All living things depend upon water for life. Water makes up 84% of the weight of a newborn puppy and 60% to 70% of an adult dog or cat. With limited access to water, an animal can quickly become dehydrated and health is impacted. In nutrition and biology, the "most limiting" nutrient is the essential dietary component present in the lowest supply compared to the demand of the body. This comes from Liebig's law of the minimum. The principle states that optimal growth and performance in biological systems are limited by the least-available essential input. As necessary as water is, it should never be limited but it often is.
Consumption of water is vital for life and health. Next to water, oxygen is probably the single most limiting nutrient for life. Water is ubiquitous in the body and involved in every bodily process. The ability to grow, reproduce, lactate, support bodily replenishment, control body temperature and multiple metabolic functions are all dependent upon water. Provision of water can increase endurance and then support rehydration after high activity.
