My dog drinks very little water. Is this a problem or can it wait?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This depends on a lot of factors including if she is otherwise exhibiting any symptoms of sickness, if she is eating canned food which already has water in it, how much water she is actually having, among other things. If she is not drinking anything especially if having other symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite and/or lethargy, she should be evaluated as soon as possible to prevent dehydration and to investigate the cause. If she is otherwise doing well and is eating canned food, it would be ok to monitor her for another 12-24 hours and if not improved to have her evaluated by a veterinarian then. Hopefully she returns to normal and there is no need for a veterinary visit. Have a great day!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Vito is adorable!! As long as Vito is eating, urinating and acting normal I am sure he is getting enough water from drinking or his food. He looks like he is a healthy guy! If you are still worried try adding extra water to his food. I hope this helps and have a great day!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is not necessarily wrong if he is otherwise doing fine. Dogs like humans rely on thirst and usually will drink when thirsty so I would not worry about this too much. If he eats a wet food, that may be another reason why he does not drink as much water. Good luck!

If Bo is only exhibiting an increase in water intake and urination then you should be okay to wait to schedule an appointment on Monday to see his regular veterinarian. This can sometimes be due to the high environmental temperatures this time of year, but you can certainly see this with urinary tract disease/infections or with metabolic disorders (less likely since Bo is less than 1 year old). In the meantime, monitor Bo for the onset of lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, inappetance or decrease in appetite, or any more severe signs (seizure, pale mucous membranes, etc). If any of these signs are noted, then he should be examined by an emergency veterinarian immediately.

A good way to increase water consumption is to give canned food. That said, Nico may be taking enough for his needs on a regular basis. Assuming he is alert, happy, energetic, has soft stool, he might be just fine. A visit to your regular veterinarian would confirm he is ok or if there is an issue to work on. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach app!

Depending on the dog, he may not need much water. Dogs really only need ~1-1.5 cups per 10 pounds. So a 20 pound dog may feel the need to drink 2-3 cups per day where as a 5 pound dog may only drink 1/2 cup per day. Also, if you are feeding him any canned food or food with more moisture in it, then he will be less likely to drink plain water. At the end of the day, it does come down to personal preference. Usually, a UTi will cause a dog to drink MORE water. Finally, if there are any other signs like not eating, weight loss, diarrhea, etc. then I would have your vet take a look at him and maybe even run some blood work including electrolytes to make sure everything is normal. I hope this helps!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I recommend placing a few water bowls in different locations and giving Luke some time to get settled. If by tomorrow he still isn't drinking you can try giving him ice cubes or adding a small amount of low sodium chicken broth to the water. Most likely, as long as he is healthy, he will drink when he is thirsty. A tiny 4 lb poodle doesn't need very much water. If his urine is dark and has a strong odor that means it is concentrated, which worries me less than a very dilute urine as long as he is acting alright. If he starts acting lethargic, is not eating or drinking, then I recommend you call your veterinarian tomorrow. Hopefully, Luke just needs a little more time to adjust.