Having a puppy is an exciting yet challenging experience; it is important to keep a close eye on your pup to ensure that they are healthy and happy. One of the most common health questions that pet owners have is “why is my puppy drinking so much water?”
While it is normal for puppies to drink more water than their adult counterparts, excessive water consumption can be a sign of a serious underlying problem. This blog post will discuss some possible causes of excessive thirst in puppies, and what steps pet owners should take to ensure that their pup is healthy. We’ll also discuss the importance of monitoring your pup’s water intake and early signs of dehydration that pet owners should look out for. Finally, we’ll cover the importance of regular veterinary visits to keep your puppy in good health.
Issues From Drinking Too Much Water
Polydipsia/polyuria, or excessive drinking followed by excessive urination in young puppies, is a rare symptom of true metabolic diseases. The most frequent but uncommon causes are juvenile diabetes insipidus, juvenile diabetes mellitus (found in less than 1%) and congenital/familial kidney disease, liver disease, and 5% diabetics), juvenile hyperadrenocorticism/juvenile hypoadrenocorticism and juvenile hyperparathyroidism.
There is also the diagnosis of psychogenic polydipsia. This is a behavioral problem. We rule out all of the metabolic causes, making it more of an exclusion diagnosis. Interestingly, we demonstrate it by putting the puppy in a hospital, judiciously denying him water, and showing that the dog can concentrate his urine. Then we discuss behavioral modifications to help manage it.
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What the puppy consumes is a final point to think about. Homemade, novelty, and boutique diets may not be properly formulated and may contain too much sodium, which would cause an increase in water consumption, depending on whether they are a mainstream AAFCO food trialed diet or a boutique diet. Dehydrated foods like rawhides, pig ears, and other treats may increase water consumption. Wet food diets are 70% water. A puppy on dry dog food will undoubtedly consume more water than a puppy on wet dog food if an owner compares their water intake.
What Is Normal Water Intake?
Normal water intake is roughly 0. 5 to 1 ounces of water (40-70 ml/kg/day) should be consumed per pound of body weight per day.
Puppy WeightNormal Water Intake Per Day5 lbs. to 3 oz. 10 lbs. to 10 oz. 12 lbs. to 12 oz. 15 lbs. to 15 oz. to 20 lbs.
If the puppy or dog consumes more than 2 oz/lb/day (>100 ml/kg/day), it is considered to be consuming too much water. So, double those normal intake levels.
If your puppy is older than 16 weeks and is unable to hold his or her urine overnight or for more than 6 hours, we start to worry that a metabolic issue may be the root of the excessive drinking.
To estimate how much the puppy is drinking, we advise calculating water intake over 3-5 days and taking an average of that. It is time to call your veterinarian if the puppy is truly drinking too much water (more than 2 ounces per pound per day or 100 milliliters per kilogram per day).
Keeping an Eye on Water Consumption
If you establish a water bowl routine for your dog, it will be simpler to detect changes in their thirst or drinking habits.
Water is critical to your dogs health and well-being. Never deprive your dog of water. Don’t wait to call your veterinarian if you’re concerned that your dog is drinking too much (or not enough).
FAQ
How do you know if your puppy is drinking too much water?
It’s possible for a dog to drink too much water, but could it also be a sign of something more serious? “An owner should be concerned if their dog drinks the entire bowl at once and continues to drink every time water is offered,” says Dr. Elizabeth Appleman, staff veterinarian at NYC’s Animal Medical Center.
Why does my puppy drink so much water and pee so much?
The following are some of the most typical factors that contribute to excessive urination and drinking: Diabetes. Cushing’s Disease.
What do I do if my puppy drinks too much water?
Get to a veterinarian or emergency clinic right away if you even have the slightest suspicion that your dog has water intoxication. The published veterinary literature does not frequently discuss water intoxication, and it can be mistaken for hypothermia or overexertion.
How much water should a puppy drink a day?
However, a good guideline is to provide your puppy with roughly 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight each day. As a result, a 10-pound puppy, for instance, needs to consume slightly more than 1 cup of water daily.