Dog Community

Jack has a drinking problem....

Posted : 11/16/2006 3:57:59 PM

No really! He drinks a lot of water (jack is a 16 wk old lab). We were giving him free choice water like we do Sally but he would drink so much that he would have to pee BAD every hour. My puppy book said that some pups are like this and to restrict his water. Well, we do that and he is insane about it. We have tried pacing him, we've tried letting him drink as much as he wants. Either way he is just as crazy about it. When I take him to the beach he drinks so much lake water his belly gets obviously full.

He seems to be healthy in every other way. The only thing I've noticed is that he isn't as hyper as I'd though he'd be but he is in no way lethargic or anything--he has energy but it just isn't crazy energy. A co-worker said his golden was like this. Is it just a retriever thing? Should I be worried?

Angela J

Posted : 11/16/2006 4:03:24 PM

I'm not really sure...but these could be signs of diabetes mellitus. The thirst and lack of energy could be symptoms...you might want to get him checked out just in case.

dogslyfe

Posted : 11/16/2006 4:07:19 PM

Well, I'm on BC puppy #2, and they both have done exactly as you describe. I call them "Recreational Drinkers". [

] Nick absolutely can NOT pass a waterbowl without drinking... like its the last water he's ever going to get. He's starting to grow out of it though - finally starting to control himself some. When he was teenie, he was peeing about every 10 mins. *sighs*

I had Bree tested several times thinking UTI or diabetes... nope. Just strange.

micksmom

Posted : 11/16/2006 4:07:40 PM

Wow, Jack sounds like Caleb! We've found that restricting Caleb to 2 cups of water and emptying the water dish around 8 PM helps a lot. I'd better explain the 2 cups, tho- I put 2 cups of water in his dish when he gets up in the morning. Somewhere around dinner time, his dish will be empty, and I'll put another 2 cups in. If he hasn't finished the first 2 cups until later, I'll only "refill" the dish with a cup. I'll gradually increase the water as Caleb grows (he'll be 18 weeks tomorrow).

dogslyfe

Posted : 11/16/2006 4:09:42 PM

Oh, and not only is Nick a recreational drinker in that sense, he also cannot seem to keep himelf from belly-splashing in every body of water possible... including a one-quart hanging pail. [8|]

tashakota

Posted : 11/16/2006 4:57:33 PM

Our dog Shadow does this. Though urine samples show she is not concentrating her urine but her kidneys are functioning fine. She began doing this 2 or 3 years ago and she's 8 years old. It was when she started having accidents in the house that we noticed how much water she was drinking. She seems to be slowing down a bit but she still drinks a lot. We joked that she'd start drinking then forget she was still drinking. lol... She's a lab beagle mix.

sillysally

Posted : 11/16/2006 5:07:42 PM

ORIGINAL: dogslyfe

Oh, and not only is Nick a recreational drinker in that sense, he also cannot seem to keep himelf from belly-splashing in every body of water possible... including a one-quart hanging pail. [8|]

Yeah, we just got the crappier fence in our yard replaced so they can go out in it. The old owners left this fountain that Sally has taught Jack to wade, drink, and play in....he is NEVER dry--lol[sm=smack.gif]

Truley

Posted : 11/16/2006 6:04:36 PM

Maybe it's a male puppy thing? Kord is doing the same thing, he will drink till he drains the dang bowl. He will be 16 weeks old next tuesday. He is now on restricted water. He gets a couple of cups at a time several times during the day until about 9pm ish, then water goes up.

He will also play in the water and dump the bowl if he is not watched, he keeps tryin to dig the puppy out from the bottom I guess[

].

Dawn

lorib

Posted : 11/16/2006 8:20:11 PM

Is it possible he has kidney issue?

sillysally

Posted : 11/16/2006 9:14:24 PM

I was kind of worried about that. He goes to the vet tomorrow for more puppy shots, so I will ask the vet then.

kpwlee

Posted : 11/16/2006 10:03:56 PM

I think its a lab thing - but it never hurts to ask the vet
Bugsy doesn't drink often but when he does its like a 10 minute slurp (exaggerated but you get my point) His golden buddy drinks often so if he plays with her they drink non-stop

jennie_c_d

Posted : 11/16/2006 10:37:51 PM

Emma (not the picture of health, but no kidney probs or diabetes) has always been that way. She was so cute, when she was a tiny puppy. She'd stand IN the water bowl and drink, drink, drink. When she got done drinking, she splashed and made a huge mess. When it was empty, she'd dig in the bottom. She STILL digs in the bowl, if it's empty.

The good news is that now, she usually doesn't drink until she throws up. Occasionally, she gets a little overzealous about the pond or the ocean, and drinks til she barfs. Most times, not.

jenhuedepohl

Posted : 11/17/2006 5:20:13 PM

Our cousins have a Dane pup that would drink so much that he'd literally be peeing on the floor and drinking at the same time. They couldn't get him potty trained until they rationed his water.

I also have a coworker whose Dane will drink until she throws up. She has pretty much grown out of it, but they will still occasionally have to tell Hannah "that's enough" when she gets a little carried away. Both dogs had been checked out by the vet, they just liked water too much!

pofi_pasquale

Posted : 11/18/2006 3:56:04 PM

Mia was a problem drinker and it was so extreme, it impacted her kidneys in that her urine was very dilute and we had a longer house breaking period because of it. She would also lose control while sleeping sometimes.

She had some sub cutaneous infections and a vaginal infection which may have contributed to her problems and even thirst. Essentially, she was overworking the kidneys. We did ration for a while, which was difficult because it meant restricting Pofi, too and even giving the cats less options (though they had a fountain in their own room). Between rationing and clearing up her infections we got it more under control and now, when she just keeps drinking and drinking, we distract her by saying her name or calling her to us. Sometimes I think it's just a product of a not very big brain, LOL, that keeps her so focused on that task at hand!

ColleenC

Posted : 11/19/2006 1:45:19 AM

Colton was the same way. No one would believe me though! My mentor(where Colton is from) told me to restrict his water, and that really helped. I also made him drink out of a bottle(like a rabbit bottle) and that helped as well. He finally grew out of it.