# Dog won't drink water - Please help!



## MKG3566 (Jul 21, 2010)

I'm new here looking for some answer's about my dog's new found aversion to drinking water. Any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated. (This will most likely be a novel in length!). My dog is a 3 yr old (vet and SPCA best guess) mix, mostly likely a mix of mini pintscher and sheppard, female, spayed, and approx. 30 lbs and her name is Izzy. She is adorable and a love. We got Izzy from the SPCA in October, according to the SPCA she was given up after 2 years because the owners couldn't care for her. Izzy has had some bumps in the road - took awhile to be ok with little dogs, used to be a little skittish, and would only be hand fed. 

We broke off the hand feeding slowly, and for a few months she ate out of a bowl. Izzy then stayed at my parents house for a weekend with their 125 lb. black lab and her bff and while she was there - she refused to eat out of a bowl. My parents ended up feeding her on a plate. When we brought her home, she still refused to eat out of a bowl and then refused to eat off a plate and now will only eat off the floor. During all of this she always drank water out of a bowl. 

Two weeks ago, we (including Izzy) went away to a lake with friends. In total their were 5 dogs. All the dogs were fed separately because one dog had history of being food agressive, this dog was older and bigger and kept to itself unless it was feeding time. While we were there, my husband went to get Izzy's food out of the cabinet to take into the other room to feed her and the agressive dog attacked Izzy. There were no physical injuries. Izzy was a bit shaken up and would only be hand fed. After that, she avoided the agressive dog at all cost. In fact, the majority of the dogs stayed away from that dog during the entire trip. While we were at the lake, Izzy drank water from the lake and out of water bowls that all the dogs drank from. 

When we brought Izzy home from the trip is when her behavior started to become abnormal. She refused to eat any of her food, and only wanted to eat KONG stuffing and puperoni. We normally feed her Blue Buffalo and some organic frozen dog food - which she normally devours. She also refused to drink water. The only water she would drink would be from puddles after it rains. 

We tried putting out different containers of water, even tried one of the waterfall fountains and the gerbal drink thing for her crate and she still refuses. 

Finally last Friday, after 2 full days of not eating, not drinking, not pooping or peeing, and only eating grass, and being extremely lethargic we took her to the vet. The vet chalked it up to dehydration and gave her an IV. The vet also did blood work and nothing came back abnormal. The vet also gave her some Pepcid to take in case she had a stomach bug. The vet also told us to only feed her boiled chicken and rice for a few days. 

By Saturday night Izzy was her usual self. Still on the bland diet and pepcid, but she was eating, drinking out of her bowl and full of energy. 

Yesterday we realized she wasn't drinking water again. 

Today, she stopped eating her blue buffalo food and is only eating the chicken and rice again off the floor and is still not drinking water. She seems tired and not herself again today. 

Any ideas out there to get her to start drinking again? I just feel so bad for my poor pup! (she doesn't like ice cubes)


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## peonypooh (Jul 20, 2010)

I don't know what the problem is but short term remedy is to use a large syringe (no needle- they type you give meds in the mouth with) or eye dropper or even a turkey bulb baster. Mix some Pedialyte with water and squirt it in her mouth every few hours. This will help keep her hydrated at least while you work on the root of the problem. My Boxer mix has a lung issue and repeatedly gets an infection and refuses everything- water, food, snacks etc.- while he is sick. We have to give him antibiotics and until they get in his system and he is feeling better this is the only way to keep him hydrated. You might also try mixing low sodium chicken broth in her water in the bowl, it might generate some interest in it. Hope this helps and hope your baby gets better!!


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

I don't know either... Just brainstorming:
1. When a dog doesn't eat, something is wrong.
2. To get her to drink, you could try stirring a teaspoon of Ketchup in a warm cup of water, then pour a little bit of that water into her water, just enough to provide flavor (or make the water look a little dirty.)
3. Ask the Vet about checking for worms, parasites, lyme disease. Ask the Vet about something she could catch from the Lab or the lake...


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## MKG3566 (Jul 21, 2010)

Izzy is eating chicken and rice mixed with her dry food, but she now has diarreah almost immediately after eating. She still is refusing to drink out of any type of container and will only drink out of puddles outside. So back to the vet we go! 

The vet ran a blood test the first time we were there for parasites and did xrays for any blockages, which were clear and said her stomach sounded and felt normal. 

We'll see what the vet recommends going forward.


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## MKG3566 (Jul 21, 2010)

We went back to the vet - more x-rays, more blood samples and a rectal exam. The vet was happy to report that she didn't think it was anything serious. She was nice enough to call me late last night with the blood test results and everything came back negative, so they've ruled out all the "scary" stuff. 
The vet said the best diagnosis was a bacterial infection- Giardia or something along those lines and gave us metronidazole and directions to give it to Izzy with some food. So after getting Izzy full of more fluids, she was eating her chicken and rice again, urinating and seemingly a little better. I cleaned the house top to bottom, including her crate and dog bed. 
This morning, she seemed even better. Still not 100%, but maybe 75% - and i thought things were looking up. 
This afternoon, I gave her some chicken and rice and her metronidazole. She ate all of her food, drank some water and seemed fine for a little bit. Then, she went in her crate, began wimpering and drooling from the mouth. She is lethargic and won't get out of her crate now!
I called the vet and talked to the tech who said that the drooling is pretty normal for being on the med, but the lethargy was a little worrisome and that I should keep an eye on her. The tech said that Izzy shouldn't have "eaten" the pill, but rather we should have put it down her throat because it has an extremely bitter taste and dogs can develope reflux, foaming and drooling if it touches their tounge. Um, nice to tell me this last night when I was there!!!!
I'm just so frustrated and sad for my pup! I called out of work today just so I could be home with her to make sure she would be ok. I'm so glad that I did. I wouldn't want her alone and feeling this way!
The tech said she would have the vet call me later.


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

Leptospirosis?
Symptoms-
What Are The Signs I Would See In My Dog?

There are typical symptoms that veterinarians associate with leptospirosis. But because no two cases proceed exactly alike, not all of the typical signs are likely to be present in any one pet.

The most common signs are fever and depression. These pets are cold, shivery, and stiff. They may carry their tummies tucked up do to pain. Some drool and vomit and most loose their appetite. Fever causes many dogs to drink excessively.

Later in the disease, a few pets will develop eye inflammations (uveitis), nervous system abnormalities or pass red-tinged urine. As the disease progresses, the pet may become dehydrated due to the fever, vomiting and disinterest is drinking. A drop to subnormal body temperature is a very grave sign. A few dogs, particularly juveniles, will die suddenly before many of these signs occur.

When the liver has been damaged, the pet’s skin may take on a yellowish tinge (jaundice) and show all the symptoms of hepatitis. When the kidneys have been severely damaged, the pet may show the signs of uremia. These organ changes can be temporary – or permanent.


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## tskoffina (Jul 23, 2010)

This sounds similar to our other dog. She had a shrunken liver and didn't process food properly. We didn't find this out till she was 9. Maybe ask the vet for an ultrasound. That was how we figured out what it was. Wasn't until later that it showed up on blood work as liver problems.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

Hoping that things are much better with the meds and with the "informed" method of delivery ???


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## MKG3566 (Jul 21, 2010)

Once we figured out how to give her her meds, she hasn't had a problem with the drooling. They just seem to make her a little tired.
Izzy definetly seems to be on the mend! Last night she was hyper and ready to play, play, play! This morning, staring at me from the side of the bed (her preferred method of waking you up - staring!). 
We are still trying to make her rest by taking her on short walks and not letting her get too excited and rambunctious. The vet said that rest would really be the best thing for her. 
She's on the meds for a few more days, tomorrow we start mixing in her regular food with the chx and rice - which she has been eating nonstop (happy to see!) and she hasn't vomitted or have had diarreah and has had regular bms. (Yes, its weird that I'm happy my dog is pooping regularly again!).
I'm hopeful that this is the end of whatever she had and by this weekend she will be 100% back to herself, although I don't want to get too far ahead of myself.


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## MKG3566 (Jul 21, 2010)

Izzy seems to be better everyday. Last night I feed her a little kibble with her chx and rice and she devoured it and my husband took her for a nice walk down her favorite hiking trail. 
However, when she came home last night I caught her eating her poop. I know dogs will do this, but is there anything to prevent her from doing this? (besides making sure the yard is 100% picked up all the time, although my husband told me he had just picked everything up, I guess he missed one). It maybe what caused the bacterial infection in the first place and I don't want to go through this again.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

In a normally healthy dog, caprophagia (guess what that means  ) is not harmful, except to the sensitivities of the owner. Although the dog can pick up parasites from other dogs, usually the highly acidic stomach kills most bacteria. Anecdotally, there are things that you can add to the food (like pineapple) that will make the poop unpalatable. I've never tried these and don't know, but you can call the Vet and ask for suggestions, as well as assurances. I don't know if there is a known reason why some dogs do this and some don't...


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## MKG3566 (Jul 21, 2010)

Ok, I have a poop question now...
Izzy's poop has gotten loose, but still formed, and is a yellow-ish color. Could this be from all the chicken and rice she has been eating for the last 5 days? She doesn't seem to be having a problem going and it's not diarreah, but I want to make sure that the color is ok.


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

Medication can change the poop color.


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