Dog Community

Water Guarding??

Posted : 3/8/2006 9:37:56 AM

Background info - all dogs kibble plus canned and some fresh fed. Each crate has water pail, plus water bowls outside, in the kitchen, and in our bedroom. Water is never withheld from the dogs.

Here's what is going on. Bree has started (on occasion - like maybe 4 or 5 times over the last 2 months) peeing in her crate. Not having accidents in the house, or anything like that. However, each morning recently as we've gone into the dog room to crate and eat, she'd rush up to one of the other dogs' crates, and start furiously drinking their water. As I'd shoo her out, she'd move on to the next dog's water. Once I got her to her crate, she'd polish off a whole quart of HER water.

So, no big surprise that she'd pee in her crate if left all day (rarely ever happens that way), or sometimes even before I could get home at lunch. So, we've started making double sure she pees (again) before we leave for work. Yesterday neither hubs or I could make it home at lunch, and she peed in the crate, and then ran around and peed about 7 times.

Well, when this started I took her to the vet expecting a UTI, or diabetes. But everything was negative and they were looking at me like I was losing my mind.

She isn't doing this at any other time other than meal times. She's not drinking a whole ton any other time. I'm beginning to think she's resource guarding the water. Or compulsively drinking.

This morning when I let them out of their crates I closed the door behind them. I opened each door to let only the dog that belonged there in... and lo and behold she had nobody else's water to drink. Know what? She drank a NORMAL amount of her own water.

Could she be resource guarding the other dogs' waters? Then compulsively drinking her own?? Or should I take her back and get her checked AGAIN? This is a weird one.

Thoughts? Questions? My thoughts are a little disjointed today.

dogluvr

Posted : 3/8/2006 9:58:19 AM

You may want to look into Addisions disease, drinking and urinating excessively are symptoms. Also cushings disease is another related to drinkiing more than usual.
[linkhttp://www.vetinfo.com/daddison.html]http://www.vetinfo.com/daddison.html[/link]
[linkhttp://www.sidyboysfoolin.com/AddisonsDisease.html]http://www.sidyboysfoolin.com/AddisonsDisease.html[/link]

labcrab

Posted : 3/8/2006 10:16:54 AM

I would also rule out something medical as a first step.

dogluvr

Posted : 3/8/2006 10:54:15 AM

Just to add to that, Addisions is a treatable disease. The symptoms can sometimes be overlooked and if Addisions isn't caught in time they could go into addisions crisis which is sometimes fatal. I'm not trying to scare you at all just trying to give you a heads up. Because clyde was drinking alot and it was summer we didn't really think too much about it, more drinking means more urinating. Well he went into addisions crisis, we were one of the lucky ones, he survived and is now on monthly injection and predisone and is doing very well. Good luck and keep us posted.

dogslyfe

Posted : 3/8/2006 11:03:24 AM

It would probably be easier if there is a physical problem. Everything I've read thus far about Addisons says that a sign is vomiting, lethargy, etc. It doesn't say anything about excessive drinking. Did I miss something?

There are several factors that lead me to start thinking there may be a behavioral problem here, and I want to see what you guys think.

1. When it first started, I took her to the vet. Had urinalysis, checkup and told the vet indepth what was happening. According to her, everything was beautiful.

2. She doesn't do it all the time, just in the mornings before breakfast.

3. When I closed the crates this morning so she couldn't drain the other dogs waters, she drank a NORMAL amount of hers and that was the end of it.

4. She's a Border Collie. [

]

I'm beginning to wonder if she's just developed a strange water obsession? I can always call the vet and make an apt to bring her back in though.

rredbird

Posted : 3/8/2006 12:00:27 PM

[sm=2cents.gif] fwiw I think she is just obsessing on the water. Restrict her access to everyone else's (not her own) and maybe she will focus on something else (like soccer balls or sheep!) My dog had Cushings and would drink all her water at one time, then toilet bowl water too and still beg for more. If she's not standing and pawing at the other dogs water after hers is gone I think she is probably ok (just a wiring issue in the brain!). Can't hurt to keep in mind if you notice anything else happening to take her back to the vet but I think this is just one of the times our dog wants to drive us nuts!

dogslyfe

Posted : 3/8/2006 3:56:13 PM

I called the vet to touch base, and told them about this morning's "experiment". They agreed that I'm on the right track, and to keep doing what I'm doing for a few days and see what happens. If (after not allowing her to gulp up the other dogs' waters) she goes looking for more water still we'll take her in for bloodwork and stuff.

She does have a couple of proverbial screws a wee bit loose.