# Not drinking water



## missangelden (Jul 4, 2011)

Hey everyone! I just brought home the new addition to my family (Smalls) last friday night and hes been great! I absolutely love him!

BUT there's a problem. He isn't eating or drinking normally. Smalls was with my mom before I took him in - he would eat 2-3 times a day and drink water ALL the time. He's actually starting to eat more now but he barely touches his water. I took him to the vet earlier today and he told me that Smalls is dehydrated. I don't know how to get him to drink his water, he didn't drink ANY on his own today. Usually if I dip my finger in the water and put it to his mouth he'll lick it dry. He'll try to lick the inside of my water bottle but he never gets enough in his mouth. Anyone go through this with their cockapoo before?? What should I do?? I'm a worried mama!

-Denise


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## curt3007 (May 28, 2011)

no expert but if he's dehydrated he needs to get back to vets asap I would have thought


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## missangelden (Jul 4, 2011)

i'm taking him back tomorrow. the vet told me to keep fresh water out for him but he won't even go near it.


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## curt3007 (May 28, 2011)

will he play with ice cubes


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## flounder_1 (May 12, 2011)

Is he having dry food? Can you moisten it to get some liquid into him? Does he like ice cubes (another way to get water in).


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## missangelden (Jul 4, 2011)

i actually havent tried giving him ice cubes yet. ill give him a couple right now. i just tried giving him the water bottle again but he doesnt seem to want that anymore.


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## missangelden (Jul 4, 2011)

flounder_1 said:


> Is he having dry food? Can you moisten it to get some liquid into him? Does he like ice cubes (another way to get water in).


Just learned that smalls here likes ice cubes. He has a bowl full of ice and bowl full of water side by side but he wont drink the water.


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## Carol (Jun 12, 2011)

Could you try using a syringe? you know, like the ones you use to give small children calpol etc? you might be able to get some water into him that way. It's worrying when they don't drink.


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## missangelden (Jul 4, 2011)

I would try but he wont open his mouth for anything. He stopped licking the ice cubes as soon as they melted. I tried giving him water from a sports bottle but thats not working either. Im taking him back to the vet first thing in the morning. I'm all out of ideas


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## Dylansmum (Oct 29, 2010)

Put some water in with his food. If it's dry food then add warm water to moisten it. If it's wet food make it even more mushy. Probably best also not to feed him dry food as he will get quite a lot of water from a wet food. Dogs on raw, for example, drink hardly any water - only when they've been for a walk in general. Hope you solve it.


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## embee (Dec 27, 2010)

Are you giving him tap water - could be he doesn't like the additives in it. Flo would much rather drink from a muddy puddle than have 'fresh' tap water. Try bottled or filtered water. Try rainwater. Try taking water from the tap and leaving it to stand. Also Dylansmum's suggestion is also a good way to get more fluids in - soak kibble in a couple of spoons of warm water or mash wet food into extra water. You could also try adding a spoon of goats milk to the water.

I think however that a dehydrated dog would drink water in any form and wouldn't be fussy if they needed a drink so could be a medical problem making him reluctant to drink.

If you really need to get fluids in and he won't drink then go with a child's medicine syringe to gentle put water in the mouth like someone else has suggested.


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## Dylansmum (Oct 29, 2010)

Just occured to me - you could make some chicken soup - chicken or chicken and carrots boiled up in water. Never had a dog who didn't love chicken soup. He should lap that up in quantity.


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

will he eat anything wet the others have said a littls warm watter out the kettle. or cucumber, apple or something like that. 

what about some natural stock chiken, beef, vegg etc that doesnt have any salt init(not the powder stuff) 

but yeah get him to the vets as they might need to put him on a drip. 

why did he move to you, it could be the stress of the move from your mums to your house.


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## lady amanda (Nov 26, 2010)

try different water, if you are using tap water it is possible that the tap water at your mom's and at your house tastes different....try filtered water and see if that helps any


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## Kel (Feb 1, 2011)

It's probably not this but when Chloe was smaller, we were given a stainless steel bowl for her and she hated it and refused to go near it. There is also a stainless steel bowl of water that a woman has set outside her backyard(which is on a walking path) for dogs and Chloe won't go near that either.

Chloe likes to drink from running water..taps,hoses,water bottles squeezed near her mouth, so that could be something to try. We set out a kiddie pool for her today to cool off in and all she really did with it was drink out of it.

I hope he drinks for you soon!


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## wellerfeller (Jul 12, 2011)

Does anyone know what happened with the puppy??? My dog won't drink from stainless bowls either and only from his ceramic one if he really has to he prefers puddles, with or without mud.


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## DONNA (Jan 7, 2011)

Hi Denise,ive just read this I hope Smalls (great name by the way) is ok,please let us know what happened im really worried now.


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