Why Is My Dog Drinking a Lot of Water?

Determine his water intake by filling his dish with the same amount at the same time every day. A measured amount can be added in the morning to provide a more accurate determination of how much water he is consuming and compare it to how much remains at the end of the day

You can have measurement markings down the side, but this does no good if it is knocked over or spilled by other pets or children in the home.

There are also bowls available that will open only to a certain microchip for owners with several pets, all of which are microchipped. This allows you to monitor the exact water intake of an individual dog much more precisely.

There are also many different conditions under which excessive thirst can happen in a dog and how much water the dog consumes during the day can be found for several reasons. The following are some of the possible causes of excessive consumption of water.

Preserved Food Diet

Well, canned or preserved food contains more water in it as compared to dry food so dogs that are fed more canned food may need less water than usual.

The increased amount of moisture available in the preserved food maintains your dog's body well with water and supports their digestive system too.

Life Stages

The kidneys of young dogs are not as efficient at concentrating urine as those of old dogs, so young dogs may need more water. They typically are more active and this may result in fluid loss due to emesis and diarrhea.

On the other hand, some age-related disorders such as cognitive dysfunction and quite a few systemic diseases may cut down water intake in older dogs. Proper hydration during these phases of growth, energy, and good health is very important.

Medications

Drugs taken for fluid retention make your dog drink more water and therefore urinate more frequently and some of the medications can increase thirst and urination in dogs.

They are used to control seizures and yield similar results against inflammation which may also lead to an increase in these symptoms. Please note these changes in your dog, so you can discuss with your vet how their medication factors into their improved health.

Climates

Dogs living in hot climates get dehydrated very fast and may require water more than dogs living in cold climates.

The high temperatures raise the rate of water loss through panting and sweating and thus, dogs in these environments must have constant access to fresh water or their rate of dehydration will increase.

Playfulness and Exercise

The ones that play or exercise a lot may require more water to quench their thirst, especially younger dogs who drink more compared to the older ones because of their higher activity level. 

Water is lost from the body while panting and sweating during physical activity and this calls for a dog to drink more water to rehydrate properly for it to remain healthy. 

Kidney Disease

Your dog is likely to drink more water than usual if they are developing a problem in the functioning of the kidney so that the waste products can go out of their body.  Inadequate functioning of the kidney to concentrate urine due to kidney disease increases thirst in proportion to fluid intake, as the body is attempting effective waste removal.

As glucose moves into the urine, it draws water from the body at higher than normal rates, which prompts them to drink water excessively. This is because the condition may further lead to high blood sugar and a relative intake of vast volumes of water.

This means that managing diabetes involves checking on the intake of water, and the quantity of urine passed by the dog so that proper amounts of hydration and sugar levels in the blood are ascertained.

Urinary Infection

To combat UTIs, dogs drink water in larger amounts to counteract the infection that they are suffering from by flushing out the illness. This excess amount of drinking water helps mix up the urine and eliminate the illness-causing bacteria from the urinary tract.

Increased drinking allows for diluted urine, which can help minimize discomfort and pain caused by UTIs.

Intake of Salt

Excessive salt in the diet may emanate from table scraps or salty dog treats and will make the dog very thirsty. Such kinds of food elevate the level of water drunk to offset the amount of sodium.

This also means that one has to be very cautious about the diet and the quantity of water intake by the dog.

Hormonal Imbalance

Certain diseases like Cushing's might seriously unbalance your dog's body hormonally and make him drink more water. It might affect the adrenal glands, probably causing something like too much cortisol secretion, which might be responsible for making them drink more than usual.

Pain/Discomfort

When in physical pain or discomfort, they may show many signs of it and changes in their behavior, and hence more consumption of water.

This might give them more stress and hence cause them to drink more water than usual.

Seasonal Allergies

These seasonal, environmental allergens, mold, and dust can affect your dog's immune system, which can make him quite uncomfortable and result in increased drinking water excessively.

Similar to humans, these seasonal allergies can make the dogs thirstier and maybe another reason they drink more water. Perhaps it's due to the action of trying to relax the area that is irritated by the allergen, such as itchy skin, watery eyes, or even sneezing.

Psychological Stress

Much the same as human beings, there are various ways to stress your dog ranging from changes in an environment, separation anxiety, to regime alterations. They may drink more water than usual due to some psychological pressure that your dog is undergoing. This may be the reaction or a way of searching for comfort when in this state.

Dental Problems

Pain from infected teeth, Gingivitis, or even broken teeth are conditions that may make eating so painful, hence compelling your dog to drink a lot of water for comfort in the mouth.

Dental problems can cause immense pain, and hence result in increased water intake in dogs.

Pregnancy or Lactation

This may be during pregnancy or lactation, when the amount of water your dog consumes may tremendously increase to meet up with the needs of their changing body. During this time, high amounts of water are quite important because of the numerous changes going on in the body that require water.

Proper hydration will help them keep a good fluid balance and promote the growth and development of the fetuses.

Electrolyte Imbalance

Disruption of much-needed minerals like calcium, potassium, and sodium can cause your dog's body to increase water intake capacity. This type of condition can come from various medical issues like dietary changes or even excessive chugging of water.

Symptoms of electrolyte imbalance can be considered as lethargy, weakness cognitive confusion, and increased drinking. You should consult a vet immediately if these symptoms arise in your dog.

Poisoning or Toxins

Your dog might have eaten harmful substances like household chemicals, plants, or certain objects that are toxic to dogs, their body in reaction tries to flush out those harmful substances in the form of drinking water excessively and vomiting. Make sure you don't have any harmful substances near your dog.

Joint Pain

This pain can cause them to have severe discomfort and force them to drink water excessively to ease out the pain as a coping mechanism. Older dogs or dogs with conditions like arthritis are subject to this issue.

Consult a vet for proper diagnosis and treatment to manage the joint pain of your dog.

Recovery from Surgery

Dogs often drink more water than necessary after undergoing surgery, it's a part of their recovery process. The increased water intake helps them to flush out anesthesia and other medication from their body. Surgery heightens the need to drink water in dogs.

Neurological issues

This can impact your dog's water intake significantly, and conditions like tumors, seizures, or any other neurological trauma lead to a heightening of water intake in dogs and disrupt their normal function of the brain.

It is very important to watch and monitor your dog's water intake, especially if your dog has neurological issues.

Increased fiber intake

When your dog eats a high-fiber diet, their body automatically requires a high level of water intake because fiber absorbs water as it goes through the digestive system.

Providing your dog with enough water, especially if he is eating a diet that is high in fiber, is a very important thing to keep in mind.

The most important thing in keeping your dog fit and healthy is to provide enough water for drinking every day.

This is just about being a general guide for an owner to have an idea if their dog is drinking enough: consider the weight in pounds and just multiply by ounces. For example, 30-pound dogs should drink about 30 ounces a day. Again, all that might change according to a couple of other factors like age, state of activity, or possible health conditions that might exist.

If you are in a position that allows you to monitor adequately the amount of water your dog is drinking, then in this instance, it would be good to start by measuring exactly how much water you put into their bowl, then measure how much is left in the bowl after 24 hours.

Normally, an upset stomach of the dog may be due to a rash intake of too much water. What happens in this case is very worrying when a dog consumes excess water and then vomits.

It could be that if they drink large volumes very fast, it will result in undue overexpansion of the stomach and hence the resultant vomiting as a way of the body trying to get rid of the excess fluid so as not to develop discomfort or any other sequelae.

Drinking water excessively sometimes backfires, especially if they are too sensitive to the stomach to be holding on to the extra fluid, which warrants vomiting. Conditions like gastritis or gastroenteritis are going to create that kind of reaction where the inflamed stomach lining cannot handle the extra fluid ingestion.

Dogs may excessively drink water at night for all of the above medical issues, but this can also be caused by:

• Dehydration: Panting in the night, definitely more so compared to any other time, in search of water due to dehydration.
• Cognitive Problems: Old age causes reduced cognition in canines. As a parent, some dogs may forget to drink water during the day and hence remain thirsty during the night.
• Insufficient Water Consumption:  Dogs that are not allowed to have sufficient access to water throughout the day will drink more at night. This holds for the dogs crated without the luxury of water access.
• Dry Environment:  Your indoor environment can be much drier if you have indoor heat. Using a humidifier in their sleeping area will help offset that.
• Boredom/Anxiety/Stress: It is reportedly said that in the evenings dogs tend to drink more water, probably due to boredom or anxiety. Giving attention and playing enough with the dog can reduce this behavior to a large extent.

Some tests exist which help identify the exact cause in case of excessive thirst in dogs. Your vet will first take a long history of your dog's habit of excessive thirst and other abnormal behaviors in your dog. This is a follow-up that must be followed up by a proper physical examination.

The pet doctor may recommend running some diagnostic tests to determine health problems; measurements may include for:

• Blood Tests: To test the function of the kidney, blood sugar level, liver enzymes, and more.
• Urine Culture and Sensitivity Test: To find infections through bacteria in the urine and find the proper medication for the disease to treat the condition.
• Abdominal X-rays:  To determine stones in the bladder, tumors, or infections.
• ACTH Stimulation Test: To measure adrenal glands functioning, which leads to Cushing's disease.

Being informed about your dog's health makes a big difference in theirs as well as in your life and with your support they'll live a happy and hydrated life.