Is My Dog Drinking Too Much Water in Pasadena, CA?

It is always a good idea to pay attention to how much water your dog is taking in each day. Dogs that drink too much or too little could be suffering from health issues that need to be addressed. While heat and cold can impact your dog’s interest in water, and exertion can lead to them drinking more water than usual, pets that are drinking a lot of water all the time should go see the vet.

There are various reasons that your pet might be drinking more water than they used to. This can be linked with lots of health issues as well as simple aging processes. Paying attention to your pet’s daily water intake can make a big difference when it comes to getting on top of health issues before they get really serious.

How Much Water Should a Healthy Dog Drink?

Activity level and age, and size can impact our dog’s water intake. However, as a good rule of thumb, dogs need to drink about 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight each day. Dogs who are drinking more or less than this amount consistently probably need to head to the vet to be evaluated. This is one of the signs that you can use to check on your pet’s well-being since water intake can often be the first subtle sign that something might be wrong with your pet’s health.

Reasons That Dogs Might Drink a Lot of Water

There are a few different reasons why dogs could be drinking a lot of water:

Dehydration

Dogs who have been exerting intensely and did not have access to enough water at the time might drink a lot of water when they get home. This can be common during the summer months if your pet has gone on a long walk and you didn’t have water with you, or maybe you went to a dog park, and there was no watering station for your pet to enjoy. This can be a big risk for pets with regard to heatstroke, so you should be sure that you always bring water with you and a dog bowl so that your pet can hydrate again right after they have been exerting.

Boredom

Some dogs might end up drinking water just to fill time if they are bored. Dogs who are not able to exercise often enough to be happy or dogs who are seeking stimulation on a daily basis might drink just because they are bored. This can be resolved in most cases by providing toys and more activity to your pet’s routine. Your dog will thank you for making sure that they are not bored, and you will also be less likely to come home to chewed-up items or damage to doors and other surfaces in the home as well.

Your Dog is Sick

Dogs that have systemic illnesses or that have organs that are failing might drink more water. In some cases, this additional water intake will come on slowly, while in other situations, your dog might abruptly start drinking far more water than usual. Things like Cushing’s Disease, Addison’s Disease, and diabetes can all lead to excessive water intake. Kidney issues can also lead to water intake changes.

All of these conditions will require a trip to the vet so that your pet can be evaluated and placed on the right medications and treatment protocol. The sooner that these kinds of conditions are treated, the more likely it will be that your dog will feel better with minimal health interventions.

Medications That Cause Thirst

There are some medications that your pet might be taking that can lead to excessive thirst. In some pets, these medications will cause a huge increase in the water intake that pets think they need each day. You should reach out to your vet if you believe that a medication that your pet is taking is causing this increase in water consumption. Your vet might want to change treatment plans to prevent your dog from drinking so much water every day. There are negative health issues that can be caused by excessive water intake when it is not necessary, which makes it worth reaching out to talk about alternative medications and treatment protocols for your pet.

Your Dog Has Eaten Human Food

Many human foods have a lot more salt and sugar in them than pets should be eating. This can lead to excessive thirst right after consumption of human foods. If your pet has stolen something off the table or has grabbed human food that was dropped at a party you hosted, they might drink more water for the next 10-12 hours until the food has passed through their system. Keep an eye on their water intake. If they continue to drink too much water for a day after consuming food they should not have eaten, they should probably head to the vet.

Increased Water Consumption Can Indicate Health Issues

While your dog might just be drinking more water than usual due to having been outside exerting in the heat or because they have just gotten done playing, there are other reasons that your pet might be drinking more water than they used to drink. You should be sure that you take the time to get your dog to the vet to make sure that your pet’s increased water uptake is not connected with a health problem.

Water intake has a lot to do with organ health, and changes in drinking behavior can indicate that something serious is wrong with your pet. Be sure that you protect your pet from heatstroke by taking them out to play in the early morning or the evening during the summer months. Also, be sure that you travel with water and a dog bowl so that your pet always has access to water when they need it, even on the go. Water consumption in dogs can be a good indicator of overall health and well-being, so it is important to pay attention to this part of your dog’s behavior every day.

Give Altadena Pet Hospital a call at (626) 798-0738 or book an appointment online if you have questions about your dog drinking too much water.