Why does my dog drink a lot of water?

The reason why a dog may or may not drink too much water is the same reason that applies to us humans. No matter the breed, size or age, if you think that your dog is drinking too much water, it is for the simple fact that his body is asking for it.

Let's keep in mind that this does not necessarily mean that it is okay, there is a pre-established measure of how much water our puppies should drink . Our dogs can start this behavior for a multitude of reasons, not all of them are necessarily bad, but when the reasons are subject to a medical condition, we must be careful and start treating it as soon as possible.

Why is my dog so thirsty?

Dogs' skin is nothing like that of humans, they do not have the glands that allow us to sweat. Instead, they can only sweat through their nose and through the pads of their paws . However, paw and nose pads are not enough to reduce body temperature on a particularly hot day.

That is why they are helped by evaporation, it is not unusual that on abnormally warmer days we can see our pets more agitated, panting and breathing rapidly. Since they do not have sweat glands in their body, and the paws and nose are not enough to sweat out all the heat, the dog compensates by expelling all that moisture through the mouth, all that heat condenses from the lungs and is expelled. through the mouth as evaporation. This is how dogs normally remove heat from their bodies . Since they cannot get rid of the heat in any other way, it is common for dogs, after completing this entire process to lower their body temperature, to drink considerable amounts of water. How can we know how much water is healthy for our pets ? How do you know when you have taken too much and what consequences this could have for your health?

How do you know how much water dogs should drink?

Normally when we drink water we do it with the desire to quench our thirst, but when we drink water again and again and again, without ever feeling satiated, there is a name we can give to it: it is called polydipsia . And this happens when no matter why, we can't stop drinking water, the thirst never seems to go away, and this thirst seems to come from nowhere. Dogs are not exempt from suffering from polydipsia, and the worst thing is that it can be caused by an endless number of reasons, many of them not very encouraging. One of the most worrying reasons why your dog could develop this condition is due to damage to the kidneys, liver, an infection or the ingestion of a medication that increases his thirst.

If you think that your pet is consuming too much water, it is best to take him to your veterinarian, as he will be able to determine if this behavior is caused by a more serious condition or if your dog is simply very thirsty. If your dog is drinking an excessive amount of water, for some reason or another, it only means that his body is asking for it, which is why restricting his use of water will never be a good option. As we mentioned at the beginning, dogs sweat mostly due to evaporation, meaning that by constantly panting they will feel thirstier. Restricting their access to water could lead to dehydration and things could get worse. Without rushing to make any decision, it is best and most advisable to consult with your pet's doctor .

How can we solve it?

We can't do too much on our own, the best advice we can give you is to visit your veterinarian, who will be the one who will decide whether or not the dog is drinking too much water and will be able to give us options for treatment. The usual thing is that our pet consumes 20 to 70 ml per kilo, and it is common for larger dogs to need more water .

It is important that we keep track of how much water our pets are drinking, and this varies depending on each dog. Those that eat wet food usually need less water, while dogs that eat a dry or salty diet will need a higher amount of water. These are often the dogs that bury their head in the bowl and don't take it out until they have drunk all the water. Once consulted with the veterinarian, he or she will be able to tell us the amount specifically recommended for our pet and in this way we can implement a plan to reduce our puppy's water consumption.

One of the options would be, instead of placing a large bowl for the water we give to our dog, place a smaller cup, or the same bowl but with less water, and refill it several times a day so that the dog do not exceed the due consumption.

We can also vary his diet , if your dog normally eats a dry and low-liquid diet, you can start with wet food, in the long run the amount of water he will need will be less.

Reduce foods high in sodium . These, in addition to being harmful, can cause our dog to feel the need to drink water.

We must always be aware of our dog, its health and the signals it gives us. If you consider that your pet is drinking too much water, the easiest way to determine if it is good or bad is to make an appointment with your trusted veterinarian, who will be able to guide us and tell us what measures we should take to help improve this behavior. If you want to know more about canine health prevention, you can also consult: Let's remember that health is the most important thing , especially when it comes to the spoiled family. Other articles of interest: