Seeing your dog or cat drink more water than usual can be concerning for observant pet parents in Hampton. While this post discusses the “thirsty dog” symptom in more detail, I invite you to contact the office at 757-771-9480 with any questions or concerns you have about your beloved pet.
In the past week, most of us have been indoors a lot due to the extremely cold weather and a decent amount of snow. In the past few days, we have had a nice break from that and now the melting snow is making our yards and roads a bit soggy. The snow or lack of snow has not slowed my dogs down one bit with their play. Often they come inside seeking a nice bowl of clean water to re-charge their play session.
It’s very possible that your dog or cat — especially if he is exhibiting otherwise active, healthy behavior — is just an active pet that pays attention to an instinctive drive to quench his thirst. However, it could be a sign of something much more serious — particularly when combined with signs of lethargy, apathy, refusal to eat, constipation, blood in stools or any other abnormal clinical sign — it’s important to watch and closely and call your veterinarian with any concerns you’re observing.
When pet parents in Hampton Roads describe a dog or cat who is drinking a lot of water — again depending on other symptoms and health conditions — I may encourage them to do one or more of the following:
- Rule out drug-induced thirst. Certain prescriptions cause excess thirst.
- Test for specific urinary / kidney / bladder conditions.
- Look for other signs or symptoms of hormone-related diseases such as diabetes or hyperthyroidism which may be contributing to the excess thirst.
The bottom line is… any behavior or change in behavior such as excess thirst that you’re thinking about or worrying about is a good reason to call me, your veterinarian in the Hampton area.
