My dog isn't drinking water. When should I be concerned and see a vet?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Sophie. I am worried about her, she does sound like she is sick. It's also serious that she won't drink water, which will quickly lead to her being dehydrated. Without seeing her in person, I can't say what is going on with her, so I recommend taking her into a vet today for a health check. Best of luck.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am very concerned about any dog that will not eat or drink and recommend Hurley see the vet as soon as possible. This could be anything from a simple arthritis flare up to organ failure to cancer. For the first, some pain medication is often all that is needed while the others may require other treatments. Best wishes to you and Hurley.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. It is possible that Bonnie ate something that caused these symptoms. However, regardless of what caused these symptoms, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine her. She may be dehydrated and in need of fluids, which the veterinarian can evaluate her for. I would also recommend having her blood tested to see if there are any abnormal values that need to be addressed. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. Please take the time to mark this question as helpful or not as it helps us to improve on the quality of our answers to other pet owners. Thank you kindly!

She may not have a drive to drink if she received iv fluids during her procedures and you are meeting what she needs through her diet. If she is otherwise happy with normal appetite and energy level and no vomiting or diarrhea you can continue monitoring. If any of these change in addition to not drinking then that would be more concerning as dehydration could ensue. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I recommend taking Jack in to the vet. A puppy that isn't eating is cause for concern even if you aren't seeing him show any other signs of illness. 2 days is enough time to be concerned if he isn't eating/drinking normally. At 3 months old he is still at risk of dehydration and hypoglycemia if he isn't taking in enough water and food. I hope Jack feels better soon.

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!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is not uncommon for a dog to not eat great at first when in a new environment. However, this should subside and should not last very long. I would entice her appetite by adding things like boiled chicken, dog grade gravy, lean meats, among others. If she is still not eating after a few days, check in with a veterinarian to make sure there is not a medical reason for her to not be eating. Good luck and have a great day!