# 7 wk old puppy wont drink?



## starnz (Jan 8, 2007)

Hi, i have a seven week old puppy that is refusing to drink fresh water. when he was younger we were giving him dog food softened in water and he would drink the water from the dog food but now he wont drink anything else. he still is peeing just about everytime he goes out but he seems to be forcing it out. its now been about 3 days and he has yet to drink a full bowl of water. i dont want him to get an infection but i also dont want him getting used to water mixed in with his food. any suggestions would be welcome. 
thanks


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## Keno's Mom (Nov 20, 2006)

Maybe a bit of "flavored" water? like chicken/beef?


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## MagicToller (Jan 4, 2007)

I suggest you see a vet ASAP. It sounds like the Kidneys are having some issues either filtering or as a cause of not drinking water - other things may very well be happening inside.

Is this a puppy from your own litter or was it adopted?


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## Tamara (Dec 6, 2006)

I know this might sound banal but maybe he doesn't like the bowl - is it low enough and small like him. Also some dogs don't like the metal bowls.


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## mistyinca (Oct 25, 2006)

Are you still mixing the food with the water? How about you try not doing that and see what happens. If he can't chew the kibbles like that, then try putting the smallest amount of water. We used to put 2 tsp of boiling water on 2 TB of kibble (that's about 1 1/2 tb of water on 1/3 cup or 3 tb on 2/3 cup), then let it set until it is absorbed and there is no extra water in the bowl; there is no reason to have that much water in the food bowl. 

I think they also make flavored dog water, though I haven't seen it recently. I do remember something about beef flavored water. Don't use broth because its full of salt. There's another idea. Try boiling up a chicken (1 hour) and put the water in his bowl. You can use the chicken meat for a casserole or something. If he will drink the water this way, start diluting it little by little every day until he drinks plain water.


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## starnz (Jan 8, 2007)

he is a puppy i got from a breeder. i took him to the vet for his initial visit and they said he appeared to be in good health. the bowl is just a small, plastic cheapy that i got for while he's a pup. theres no reflection or anything that may deter him from drinking. he also got his 7-1 shot on saturday so i dont know if that has anything to do with it.


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## MagicToller (Jan 4, 2007)

Hmm.. I would still take the pup to the vet to rule out any medical issues he may have going on that are not obvious from the exterior (apart from the fact that he isn't drinking..).


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## starnz (Jan 8, 2007)

i generally mix a very little bit of water with the food then let it sit for 5 mins or so before giving it to him. so theres not much, if any, just sitting in the bowl when he eats now. when he was younger(last week) there was excess water but not now.


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## DogAdvocat (Nov 30, 2006)

This could be so many things. Of course the safest way is to check with your vet and rule out any medical causes. You might also want to post this question on the health board. If you are familiar with how to tell if a dog is dehydrated, check for that. Otherwise, have your vet to that, and for future reference, have your vet show you how to do it. I am concerned also about your description of him forcing urine out. With such a young puppy, I wouldn't wait too long on seeking veterinary advice.

But one of the things you said is that he has yet to drink a full bowl of water. If you are still adding water to his food, he may be getting enough that way, and drinking a small amount of water may be all he needs.

Ruling out all medical reasons that this is happening, try changing bowls. I'm glad that you recognized the possibility of a reflection, but also note whether any tags are hitting the bowl (does the pup wear tags?), and since you say it's plastic, is it possible the puppy accidentally kicked it and didn't like the sound it made when it moved? 

Lots of things could be happening here, but please rule out medical reasons first.


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## adt_7793 (Jan 15, 2007)

I would take your puppy to the Vet A.S.A.P.


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## nicole84 (Nov 28, 2006)

See your vet so that you can rule out any medical problems.Then maybe try changing the water bowl.


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## starnz (Jan 8, 2007)

now at home, im realizing that he only wont drink cold water. if i give him warm water he seems to drink it right down. has any one else ever heard of anything similar?


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