What happens if I don’t feed my dog salt?

Salt is an essential nutrient for a dog’s normal physiological function; it helps the body balance water, conduct nerve signals, and support muscle function. If a dog eats no salt long-term, it may show the following problems. First, salt helps maintain the osmotic balance inside and outside cells, and a lack of salt can lead to lowered stamina and easy fatigue.

In addition, too little salt reduces digestive secretions and lowers stomach acid, which weakens the dog’s metabolism and causes poor appetite, lethargy, a dull coat, and slow or stalled growth. Finally, the minerals in salt also help maintain bone health, and long-term salt deficiency may cause osteoporosis and raise the fracture risk. However, while dogs need salt, too much is also harmful, so a dog only needs the salt already in its kibble; do not add high-salt foods.