat is, or what their electrolyte balance might be, and your vet will be best placed to accurately assess this. When they feel poorly, it can be difficult to tempt cats to eat or drink, and adding something that might taste funny to their water is even more likely to put them off. 

Mild dehydration can be treated by injecting some fluids under the skin, and your vet might include some electrolytes in the fluid this way. For more severe cases, cats will be admitted for intravenous fluids and electrolytes, which must be administered gradually over a period of time. It might take several days for a severely dehydrated cat to regain normal hydration.

So how do I prevent my cat from getting dehydrated?

The first step is to get to know your cat, and how much they normally eat and drink. If your cat has a predominantly wet diet, it’s not unusual for them to drink from their water bowl fairly infrequently. 

You can encourage them to drink more water in the summer by:

  • Adding small amounts of water to the food.
  • Changing their water regularly and adding more bowls of water around the home.
  • Try wide brimmed, swallow, ceramic bowls, filled to the top.
  • Offer distilled water.
  • Give them more options – a pet water fountain, some water in the bottom of the bath or sink, or a shallow bowl under a slowly dripping tap. 
  • Offer ‘broths’ e.g. tuna mashed up with lots of extra water.

You can also help keep them cool by:

  • Encouraging them to stay indoors between 10am and 3pm when the sun is at its warmest. 
  • Providing lots of shady spots for them outside.
  • Putting a fan on indoors to keep the air circulating.
  • Wrapping a frozen bottle of water in a towel and putting it near where your cat sleeps (don’t put it directly on your cat or force them to be near it).
  • Purchase a cooling mat – Cool mats are a fantastic tool to help keep our pets cool. They often contain a gel which remains cooler than the ambient temperature of the room. These should be left out at all times so that cats can jump on and off the mats as they please.

For most healthy cats, these measures will be enough to support their hydration and comfort throughout the summer. So now let’s just hope the British weather doesn’t let us down this year!

Further reading