Why Are Some Dogs Excessively Thirsty?

There are breeds that are more likely to drink more water than others. There are also external factors that help this behavior, such as temperature, sun, physical activity or diet. Do you want to know why some dogs are thirstier than others? If your furry is part of the binge drinker group, this article is for you.

How much water should my dog ​​drink to not be thirsty?

It can be very difficult to determine how much water your pet drinks, as he is likely to waste a fair amount of liquid because of the way he drinks (and if you think about it, it shouldn’t be too easy).

In most cases, dogs need a pint of fluid per pound of body weight daily to stay hydrated. This may seem like a lot if, for example, your pet weighs 10kg… he would have to drink approximately 5 liters! However, some of the water may be present in the animal’s food.

When they are newborns and are in the lactation stage, breast milk also counts as liquid. And if the animal is very active, it will certainly have to increase the amount of liquid ingested.

If we humans already have a hard time meeting the ideal daily water intake for our organism… it is not difficult to understand why we forget to hydrate our furry ones. If we knew that this liquid prevents many diseases and keeps him healthy, maybe we would pay more attention to our dog’s hydration.

But it is not just the dog’s body weight that determines how much water he should drink and at what point he will be thirsty. Food also has a lot of influence: if the animal eats dry food, it will need less liquid than if it eats canned food; if he consumes homemade food with salt (a very common mistake), he will need more liquid.

The animal’s age is another important factor (puppies need 1/2 glass of water every two hours and we must “remind” them to drink), as well as the practice of physical activities.

If you have a very active dog that goes for a walk every day or runs with other animals, increase the amount of water he drinks. Finally, some medications and treatments for specific illnesses may require increased fluid intake.

Why is my dog ​​always thirsty?

Every time he sees some water, he despairs as if he were in a desert. When you fill the drinking fountain, it empties it in a matter of minutes and asks for more… what’s going on with it? Here are some reasons for excessive thirst:

Dehydration

Animals, like people, feel more craving for water on the hottest days of summer. If we add to this the fact that our pet may have been without liquid for several hours, maybe he is dehydrated. Symptoms of dehydration include dry tongue and gums, lethargy, wheezing, and drops of saliva falling from the corners of the mouth.

Be careful in these cases, as when you give the dog water, he will drink it all at once, which can cause discomfort and vomiting. It is best to offer the liquid little by little (2 tablespoons every 10 minutes).

Illnesses

When dogs drink more water than normal, it can be a sign that something in their body isn’t working properly. Most of the time this is caused by imbalances in the kidneys and liver.

Low blood calcium levels can also cause the animal to be excessively thirsty. Other conditions that cause this symptom include Cushing’s Syndrome, liver disease, cancer, infections, kidney problems, fever and diarrhea.

In the case of diabetes, in addition to drinking more water, the dog will produce more urine and will eat more (he will have a voracious appetite and will gain weight quickly). As the disease progresses, the animal will become more and more thirsty.

Medicines

One of the most frequent side effects of using medications in veterinary treatments is the substantial increase in thirst. The medications your doctor has prescribed can change the amount of water your pet needs to drink or how thirsty it feels.

Among the remedies that make dogs thirstier are anti-inflammatory drugs (for diseases such as asthma, allergies and intestinal inflammation), for heart failure and for seizures.

food

As already mentioned, a dog’s diet can determine whether he will be more or less thirsty. Pay close attention to the ingredients in the food you offer him, as many poor quality brands add salt and sodium coloring to the ration.