Won't drink his water?

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shelby
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Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 11:57 am

Won't drink his water?

Post by shelby »

Gabe has always been a little weird about drinking his water, it seems like he waits until he just can't wait anymore and then drinks the whole bowl. Lately however he won't go near his bowl. He drinks the water out of the bathtub after we shower, or if we spill some putting the ice cube trays away, or out of the hose in the yard. He gets really excited about any kind of "found" water but doesn't want anything to do with his bowl of nice clean fresh water. We change the water in the bowl frequently and have tried 4 different bowls now. If I dip my fingers in his water he'll very eagerly lick them off but if I try to nudge the bowl toward him he acts like I'm trying to kill him with it. I'm worried he's not getting enough water. What could be the reason behind his aversion to his water dish?
maximoo
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Location: South Florida

Post by maximoo »

There was an ep of IMOTD where a dog had a similiar problem and wld only drink flowing water from the faucet. VS had the owners buy a water fountain for dogs which gives a continuous flow of water. I've seen these at Petsmart but they are expensive (Like $80+) Maybe this will make him drink :? If he isn't dehydrated and not out in the heat he is probably drinking what he needs, so probably nothing to worry about. My boy Max
doesn't drink much. He drinks a fair amount when he goes out to the dog park and he plays/runs ard. When he is in the a/c house he barely drinks anything all day long and he is fine.
shelby
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Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 11:57 am

Post by shelby »

I'd thought about one of those doggie water fountains but we just really can't afford it right now. Hopefully he's getting what he needs.
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Nettle
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Post by Nettle »

What are the bowls made from?

Plastics smell awful to a dog. Have you tried ceramic, or toughened glass?


If yes, it might be the taste of the water. Where I live, the tap water stinks. I filter the dogs' water.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

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maximoo
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Location: South Florida

Post by maximoo »

Maybe he will like bottled water. Or like Nettle said maybe the bowl smells weird. Max drinks from a metal bowl.
Fundog
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Post by Fundog »

While I agree that the bowl may be an issue with many dogs, I don't think any two dogs are exactly alike in their bowl preferences. My girls won't drink out of a metal bowl, unless it is their old water pot outside, with algae growth and sand on the bottom. Otherwise, they much prefer a plastic bowl, and they would rather drink out of a mud puddle than anything else! Their second favorite water source is the toilet. Their other favorite is the algae/sand bowl outside. They do prefer that over their inside dish. I guess all the minerals make it taste exotic to them (scrunching up face here).

When my cat was alive, he would not drink out of his water dish unless we placed it in another type of water source, like the sink, the bath, or the shower. Of course, that meant we had to move his dish out of the way before bathing or brushing our teeth, etc. Otherwise, he too preferred to drink from the toilet. If we placed his water dish near his food, he would not drink from it. It HAD to be in the bath or sink.

Some pets just have some quirky little idiosyncrosies that make them unique and special, and weird-- but they're OUR weird and unique, special pets!
:lol:
shelby
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Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 11:57 am

Post by shelby »

I thought it might be the bowl at first, it was a metal bowl. I wouldn't want to drink out of metal so I switched it out for a glass bowl. No difference so I switched it for a plastic bowl, and then a different plastic bowl. He still doesn't like it. He sure does have a lot of those little idiosyncrasies lol
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Horace's Mum
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Post by Horace's Mum »

If it is really hot and you are worried about him getting enough fluids, then as a last resort you can try putting a tiny drop of milk in the bowl, that should encourage him to drink. Maybe just give him a little at a time throughout the day though, rather than encourage him to drink a whole bowl!

Does he like to drink out of the hose? I'm sure I have seen cheaper dog fountains though, have a look around.
Paul&Muttley

Post by Paul&Muttley »

You can get a small submersible water fountain pump for as little as $8:
http://www.fountainpumpandsupply.com/fo ... iopump.htm

And I found this on eBay for about $25:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0365025784

I use an automatic watering bowl for Muttley, but he does not have any problem drinking water.

Could your dog have "hydrophobia?" :wink:

Actually, that is an old term for rabies, and true fear of water is aquaphobia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquaphobia
maximoo
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Location: South Florida

Post by maximoo »

*bump*

I've noticed that sometimes Max gets a white line across his snout & it seems dry. :? I attribute it to him not drinking enough water as I said above he doesn't drink much in the house. Well I heard (or read) recently to make a dog drink put a little milk in the water. Not too much maybe 1-2 oz. I've done it 2/3x. No more white line. :D

So if anyone thinks their ddog isn't drinking enough try this trick. Make sure tho that your pooch isn't allergic or lactose intolerant or you may have a big mess.
melhos123
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Post by melhos123 »

Another thing you can add to water, if you are worried about dehydration is Gatoraide, or some other kind of sports drink with electrolytes. People do this for dogs who run lure-coursing. Don't just give them a bottle of it, rather put about a half cup in for every eight ounces or so. The measurement doesn't really matter that much, but you don't want your dog getting too much sugar. Ideally you would have just enough to add a little flavor and vitamins.

You can also get either low calorie or sugar-free. If you do this I would also make sure you are brushing their teeth regularly.

My dog actually doesn't like this much, but some dogs like the sweet taste. It just depends on the individual.
maximoo
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Location: South Florida

Post by maximoo »

Well I took Max for his shots today & I told vet I sometimes add a little milk to his water to make him drink. She wasn't too happy & advised instead to add a little broth for flavor. She said that dairy products are not natural to dogs & often will have digestive disturbances when given milk/yogurt.

Well I guess it's an opinion just like any other. Max has never had a problem with milk, yogurt, or cheese. :? I don't give him loads, just as a treat from time to time.
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Mattie
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Post by Mattie »

I soak my dogs dry food in water for a couple of hours before feeding them, some like plenty of water in others don't, but they are getting plenty of water in their food that they don't often need to drink. Joe does but he is on water tablets for his heart. None are dehydrated because I keep checking on them.
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Nettle
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Post by Nettle »

Your vet is one-third right :D

Milk is poorly tolerated by dogs because the milk sugars are indigestible for most adult mammmals (us too).

However, in cheese and yoghurt, these sugars have been fermented, and so pose no problems. Yoghurt is one of the best ways to settle a loose tummy, and cheese one of the finest training treats there is.

Broth is fine as long as it is home-made with no salt or sugar in it.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

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