#1
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excessive water drinking
I have a Lab that drinks all the water until the bowl is empty. He drank 11 cups of water in 4 1/2 hours. Our vet tested him for diabetes and other diseases. Our vet thinks it is psychogenic probably because the lab spent two months in a dog pound where water was probably limited. Our vet wanted us to give him unlimited water. I tried that for about two days. He had to go outside every 35 min. I can't really restrict his water because I leave water in the bowl all the time because of my other two dogs. We've been trying to nudge him away from the bowl. We don't want to say "no". Any suggestions? I can't leave the three dogs alone because the Lab will drink all the water and then have to urinate. His urine is clear from all the water drinking.
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#2
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If he's been cleared medically, I'd be inclined to agree with your vet and make lots of water available all the time, all over the place so that it looses it's high value status. Realistically this will mean a period during which you'll have to take the dog out to pee a whole lot, but he should learn that the water isn't going anywhere and he doesn't have to drink it all immediately.
All that said, and I really do think it's better to live through the annoyance now so that it's dealt with in the future, I have a dog who is just a life long water hog. He "forgets" to drink all day and then makes up for it in the evening, usually right before bed, and has been doing this for 6 years. So, I dole out water as needed. I never deny him water, but I put small amounts in the bowl to force him to pace himself a little. It's annoying, since it means I have to go fill the bowl any time either dog wants a drink, but it's the only thing that's stopped the 3 am pee-pee emergencies as we call them |
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