Sports drink
CautionA sports drink is not canine fluid therapy. It is nowhere near salty enough to cause salt toxicosis, but the sugar can worsen diarrhea - and the real danger is the hours you lose treating a dehydrated dog at home.
This food guide has not been reviewed by a veterinarian. It summarises general information from sources and should not be used to decide whether a food is suitable for an individual dog or to assess an emergency.
Check before feeding
Check the precautions before sharing
Risk depends on preparation, ingredients or amount. Read the precautions below; body weight alone cannot establish a safe portion.
Signs and health concerns
This list includes both observable signs and conditions identified through examination or testing. It cannot establish the cause or whether an exposure is safe.
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Loose stool
- Dehydration
- Increased thirst
- Increased urine volume
- Low blood sugar
- Lethargy
More about this food
Start with the reassuring part. The sodium in a sports drink is nowhere near the range that causes salt toxicosis. Merck puts canine salt toxicosis at 2-3 g/kg of sodium chloride; a 20 oz bottle of Gatorade contains well under a gram of salt, so an 11 lb (5 kg) dog would need more than a dozen bottles to get there. A few laps is not an emergency on that count.
Three things still make this a caution.
Sugar. Sports drinks run about 6 g of sugar per 100 mL. Give that to a dog who is already having diarrhea and the sugar draws water into the gut osmotically, making the diarrhea worse. Unlike an oral rehydration solution, a sports drink is not formulated with a carbohydrate-to-electrolyte ratio designed for absorption. The gesture meant to help deepens the dehydration.
Time. If your dog is dehydrated because of parvovirus, pancreatitis, heatstroke, a foreign body or kidney failure, what is needed is IV fluids. A dog that is actively vomiting cannot absorb anything you pour in by mouth. The half-day spent offering Gatorade and watching is the half-day that decides the outcome. Flat affect, pale or tacky gums, skin that tents - that is a clinic, not a beverage. Some veterinarians do direct owners to use unflavored Pedialyte in specific situations; do that only if your vet told you to, for this dog, today.
Labels. Sugar-free and zero-sugar electrolyte drinks and powder sticks sometimes contain xylitol. Merck puts hypoglycemia above roughly 100 mg/kg and hepatic failure above 500 mg/kg, with low blood sugar appearing as early as 30 minutes or as late as 12-18 hours and liver injury at 24-48 hours. If xylitol is on the ingredient list, call now even with no symptoms.
On hot days the same rule holds. For suspected heatstroke, skip the sports drink: let your dog drink cool (not ice-cold) water on his own, wet him down with tepid water, and drive to the veterinarian. Never pour liquid into the mouth of a collapsed dog - it can go into the lungs.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I give Gatorade for my dog's diarrhea?
- Not recommended. The sugar pulls water into the gut and can make diarrhea worse. If it lasts more than a day, contains blood, or your dog goes flat, stop improvising and get IV fluids at a veterinary clinic.
- Should my dog have electrolytes after a hot walk?
- No. Dogs do not lose electrolytes through sweat the way people do, so cool water is enough. Non-stop panting, brick-red gums or wobbliness means heatstroke - wet him with tepid water and drive to the vet instead of offering a drink.
- Is a zero-sugar sports drink or electrolyte stick safe?
- Read the ingredients first. Some sugar-free electrolyte drinks and powder sticks contain xylitol, which causes hypoglycemia above about 100 mg/kg. If xylitol is listed, call your vet or the APCC at (888) 426-4435 immediately, symptoms or not.