Are You Worried If Your Dog is Drinking Enough Water?

Dogs are intelligent and loving creatures. However, they are also very much like your own children. There are things that they need to do that they might outright refuse to do. As their owner and pet parent, you have to be attentive and fulfill their basic needs and health requirements. 

If you notice that your dog isn’t drinking quite enough water, start by figuring out what’s bothering them. Once you understand why they won’t drink, you can adjust accordingly to help them meet their hydration needs.

Here’s what you need to know:

They Need More Exercise

A lack of exercise can be why your dog isn’t drinking enough water. Sometimes the best way to encourage your dog to drink water is by tiring them out. Trust us, after a few rounds of playtime or walking, they’ll be rushing to their bowl for some much-needed refreshments.

Take your dogs on regular walks, runs, and play with them too. Take a few minutes out of your day to tire them out. Unlike humans, your dog won’t be thinking that they haven’t drunk enough water for the day. Give them the push they need to think, ‘Water! Water! Water!’ in their head.

They Need One or Two New Bowls

Dogs are generally pretty good at expressing their distaste for something, one way or another. If they’re not drinking water from the bowl, consider that maybe, you need to buy new dog accessories. 

Apart from changing their bowl, you can also try scattering two or three around your home. Sometimes the location and accessibility of the bowl are also why they don’t drink water. As you may already know, dog accessories can be essential in encouraging them to be active. 

They See Floating Nasties in Their Bowl

If you’re a first-time dog owner, you’ve probably heard the misconception that dogs drink dirty water. You’ve seen it in shows or movies. They drink from puddles, toilet bowls, and more. 

However, that’s more of a quirk or a bad habit rather than a reality. Most dogs will refuse to drink water with dirt or dust floating around in it. 

When you notice your dog go towards their bowl, only to decide against drinking, take a look at their water and check if it’s clean. 

They Need Better Water

Now, hear us out. Any living thing can be picky. Plants tend to be selective about their environment. People can be finicky with their food, so dogs can be the same with the water they drink. You must know that feeling when you take a sip of water, and it just doesn’t taste, right? 

Of course, first, you can try feeding them various types of water. If that doesn’t seem to solve the problem, you can try flavoring it. Flavored may sound like a weird thing to give your dog, but it’s just a matter of making it tastier for them. 

For example, you can make ice cubes out of broth—tuna, chicken, beef, and so on. You can put small amounts of this in their water, not so much that it might be the only water they drink. Put just enough so that it becomes more enjoyable and tasty for them. Over time, but less and less of it in their water until you’ve entirely weaned them off. 

Summary

One of the most basic needs of a dog is proper hydration. As some pet parents have probably experienced, dogs aren’t always excited or inclined to drink water. There are several possible reasons for this. The worst-case scenario would be a medical condition that makes them lose their appetite for both food and water. But don’t worry, there are likely other less worrying reasons. Sometimes it just takes a tiny observation to understand why your dog doesn’t want to drink water.