Can your dog have too much water?
Puppies are still growing, so they eat and drink a lot. Plus, your puppy’s probably constantly running around and playing, and all the exercise can make him thirsty.
But how can you know if your puppy’s drinking too much or not enough water?
The Dodo spoke to Dr. Michelle Bourjaily, a managing veterinarian atSmall Door Veterinary, to find out how much water your puppy should drink and how to know if he’s drinking too much (or not enough).
How much water should a puppy drink during potty training?
You can let your puppy drink throughout the day, but take his water away before he goes to bed so he won’t have to go to the bathroom as much at night.
“You should allow your puppy to drink freely during the day, but you may wish to remove their drinking bowl around two to three hours before bedtime to help reduce their need for bathroom breaks overnight,” Dr. Bourjaily said.
Try to remove his water around the same time each night to create a routine, just like you feed him at around the same times each day.
Also keep in mind that until your puppy’s old enough to control his bladder (around 9 months), he’ll probably have to go to the bathroom within 10–30 minutes after drinking water, so if he’s drinking all day long, you’ll be taking him out a lot.
How much water should your puppy drink?
Young puppies who are transitioning from mother’s milk to solid food need 0.5 cup of water every two hours. Once they’ve been weaned, they should be drinking between 0.5 to 1 fluid ounce per pound of body weight each day.
One of the best ways to make sure your puppy is drinking enough water is to set up a schedule. Instead of leaving a water bowl out for him to drink at will, ration his intake. Every few hours, measure the appropriate amount of water into his drinking bowl and call your puppy. Encourage him to drink the water and, when he does, reward him with praise and a few minutes of playtime.
Most dogs learn to drink enough water all by themselves; however, it’s important to monitor them when they are first learning. Not enough water intake can cause dehydration, while drinking too much water can be just as dangerous.
How much water should a puppy drink?
It’s my very first appointment of the morning. Otis, a 3 month-old labrador puppy, is playfully sniffing and wagging his tail around the exam room. His parent, Mrs. Somers, looks far less excited. It doesn’t look like she’s slept very well.
“Doctor”, she says, “Otis needed to go out every 3 hours and he still ended up peeing on my floor. He must have an infection or something.”
“Well, I don’t know,” she says, “I just refill it for him when he needs more. Oh, and he also vomits up water a couple times a week. There must be something wrong.”
Oh, the challenges of being a veterinarian. Is there something really wrong with Otis? Or is his behavior just that–behavioral? If only we could actually ask Otis.
Water consumption can be a big worry for many pup parents. In this article, we’re going to go over some reasons young dogs may consume more water, including causes of dehydration that we might be concerned about. Then, we’ll go over some guidelines to know how much water your pup should have per day, and how to monitor intake. And towards the end, we’ll see what happens with Otis.