Dog drinks a lot of water: normal or pathological?

Owners of their pets usually pay close attention to their habits, health status and mood. Of course, every change in the dog’s behavior can be troubling, for example, when the animal drinks a lot of water. For what reason can this happen? Sometimes, this is an ordinary physiological manifestation, but sometimes it can indicate some diseases. When is it important to pay attention and be alarmed?

Norm

Surely any person knows the norm of water that he should drink per day - this is about 2-2.5 liters. But not everyone takes care of himself, using the necessary amount of fluid. This statement is true for dogs, but the daily norm for them is 50 mg / kg of body weight.

Undoubtedly, the volume of fluid drunk by a dog is determined by various factors: from the activity and energy of the pet, such as food, to age, etc. Given that a diet consisting of dry foods contains a minimal amount of water, dogs that use this kind of food drink at times more dogs whose diet is completely natural.

Disease-free thirst

There are some cases where a pet can drink in excess of the established norm, and this will not indicate serious illness of the dog. Extreme thirst can occur in the following cases:

1. In hot weather.
2. When environmental factors get too heavy.
3. In winter, when radiators and heating are operating in the apartment, the pet may suffer from a lack of fluid, as the air is excessively dry.
4. During estrus, the dog’s habits may change, therefore, if during this period the animal drinks a lot of water, and there are no other symptoms of the disease, do not worry.
5. Pregnancy or feeding puppies - the blood volume in the body of the animal rises, so it is important that the dog receives enough fluid, which is also necessary for the secretion of milk.
6. The effect of anesthesia - thirst after surgery occurs in each case, because it is due to the fluid that anesthesia preparations and toxins can be removed from the body.
7. When changing the diet from natural food to canned food, the dog drinks a lot of water in order to replenish the fluid balance in the body, since previously the dog received almost the entire amount of water from the feed.

The use of certain drugs may also result in increased thirst. Diuretic, hormonal drugs, anticonvulsants lead to increased urination, which leads to a feeling of thirst. In such a situation, a pet examination will be required to rule out the occurrence of kidney failure.

You can also identify some more less common situations when a dog drinks a lot of water, and this is not a pathology. It is important to consider that mature individuals absorb less fluid than younger dogs and puppies. Dogs belonging to long-haired breeds having a dense undercoat usually take more fluid during the day, compared with shorthair animals.

If the pet’s diet doesn’t have enough meat, the dog may not have enough protein, which leads to an increase in the amount of fluid consumed. Spicy or salty foods also provoke thirst.

Thirst in pathological processes

How can we recognize diseases that result in the pet drinking much more water than is required? Doctors of veterinary medicine distinguish two forms of thirst: primary and secondary. So, the first case implies that the dog drinks an excessive amount of liquid, without experiencing thirst. This rather rare manifestation, called polypsidia, most often has a psychogenic origin, and therapy requires only to eliminate the factors that provoke such behavior.

In all remaining situations, the dog takes a lot of water to make up for the lack of fluid. In this case, we are talking about a secondary form, which may be due to some pathologies and diseases:

1. Diabetes insipidus or diabetes - the symptoms are frequent urination and intense food intake.
2. Kidney failure - urination becomes rarer, the dog is lethargic and lethargic, often sleeping for a long time.
3. Cushing's syndrome is a chronic disease, when the progressive form consists in pronounced manifestations, and the protracted form, along with the torpid one, is not obvious.
4. Pyometra is a disease of bitches, when the animal is lethargic, bloating and an increase in its volume are noticeable, and in the future, you can notice the discharge of blood and pus from the loop.
5. Pyroplasmosis is a protozoal disease, manifested by thirst, loss of appetite, blood in the urine, the animal often lies listlessly.
6. Intoxication - in cases when the pet has been poisoned, he drinks excess water, the pathology is manifested by diarrhea, vomiting and nausea.
7. Hepatitis of viral origin is a rather serious pathology, the signs of which are vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and the color of urine becomes reddish brown.

The development of cancer is often accompanied by a feeling of thirst, and these processes are combined with vomiting, weight loss, loss of appetite, lethargy, and upset stool.

Most pathological processes and diseases are expressed by some symptoms, and many of them can be noticed almost immediately. But even when the pet has lost a good mood, began to sleep and lie more, feels thirsty - it is recommended that the veterinarian examine the animal for preventive purposes.

What to do if a dog is thirsty

Initially, you will need to pay close attention to the behavior of the pet and eliminate all the causes that affect the animal, causing it to feel very thirsty.

1. If the thirst is due to the action of heating devices in the winter, then you can use special devices that moisturize the air in the room, or in each room put small containers filled with water.
2. Exclude high salt foods from your dog’s diet.
3. If in hot weather the dog lives on the street, it is important to provide the animal with the opportunity to hide from the sun in the shade.

You should pay attention to how much the dog drinks water per day. Therefore, it is important to know how much fluid the bowl holds. It is also worth considering that if an animal eats soup, various broths, kefir, then there is no oddity that the dog does not drink so much liquid separately.

When it is not possible to determine the natural cause of thirst, and the pet’s behavior undergoes some changes accompanied by symptoms of the disease, it is necessary to see a specialist in veterinary medicine as soon as possible. This should not be neglected, as many diseases can threaten a pet with mortal danger. The veterinarian will be able to examine the pet, prescribe certain tests, which will determine the cause of the dog’s thirst. You may need to additionally perform an ultrasound or X-ray examination of the internal organs of the animal.

The dog can drink a lot of water when it is in the heat, bears offspring or eats dry food. But not always a strong feeling of thirst is the norm, sometimes this indicates some diseases. The owner only needs to pay attention to the pet and take certain actions in a timely manner.