My dog won't drink water and is dehydrated. Is it an emergency?

It could be that the amount of water that he is drinking is appropriate for his weight and age, without any other clinical signs I would not worry too much. Just make sure that you change his water regularly so that it is always fresh. If you are really worried, you could add plain lukewarm water to his biscuits, leave them to soak 5 minutes and the offer.

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!

I am sorry to hear about Dusky! If his skin is tenting due to dehydration, he needs more help than you can provide at home. I would recommend getting him to a veterinary clinic/hospital ASAP. He needs fluid replacement through and IV or under his skin to help improve his hydration more rapidly. They can also examine him and may recommend bloodwork to check for things like liver or kidney damage in case he got into any toxins while out.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Shakespeare. Oh no, poor boy. I'm concerned about him being dehydrated, and yes I do think this is now an emergency. I would take him into an ER vet immediately. I hope this helps.

First you will need to make sure that Bruno has a cool place, preferably with A/C. If he is dehydrated your veterinarian can give him fluids under the skin. Feed him some commercial tinned food available from your veterinarian or pet place and add water to it to make a soup or gruel. This will help to get fluid into him. He may have a more serious gastro-intestinal problem so if he is not eating nor drinking, take him back to your veterinary doctor or to another one for a second opinion. Do not offer him milk, or fruit juice, just plain cool fresh water to drink.

If she's completely refusing food and water and it's been more than a day, I would try to get her into your vet sooner or into the ER. You can check to see how dehydrated Aurora is by gently pinching and tenting the skin over her neck. If it seems "sticky" or is very slow to return back to normal, this is a sign of dehydration. If she's dehydrated in addition to her other symptoms and also is suffering from underlying health issues, I would have her seen right away.

While it is normal to see a period of no pooping after having diarrhea, it is not normal for a dog to not drink water. I am also concerned about Roo getting dehydrated, and I do think it's worth having him seen by a vet. If he is very dehydrated, he will need IV fluids. He should also be examined to diagnose why he's not drinking water. I would take him into a vet now. I hope this helps!