What it is?

Dehydration can be caused by a number of factors, including an inability to drink enough water or an inability to absorb fluids due to kidney failure. Chronic dehydration can lead to serious health problems and even death if left untreated.

What it does?

The clinical signs of chronic dehydration in dogs can vary depending on the severity of the dehydration. If your dog is severely dehydrated, he might experience severe thirst, weakness and lethargy, sunken eyes, and sunken soft spots on his skull (known as fontanels). He may also have a dry mouth and tongue, which might be swollen or tacky-looking. If your dog is mildly dehydrated but still requires treatment, he may have dark yellow urine with a strong ammonia odor; he may also have dark brown urine with an ammonia odor if his dehydration has progressed to moderate severity levels.

Additional info?

If your dog doesn't have an underlying illness that's causing dehydration, then chronic kidney disease may be at fault.