Getting Dehydrated Dog to Drink Water

RE: Getting Dehydrated Dog to Drink Water Post By victoria (Guest Post) (07/11/2008) Hi- My dog is a chihuahua/italian greyhound mix, 8.5 lbs, and 15 months old. He's really well taken care of, RARELY gets anything to eat other than organic food and treats (and when we do feed him anything else, it's a tiny piece of cheddar cheese or a bit of peanut butter-also organic). Anyway, he got really sick the other night...vomiting and diarrhea at least 7 times within 3 hours. We took him to the emergency vet and they gave a shot to settle his stomach as well as sub-cutaneous fluids so he would not dehydrate. They also advised us not to feed him anything for 12-24 hours to rest his GI tract and after the rest, feed him only boiled chicken with white rice. He's loving the chicken and rice but he's not drinking water. I read these posts and tried putting a treat in his water, hoping he would drink it to get to the treat. He drank a few laps and then gave up (which is strange for such a treat loving dog). I decided to add a spoonful of skim milk to the water and he really took to it. I know this is a long response but I just wanted to thank all of you for the suggestions and let you know what worked for me. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Getting Dehydrated Dog to Drink Water Post By guest (Guest Post) (07/09/2008) My dog has had diarrhea for the past couple of days and hasn't seemed to want to drink water so I've been worried she is dehydrated. Putting a little bit of food in a bowl of water really worked! It's amazing! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Getting Dehydrated Dog to Drink Water Post By kay (Guest Post) (06/28/2008) My vet suggested using pedialyte or sugared water. It worked we had to use a medicine dropper, of course. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Getting Dehydrated Dog to Drink Water Post By Lauren (Guest Post) (06/08/2008) Thank you so much to the person who suggested mixing her wet food with water! It totally worked! It was really soupy and I had to show her there was food in it but once she realized she sopped it all up! Nothing else would work. THANK YOU! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Getting Dehydrated Dog to Drink Water Post By francie (Guest Post) (11/27/2007) "No healthy dog gets dehydrated" is right most of the time. But if you have a dog that has been in an accident, or is sick, they may not want to drink water and, believe me, the vet doesn't share that with you. They just keep asking if they are drinking. Sometimes you are so upset with things you don't think to ask that. So the question of how to get a dehydrated dog to drink can be a very important question. Adding water to their food has worked the best for me. My dog was severely injured in an accident when i was out of town. The Vet hooked her up to fluids once but most of the time I have had to find other ways to get her to have fluids. she is drinking now but I still have to add fluids to her food cause she doesn't seem to want to drink enough. Some of the other ideas I saw on this page sound like good ideas that I need to try them. Good Luck to everyone that has a problem! with their baby dog! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Getting Dehydrated Dog to Drink Water Post By New puppy owner (Guest Post) (10/28/2007) My 12 week old puppy is not drank water lately. I checked his nose and it is dry. We squirted water in his mouth like someone said. He had 2 squirts. His heart is also beating quickly. We just got him yesterday. Should we called the lady that owned him before and ask her what to do. Somebody please help Report Spam or Abuse RE: Getting Dehydrated Dog to Drink Water Post By Tina (Guest Post) (10/21/2007) Soak the dry food in the water. A friend did this and it helped. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Getting Dehydrated Dog to Drink Water Post by Lionslady (8) | (10/18/2007) Contact try a sqeeze type water bottle and squeeze into the back of his/her mouth and blow gently in his/ her face it's natural for them to swallow. I saved a dog with parvo this way. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Getting Dehydrated Dog to Drink Water Post By Caryn from Illinois (Guest Post) (10/17/2007) I don't have a dog but cats that, when ill, become dehydrated. When they return from a stay at the vet (and usually an I.V.), I make sure they get extra water by mixing their canned food with about 50% water. It is more like a soup but they lap it up and get the extra water. But, go to a vet and make sure there is no urinary problem, blockage or stress problem keeping them from drinking. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Getting Dehydrated Dog to Drink Water Post by Panktty (21) | (10/16/2007) Profile | Contact make sure it is physically possible for you pooch to drink. Check his tongue for lesions, spots, burns and cuts. Make sure it looks healthy. If a dog cannot use his tongue to lap he cannot drink, they can't sip like humans and horses. I had a dog once with Cushing's disease which basically turned her tongue into a piece of shoe leather and made it impossible for her to drink, we had to poor it down her throat. It also effected her brain and the rest of her, and eventually killed her. I'm not suggesting your dog has cushing's obviously, it's a rare disease. Just know some disease can effect the tongue like that. Also, make sure the dog's gums are a healthy dark pink, and not pale. If the dog feels cool to the touch, especially the gums, he could be anemic and needs to go to the vet immediately. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Getting Dehydrated Dog to Drink Water Post by KJP (33) | (10/16/2007) Contact Put a dash of milk in the water. Even though it is still water, just white in colour, your dog will think it is a milky treat and lap it all up! Report Spam or Abuse RE: Getting Dehydrated Dog to Drink Water Post By Me (Guest Post) (10/16/2007) No healthy dog ever gets dehydrated. Not only get him to a vet, but possibly an emergency vet. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Getting Dehydrated Dog to Drink Water Post By Anita (Guest Post) (10/16/2007) You should have your dog checked by the vet. If he is dehydrated, he should want to drink water. He may be ill. Also, make sure his water and bowl are clean and free of any foul odors, and is away from any pests that may be sharing his water bowl. Report Spam or Abuse