Drinking Water Problem - My bulldog isn't drinking water/as much water as usual
Submitted by mark on June 23, 2013 - 8:56amI have a 9 year old bulldog that isn't drinking as much as he should for the past week or so. I have the water bowl where I can see it and he doesn't drink so I have been putting dry-kibble into the water bowl. He definitely drinks when I do that as all the water and kibble are consumed, but am wondering why he isn't drinking as much. When I take him outside and tell him to "potty" he doesn't go or as quickly as he did a month ago. I have cleaned the bowl and my other dog has no problems drinking
1. Is this due to age? He has had no major health issues so far. I know seniors need to eat less and drink less but this is worse than less hydration.
2. Is this symptomatic of something else? Before my beloved cat passed away, she couldn't drink enough water as I soon learned because of kidney failure. So I'm afraid this indicates some disease.
3. Should I start feeding him wet dog food? He has never had wet food in his life. Is mixing kibble with cups of water enough and how much water should he consume at male/9 years old/60lbs?
I am apprehensive to go to the vet as I always get vague answers from the many I've seen in the past. Vets seem best for traumatic and obvious injuries. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.
Best.
His bowel movements have been
His bowel movements have been normal going once or twice per day.
Does he like ice cubes ?
That's another way to hydrate. You could also Dd some low sodium chicken broth. Is he still acting well?
Should say add some broth ...
Darn I phone.
Still not drinking...
Well I gave him kibble and water this morning and he ate that but he still isn't drinking. Its hot outside but the house is air-conditioned and my other dog has been drinking the water. Right now my bulldog is pretty lethargic but I fed him half a banana. His appetite for food is fine. I am going to lock him in his crate with the water bowl and see what happens.
If you are concerned about
If you are concerned about dehydration/illness, you should really see your vet as soon as possible. A simple blood test may be all that is needed.
Thank you. He did not drink
Thank you. He did not drink from last night after playtime in the park until this morning. He did however urinate this morning. While my other dog lapped up quite a bit of water both last night and this morning. I put kibble and water in a bowl and he ended up finishing the bowl this morning. I am going to give it a couple of more days. Every time I go to the vet, I get the "nothing is wrong, here's your bill" treatment so I am going to put that off.
Still not drinking like he
Still not drinking like he should. He ate the kibble but left more of the water. Gonna try broth next.
Found a black mole under his fur on his back
relatively large mole. Not sure if its a mole or something else. Black and shiny. Clearly visible on his back as some of his short hair is parted in a round pattern exposing this mole. Does this mean anything? Cancer? Thanks for any replies.
Something to have checked out but...
Just for piece of mind. Maybe make some chicken broth ice cubes and see if be goes for that. Pedialyte is also good if he will drink it. Keep putting liquid in his food.
Over the winter my dog also
Over the winter my dog also started not drinking any water out of her dish and I tried everything (different bowls, in different places, different temps, filtered water, etc), it was the winter and my dog was eating a lot of snow (she always has and loves it, although I know some say it is bad for them she has never shown any adverse effects) and she loves icecubes so I was giving her lots of those. She wasn't showing any signs of dehydration and everything else was normal. I asked my vet and he was not concerned, he said he would be far more concerned if she was drinking more than normal. The vet also mentioned that if she was thirsty she would drink, so I continued to ensure she had fresh water all of the time. Then one day, after about a month or so, my bulldog just started drinking again and has been ever since.
However, if you're very concerned you should give your vet a shout and see what they say :) I've never regretted a trip to the vet to find out that everything was ok...but maybe that is just me, I tend to worry a bit :)