Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

  • Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!

How much and how often should I syringe water to hydrate my sick pet?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed

I had Elsa to the vet for not eatting and drinking. And the vet told me i have to syringe water into her mouth to hydrate her and i was wondering how much water should i give her and how often??

This question includes photos that may contain sensitive content. Click to view.

View more to consider that the photos may include sensitive content.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on April 18th, 2018

I'm sorry Elsa isn't feeling well! I would syringe very small amounts, such as 2-5ml at a time into her mouth. Do not force her to drink it, or she could aspirate the water which can lead to aspiration pneumonia. I would give her this water every hour to two hours. Best of luck!

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My cat hasnt eatten or drank anything in 2 days...got a appointment to the vet tmr. Wondering if there is anyway i can get her to drink water
I am happy that you have an appointment with your vet tomorrow as not eating and drinking for two days is a very serious concern. You can try to offer Elsa a bit of tuna fish. You can also add some tuna water to water to flavor it. If you have a syringe you can carefully syringe water into the side of her mouth. Also offer some canned food on your finger. Sometimes a cat will eat for its person when the food is offered that way, Ask your vet to give your cat fluids tomorrow, she will feel a lot better after that.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My 11 week old puppy has parvo the vet told me to give it Pedialyte how often do I give it pedialyte with the syringe I have a 20 ml syringe and should I be doing the water also
You can offer the pedialyte in a bowl several times a day. If he is refusing to drink from the bowl then you can syringe 10-20mls every 2 hours or so into his mouth. Be sure to do it slowly so there is no risk of aspiration. You can offer him water at the same time as well. If he is significantly dehydrated however you will need to have fluids administered by your vet, either via IV or subcutaneously. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Boop by Petco. Best of luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I was told to force feed my very I'll gerbil I'm not sure how many ml of baby food to syringe feed her at once or how often they weren't specific I also ground up Gerri gerbil with water to force feed her not sure if it differs
You can feed your gerbil 1/2-1 ml of food at a time. You can do this every 2-3 hours. Don't syringe the food in too quickly because the he may not be able to swallow it quickly. Just place little amounts on the tongue for him to swallow on his own. I hope this helps. Good luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My question is my cat is been sick the last few days she will not eat and barely drinking I take her to the vet tomorrow but I'm wondering can I put water in a syringe and maybe give her some water that way. What happened was a few days ago I noticed
Hi there. I am sorry to hear that Taz is not feeling well. Yes, you can certainly syringe some water into her. That is no problem. Do not use anything but water and if she struggles too much I would stop. You don't want to get anything down her trachea and if she struggles, that might happen. I agree with your vet about stopping the Amoxicillin and I am glad you are taking in her for an exam tomorrow. At 15 years old there are many things that could be going on with her and I hope that you guys can figure it out and get her started on the appropriate treatment tomorrow. Best wishes to you guys. Dr. Amber
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog won't drink or eat but also has a fever and vomited ones so far, i went to a local vet and got medication its been 12 hours but she hasn't improved at all, he said its a stomach flu but shouldn't it have been a bit better by now where she wou
It sometimes takes longer than 12 hours for a sick animal to get better. You will still have to try and hand feed her and syringe water into her if possible. If she does not start drinking after 24 hours, then your veterinarian may have to put her on iv fluids. Once she is hydrated she will likely feel less nauseous and will start drinking again and hopefully eating. Keep her comfortable, and tend to her like you would tend to a sick child. Give it some time.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Food & Nutrition
Dog not herself 7days. Eats some high value food, but not drinking independentlyrics x3days. Normal cbc at vet except elevated monocytes. Got some fluids and mirtazapine for appetite. How do I get her to drink?
Add water to her food, this will get fluid into her. You can also syringe water into her cheek pocket. If you cannot get her to drink or eat the moistened food she will need fluids given under the skin or into the vein by your veterinarian.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My 10 month old puppy has been diagnosed with Parvo and was treated by the Vet with fluids and was sent home with antibiotics and instructions to keep him hydrated. How much pedialyte and water should I give him at one time, and also how often should
I usually don't recommend giving fluids with a syringe due to the risk of aspiration, although it is probably safe to drip a small amount in his mouth as long as he is continuously licking. I would only offer a small amount of Pedialyte and/or water at one time, no more than a 1/3 of a cup or so. You should make sure you're offering water every couple of hours or so. Low sodium chicken broth could certainly be offered as well. If he is still not drinking or eating you may need to see an emergency vet to make sure he is not getting dehydrated.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
How much unflavored pedialyte would you give a 6lb senior cat to help prevent dehydration from diarrhea due transitioning to a new food? Can it be given directly with a feeding syringe or should it be diluted in water and if so how much dilution? Tha
You can give about 5-10mls every hour with a syringe. Dilute the unflavored PediaLyte with equal parts water. You can also leave the 50/50 solution out in a bowl for her to drink when shebwants. You can try a short fast, about 12 hours, followed by a bland diet fed in small,frequent amounts until symptoms resolve. Transition slowly to her regular diet afterwards. Monitor for lethargy, vomiting, persistent diarrhea, loss of appetite or abdominal pain. These are symptoms that should be addressed by your veterinarian.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hi! Four days ago my pup was diagnosed with Parvo. He vomited for a day and wouldn’t eat not drink which was my initial reason for taking him into the Vet. Although, he is still lethargic and only eating/drinking a very small amount he hasn’t vomited
Hello. A normal, healthy 4 pound dog should be consuming about 120 mls of fluids a day. This would come from drinking and eating wet foods, if offered. You will definitely need to try & increase the fluids you give so that the total intake, both from you & on his own is close to this. Otherwise, he will become dehydrated. It does not matter if you use the Pedialyte, water, or a low sodium broth to achieve this. I would be administering 10-20 mls every hour until her is eating & drinking on his own. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I got an 5 week old labrador he cought fever vomitings and diarhea today i took him to vet he gave him an injection and said that give puppy cerelac but he isn't eating anything or drinking water please help please its urgent.
Hello. Better than the Cerelac, you want to use a syringable product like Hill's a/d or Purina Critical Care. If your vet does not carry these, then you can purchase pureed meat baby foods as long as there is no onion or garlic. If you cannot get this, then take any canned dog or puppy food & puree it at home in a blender adding just enough water that you can push the food through a syringe without the food blocking things up. Until your puppy can eat on its own, you can give 1 cc (ml ) every hour. This is just a tiny amount of food that hopefully Goofy will not throw up. You should also syringe a couple of ccs (mls) of water every hour, too. If any of these small amounts still cause the puppy to vomit, he will probably need to be hospitalized for intravenous fluids & continuing medications to control the nausea & vomiting. But if he will hold down these tiny amounts for most of the day, you may be able to nurse him through this. Good luck & thanks for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025

Related Searches

Small Animal Feeding Syringes Electrolytes for Cats Electrolytes for Dogs Small Animal Waterers & Bottles Dog Feeding Syringes Dog Health & Wellness Mouse & Rat Water Bottles & Feeders Small Animal Supplies Dog Water Bottles Bird Waterers & Feeders EveryYay Small Animal Feeding Syringes Lactated Ringers Electrolytes for Cats ELS Pet Dog Water Bottles Well & Good Dog Feeding Syringes Lactated Ringers Electrolytes for Dogs Lactated Ringers Cat Medicine EveryYay Small Animal Waterers & Bottles Ulticare Electrolytes for Cats Kaytee Small Animal Waterers & Bottles ELS Pet Dog Waterers, Fountains & Accessories
image
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored