Water- How much is too much? - Page 1

HI guys, 

Just curious.......what would you consider the normal water intake for a 11-12 lb  puppy.  He will be 10 wks old on Thursday.  He is drinking around 2 cups a day.  His urine goes between clear and a mid yellow.   I just need to know if I should be concerned.  He is eating dry dog food, and is active and playful.  He is maybe on the small side, had a decent worm and coccidia issue.  He's catching up, has gained 5-6 lbs in the last couple of weeks.  Any info would be appreciated.  

Thanks  :)

I never measured out the amount of water, but, honestly, this question is not easy to answer -

an active dog will need more water than a lazy one
the weather conditions play a role
a dog eating kibble needs more water than a dog eating raw or can food

What I do - my adult dog never has more than 0,5 liter ( 0,11 gallons ) of water within range, I fill his bowl, when it´s empty and he didn´t drink for a while ( too much water at once = risk of bloat ). Same procedure with a puppy, but less water, maybe  1/4 liter or 0,05 gallons.

Clear isn't bad at all, it actually means e dog isn't dehydrated, just like humans.  I have seen dogs drink water up to the point of throwing all of it up.  Like Susie my dog usually knows when to stop, I would just let your puppy enough.  Enough? Who knows how how much that is, but his instincts will probably make him stop when he has had enoug? I feel like my post mad no sense.... LOL.

VONRIVERA

Thanks Vonrivera, 

I think I just read too much!  :)  There are all kinds of horror stories about bad kidneys.  It makes me paranoid!   :)

I had a vet tell me once that you don't need to worry about kidneys unless the dog is drinking a gallon or more at a time, multiple times a day.

Your puppy sounds normal to me. I had one puppy (the dog in my avatar) that was a real gulper when it came to water; she would drink about 4 cups at a time and ask for more (I didn't give it to her) she would do this several times a day, she eventually slowed down on her water intake and I would say that now at the age of four years she probably only drinks about 4-5 cups of water in a day.

Each dog is different. Have two dogs that I bring into the house at the end of the day, they do not sleep in the kennel over night. One dog is 13 year old female. The other is a 9 year old male. They are both very active and behave just as they did when they were 5 years old. The female is a camel. She rarely drinks water. This is just how she is and has always been this way. The male drinks almost 3 gallons a day. Has alway been this way. Now if their water drinking habits change from here I would be concerned.

Kyle

The only time I would limit water is when mine have just completed strenuous exercise, or have just eaten kibble, those times I limit their intake to a little at a time for fear of bloat. Aside from that, I let them drink what they want, I have 2 that would drink the faucet dry if they could, & one who takes a few dainty licks, & slobbers most of that out, like she only wants to freshen her mouth. She will drink from my hand or my water bottle tho', the large common 'trough' I keep out side for my critters isn't good enough for her, lol! I took the water dish up for my pups when they were little at about 10pm to encourage potty training, but we really never had any issues. When a pups urine is clear, they are well hydrated, a dogs urine can get thick & dark yellow to greeny brown, those are not good colors & warrant a vet visit, pronto! Pale to mid yellow means things are good! Good luck! jackie harris

ps-pictures please?

jackie harris

Here he is.......his name is Aahz   :)

Wow! Gorgeous pup! Nice lively expression! Good luck, & have fun, both of you, & thanks for sharing!

jackie harris