Why is my dog drinking so much water? Raw kibble or illness?

If you are feeding drying food, she may need more water to help digest it. Also, that breed is very energetic. Some dogs only seem to drink with owners present and drink very little in the day when alone. If it seems excessive (you are always filling up the bowl) give her 8 oz at a time and see how long it takes her to drink that and keep up with how much she consumes over a 24 hour period. You can then take that to your vet for them to check and do a urine sample or blood test to make sure there is no infection or diabetes.

No, female dogs do not naturally drink more than males. If your female is drinking all the time, this can be a sign of a medical illness such as kidney disease, diabetes, or Cushing's disease among other causes. I'd have her seen by a vet for a health check.

Thank you for submitting your question Sophie. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian for blood and urine testing. The signs you have described are most common with diabetes. They can also be seen with kidney disease, liver problems or an adrenal gland disorder. I hope this information helps!

Adding water to her meals is fine. If you observe that she is drinking more than usual or urinating more than usual, she may need to have her urine checked. The only way to measure water intake is to separate her and measure the amount of water offered subtracted from the amount she consumes in 24 hours. Most healthy pets will consume enough if made available.

At her weight she is allowed to drink up to 110cc of water within 24 hours. If she eats more dry food or when it is very hot, she can drink a bit more. 110cc is 3.71 fluid oz. So your dog is well within her normal water intake.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Excessive water intake can be seen with conditions such as urinary tract infections, and metabolic conditions such as Cushing's disease to name a few. Given that Chico is also showing signs of being hungry, it is possible that he has something called Cushing's disease which is a metabolic condition which at times requires treatment. I recommend that you have him evaluated by your veterinarian who can test for that if it makes sense based on further history and physical examination. Good luck!

Poor Max. I would recommend to take him to your vet. It is not normal for them to drink excessive amounts of water and have a lack of appetite. There are several things that can cause these symptoms including certain bacterial infections, diabetes. viral infections, toxins and more. Your vet will likely want to start by running some blood work to help rule out different causes of the increased water intake and then treat accordingly. I hope Max starts to feel better!