Why Does My Dog Drink Too Much Water at Night?

Drinking water is the solution to many health issues in humans and is the same in the case of dogs.

But, sometimes if you see your dog drinking plenty of water then it can indicate some problems that we will be discussing today.

Sometimes, your dog seems to be more thirsty than usual. Things become serious when this behavior continues night after night. This may indicate that your dog is having some health issues and hence you must ask for some expert opinion.

So, let us start with today’s article on “why does my dog drink so much water at night?” and unfold some interesting queries and facts regarding the same.

Why does my dog drink so much water at night?

The reason why your dog drinks so much water at night can be:

A Urinary tract infection,
behavioral issue,
diarrhea,
dehydration,
poisoning,
liver disease,
kidney disease,
diabetes,
kidney stone,
bladder stone,
change in diet,
or cruising’s syndrome.

If you see your dog suddenly drinking a lot of water at night then the above-mentioned issues are some of the most common health issues your dog may have facing.

You must keep an eye on your dog’s drinking habit so that you get an idea of his health before something worse happens.

How much water should a dog drink in 24 hours?

The amount of water a dog should drink in 24 hours depends on the size of your dog, what you are feeding your dog throughout the day, and the energy level of your dog.

According to Calder vets, a normal water intake must be 1-2ml per kg per hour which is equivalent to 20-25ml per kg per 24hrs.

For example, your dog is of 10kg weight, so he must drink 480ml water in 24 hours.

What does it mean when an older dog starts drinking a lot of water and peeing?

Urinary tract infection is one of the most common health issues in older dogs as they have very little control over their bladder.

The urinary tract infection(UTI) is caused by bacteria and some animals are more prone to have it. UTI, as an infection, affects the urethra, bladder, and kidneys.

One of the most common symptoms of Urinary tract infection is excessive urination. Due to excessive urination, your dog feels thirsty more and drinks more water.

Other symptoms of Urinary tract infection include urinating in small amounts or difficulty in urinating despite drinking a lot of water.

As a pet parent, you must check your dog’s urine for cloudiness, foul odor, or blood that are other signs of infection.

Most common reasons for dog drinking so much water at night?

Diabetes

There are two types of diabetes. One is diabetes mellitus and the other one is diabetes insipidus. Diabetes mellitus is more common in dogs than the other one.

Signs of diabetes include:

Vomiting
Lethargy
Nausea
Losing weight
Cataracts
Excessive thirst
Blindness
Chronic skin infections
Excessive urination

Excessive urination and thirst are caused due to the attempt that the body makes to lower the concentration of glucose level.

Dehydration

Dehydration happens due to some kind of infection, a lot of play, or some illness.

The most common signs of dehydration include:

Thick saliva
Lethargy
Dry gums and tongue

Caution: Dehydration can turn into life harming issue very fast. So, if you notice your dog being dehydrated then you must consult the vet as soon as possible.

Poisoning

Salt poisoning and antifreeze poisoning are the two cases where your dog starts drinking an excessive amount of water.

Antifreeze is a liquid that protects the radiator of a car from freezing or overheating. A small amount of antifreeze can turn deadly for your dog if consumed.

And a horrifying thing here is canines love the taste of antifreeze. Therefore, many canines become the victim of antifreeze poisoning knowingly or unknowingly.

The most common sign of antifreeze poisoning is your dog vomiting and urinating excessively.

Signs of salt poisoning:

Vomiting
Diarrhea
Coma
Confusion
Lethargy
Seizures
Lack of appetite
Muscle tremors
Increased heart rate
Lack of energy

Kidney stones

High in acid urine gives rise to kidney stones. Due to the high amount of acid present in urine, the minerals are not broken down and start to build and create stones.

If there is an excessive amount of minerals in your urine or blood, this may lead to stone creation.

Common signs of kidney stones –

Voting
Lethargy
Fever
Weight loss
Kidney pain
Abdominal pain
Lack of appetite

Cushing’s syndrome

Another name for cushing=ng’s syndrome is spontaneous hypercortisolism(HC). This syndrome occurs due to the overproduction of cortisol.

According to a study, dog breeds like Dachshund, Poodle, and Boxer are more exposed to Cushing’s syndrome when they grow old.

One of the most common symptoms of this syndrome is excessive thirst which causes your dog to drink more water and urinate more.

Other scenarios that you may encounter –

Dog drinking excessive water and urinating in house

If your dog suddenly drinks a lot of water it is possible that he or she is losing much water for some unknown reason.

Diseases that result in drinking more water and excessive urinating include diabetes, Cushing’s disease, kidney failure, and Mellitus.

Another cause of your dog drinking excessive water is called psychogenic polydipsia. This issue is a behavioral condition that manifests excess thirst.

Polydipsia is used to explain the habit of excessive water drinking that is not a health issue. Sometimes, bored dogs or puppies or dogs who love water drinks excessive water.

Drinking a higher amount of water increases the frequency of urination. Though excessive water drinking is a sign of a health issue, excessive urination can be the main problem for your dog.

The first and foremost thing that you should do is to diagnose and confirm this issue for excessive drinking with your vet.

Many conditions like kidney disease, hypercalcemia, diabetes, and, pyometra are associated with excessive thirst.

Dog drinking a lot of water but not peeing

The condition in which your dog drinks a lot of water but does not urinate is called Urinary retention.

There are several reasons for urinary retention like obstructions, cancer, and neurological infections.

All of these causes are very serious and need to be resolved as soon as possible with the help of a vet.

Obstructions in the dog’s urethra or bladder can lead to urinary retention.

These obstructions are due to blood clots, bladder stones, stricture, cancerous tumors, or urethral plugs.

Also, if the urinary tract has some minerals then it can also cause obstructions.

Dog drinking lots of water suddenly and panting

The most common reason why your dog is drinking more water is that he or she is thirsty.

Cats and dogs can reduce their body temperature by panting and panting cause them to lose water by evaporation pro

Hence, excessive panting causes your dog to e more thirsty and drinking water is the usual way to calm down a body.

Final words

There are plenty of reasons why a dog starts drinking excessive water some of them we have stated above.

Thank you so much for reading. Hope you enjoyed the article. Stay connected to get more interesting and informative articles.

Editorial Team

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