Dogs are energetic animals, most often leading a moving life. Among them, of course, there are lovers to lie down calmly, but each dog should receive daily physical activity. It is quite normal when, after active games or jogging, a pet can drink a lot of water, especially in hot weather. But, if the pet drinks a lot for no reason, you should be wary.
Water consumption rate
The rate of water consumption depends on the weight of the animal, for each kilogram no more than 100 mg. water. If the dog eats natural food, it is worth considering all the liquid food that she eats. With a dry diet, animals drink much more than with natural foods.
What makes the dog drink a lot?
There are a number of reasons why a dog begins to drink a lot.
It is considered normal in the following cases:
• When switching to dry food from a natural diet, the animal replenishes the water balance.
• Over-salted food, it is better to exclude salt from the diet altogether.
• Low protein content in the diet.
• Hot season.
• During poor environmental conditions.
• Animals living in apartments are thirsty due to dry air during the heating season.
• Anesthesia - thirst after surgery is quite normal, so the body removes anesthetics.
• A leak may also be thirsty.
• Bearing and feeding offspring.
Thirst as a symptom
Unfortunately, "harmless" thirst is a symptom of chronic and acute ailments that require immediate treatment. Diseases causing excessive water intake:
• Food poisoning - accompanied by vomiting and loose stools. It is necessary to immediately exclude from the diet thermally processed foods.
• Renal failure - the animal becomes lethargic, sleeps a lot and urinates a little.
• Diabetes mellitus or sugar type. In animals, diabetes is not curable, but taking medications will improve the condition of the pet. The necessary drugs and doses of their use will be prescribed by the veterinarian. Also, with this disease, it will be necessary to adhere to a diet, it is best to transfer to dog food for diabetics.
• Chronic hypercortisonemia (Cushing's syndrome) flooding the endocrine system in which you need to drink as much fluid as possible to raise the level of cortisol.
• Pyometra, a disease caused by toxins, often accompanied by an open form of apathy and vaginal discharge or, with a closed form of the disease, an increase in the abdomen, loss of appetite and lethargy.
• Viral hepatitis is a very dangerous disease, which is expressed by vomiting, diarrhea, fever, urine acquires a shade of red-brown color.
• Pyroplasmosis, in which thirst alternates with symptoms such as blood in the urine, lethargy and loss of appetite.
• Cystitis in dogs can be cured quickly enough, during treatment it is worth giving the dog a lot to drink water.
• Age-related organ failure, found in older dogs, in this situation, you can only alleviate the suffering of the pet.
Most of the above diseases are fatal, but do not be scared ahead of time. After you notice a strong thirst in a pet, you must first exclude all non-dangerous causes. If after their exclusion everything remains as before, gently contact a veterinary clinic. The doctor will do a urinalysis, you will also need to donate blood for biochemical and clinical analysis. Veterinarians will determine the condition of the body and internal organs of the pet, if necessary, do an endoscopy, ultrasound of the digestive tract, an x-ray of the abdominal cavity and establish a diagnosis, and prescribe the necessary treatment, and drugs.
It is advisable to immediately discuss with the veterinarian a diet for the pet and adhere to it clearly.
Home treatment
After returning from the veterinary clinic, the sick animal should be provided with a quiet, comfortable and warm place, protected from drafts, without access of other animals and small children. During treatment, the dog needs to sleep a lot, so do not bother her often.
Walking should be ruled out until the animal recovers, otherwise the situation could worsen.
It is necessary to give the dog enough water and adhere to the recommendations of the veterinarian. If the pet is urinating for himself, you will need to use disposable diapers.
Medications are given exactly as prescribed by the doctor, without trying to cure the dog on their own. It’s most risky to give the dog medications intended for humans.
The liquid that is given must be clean and boiled. It must be changed regularly, and the dishes thoroughly washed.
The diet must be checked and excluded from it foods that can provoke and stimulate thirst.
If the diet was not recommended, then you can feed the dog the same food.
Disease Prevention and Diet
In order to exclude negative processes in the body of the pet, it is necessary to carefully monitor its health, nutrition and behavior. It is strictly forbidden to give the dog food from his table, especially very fatty, smoked, salty and spicy. You should not accustom your fourth friend to unnatural food for her - food with spices, sweets, buns.
Free access to the dog should be clean drinking water. When calculating the normal volume of liquid drunk, it is necessary to take into account not only water, but also soups, dairy products and other drinks that the dog drinks a lot.
