If you’re unsure of how much water you dog should be drinking we have all the answers. According to Graeme Hall at Doggytastic your dog should be drinking roughly 30 to 50 ml per kilogram of body weight of water per day. However, this amount can vary slightly depending on the amount of exercise your dog has and the type of food they eat.
Too much water can also be a bad thing, and if you notice that your dog is constantly drinking water it could be sign that he has Polydipsia which needs to be addressed sooner rather than later by your local veterinarian.
If you’re concerned about your dog’s water intake try leavinga full bowl of water and then see just how much is left after 12 hours. For a more accurate result, we recommend that you do this for at least 3 days and then you’ll get a better idea of your dog’s normal drinking patterns.
Obviously, if your dog is still consuming his as normal and otherwise seems in good shape, it is probably safe to say that there isn’t an underlying reason as to why he’s drinking more water than normal.
But, My Dog is Drinking a Lot of water?
As strange as it sounds, but many dogs drink excess water out of sheer boredom or they simply like water – this is referred to as psychogenic polydipsia in dogs. Is it hot outside? Has summer finally arrived? The heat could also make your dog run to his water bowl – remember, just like us, we will drink more water when the temperature is high, your dog will do the same – most of the time it’s completely normal.
However, if the temperature outside is normal (not too hot) and your dog is still drinking too much water regularly there may be a medicalailment that’s making your dog drink more than usual. Only your vet can answer this question, but some of the typical conditions are Cushing’s disease or diabetes. Also your dog could have a condition with his kidneys that again will need a thorough check by your vet.
Your vet will be able to run some simple tests to identify any underlying conditions that’s causing your dog to drink an abnormal amount of water. Initial tests typically could call for a urine sample and also a general blood test.
It’s worth mentioning that you shouldn’t stop your dog drinking water, even if it may seem like he’s drinking too much – not until you have had him checked over by your veterinarian first – let him drink, otherwise you might be causing more harm than good. Your dog could be drinking the extra water because their body simply needs it.