Why dog drinks lot of water: It's worth knowing whether to be alarmed

Why is a dog drinking too much water

For every healthy and adult dog, there is a recommended daily water intake. Typically, dogs drink 40-70 ml per kilogram of body weight per day.

Naturally, slight deviations from this figure often are not signs of the animal's illness. But in cases where a dog feels constant thirst, it can be a worrisome signal of some underlying condition.

Regardless of how much your dog drinks daily, it would be best to never deprive it of water. It should have access to water at all times of the day.

A water deficit can lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance, and sometimes even kidney problems.

How to determine how much water a dog drinks daily

To see how much water your dog drinks, fill her water bowl to the same level at the same time every day.

But if you notice that your pet is drinking significantly more than usual, it's better to visit the veterinarian.

Don't forget to exclude from the calculation the water that naturally evaporates and what is consumed with food (liquid porridge, broths, dairy products).

Some moisture comes into the body from food. With natural feeding, animals receive 60-80% of their drinking norm, and with dry food - only 8-12%. The rest needs to be supplemented with fresh water.

Main reasons

Safe causes of thirst in dogs include anything that doesn't pose a threat to their lives. In such cases, treatment is not needed.

Heat and dry weather

The most common reasons for thirst are high temperatures outside and indoors, as well as low humidity, typical for the heating season.

Overheating and lack of air can be determined by rapid breathing and a protruding tongue.

Salted or dry food

If a dog drinks a lot, her thirst may be explained by overly salty or dry food.

Salt draws water from the body, so its excess in the diet threatens dehydration and gastrointestinal problems. For this reason, veterinarians do not recommend feeding your pet sausages and other treats from the human table.

Also, it is worth remembering that for comfortable digestion of dry pellets, much more liquid is needed than for ordinary products.

Medication intake

Thirst can be a side symptom of taking certain medications. These include diuretics, anticonvulsants, and glucocorticoids. After the end of treatment, the condition returns to normal.

Increased physical activity

Loss of moisture through sweating is observed not only in heat but also during increased physical activity. Don't be surprised if a dog drinks abundantly and for a long time after an intensive walk. It's all because they simply need to replenish their water balance.

When to go to the vet

Veterinarian Katie Grzyb explained that if excessive thirst is combined with any of the following symptoms, it is important to conduct an examination as soon as possible:

vomiting

diarrhea

lethargy

loss of appetite

rapid breathing

weakness

blood in urine

general malaise.