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Puppy and drinking

Published on: January 28, 2024 • By: nikkidacey96 · In Forum: Puppies
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nikkidacey96
Participant
January 28, 2024 at 07:10am
Hi my 6 month puppy will not drink much iv frozen some bone broth and she will eat that and drink that normally but won’t drink water at all I don’t know what to do
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Liz Buchanan BVSc MRCVS
Keymaster
January 28, 2024 at 11:30am
Dear Nikki, context is everything - if I have received a previous question from you about your dog, please would you comment below it in order to point me to it?  From this question alone, I am somewhat lacking in context.  On one hand you may have a happy, healthy dog in front of you, in perfect medical condition, bouncing around and playing but declining to drink water from its bowl.  If this is the case, read on.  If not, please skip to my next answer.   If the dog is healthy, they must be getting their water from somewhere;  outside, perhaps?  Puddles?  Excess water from their wet food?  I would avoid giving anything salty because although it does make dogs drink more in order to restore the salt / water balance, it is not particularly helpful because salt: water balance is often more important that the overall amount of water drunk, and deliberately disturbing the salt balance can upset the kidneys.  I'm not sure how much salt is in said broth. It is obviously important to have good access to water at all times and worth experimenting by providing different types / materials / shapes of bowl / water in different positions around the house (perhaps, away from water that might be perceived to belong to another animal or be on their territory).   It might, however, simply be that your dog does not feel the need to drink.  Your vet could assess the dog or look at a urine sample for you, in order to establish whether there is a problem; it may be that your pup is already drinking plenty to keep themselves well hydrated, in case no further action is required.
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Liz Buchanan BVSc MRCVS
Keymaster
January 28, 2024 at 11:34am
On the other hand, at the other extreme of possibilities, it could be that your pup is weak, vomiting, lethargic or otherwise poorly in which case the failure to drink voluntarily would be a huge concern.  In this case, it may be that fluid should be given directly as a matter of urgency i.e. a drip into the vein.  These cases cannot wait as they may continue to get worse until treated, so we would recommend calling your vet or their emergency team urgently for triage.
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Liz Buchanan BVSc MRCVS
Keymaster
January 28, 2024 at 11:38am
So, in conclusion:  if your dog appears to be ill, they may need to see a vet as a matter of urgency.  If not, provide lots of drinking opportunities and perhaps have the animal, including the specific gravity of water (urine) checked by your vet, in order to assess that they are consuming enough water for them ie their water balance is doing ok.
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