# A poodle that is not drinking water



## schnauzerpoodle (Apr 21, 2010)

Nickel has never liked to drink his water. I have tried water fountain but he doesn't like the sound of the motor. I made him chicken broth. He loves it but since he's not on a strict single-protein diet, he cannot have chicken anymore. So I made him beef broth (with lean hamburger). He liked it for the first few days and now he is not consuming water. I take his water bottle with us to the dog park. He shows no interest drinking water even after a good 40-minute run/playtime. In order to make him drink at least some fluid, I have to add water to his raw ground meat. But that's still not enough water for a 20-pound very active dog.

My late schnauzer had multiple episodes of bladder stones so I am particular concerned (paranoid) regarding the urinary area.

My question is: Do you have a poodle that's not drinking (enough) water? What do you do to get him/her to consume more water?


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## LEUllman (Feb 1, 2010)

Beau drinks a lot more water since I put a bowl upstairs in our master bath as well as one downstairs in the kitchen next to his food dish. He sleeps in our room, and I've noticed he likes to drink out of that bowl every night when he comes into our room. In general, he seems to drink more from that bowl than he does from the "main" one downstairs.


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## flyingduster (Sep 6, 2009)

If he's eating raw he won't need as much water as a dry-fed dog. And is he really not drinking at all!?? Or just drinking less than you think he should be? 

Personally I wouldn't be trying to force a dog to have more water than he wants; unless something is *wrong*, then he won't dehydrate himself, and if he's getting enough liquid then he won't want to drink more.

Have you tried bottled water? Or filtered water? Just to see if it is the water he's not liking? What about the temperature (it's winter there, is the water really cold? Will he show interest in warmer water???) And what sort of bowl is the water in? Is it plastic? Try stainless steel as plastic can leech chemicals into the water and perhaps he's picking up a weird taint??? Actually that's another option regardless of the material of the bowl; sanitise his water bowl thoroughly just in case there's something he's detecting???


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## schnauzerpoodle (Apr 21, 2010)

He is not touching the water at all. Only the chicken or beef broth. I have tried both plastic and stainless steel water bowl. No big difference. I tried bottled water, filtered water, tap water. No difference. 

I heard that raw-fed dogs don't need as much water. I feed him fruits like pears and apples too and he loves them. I hope that's providing some moisture too.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I'd second the idea of having several water bowls. Mine will drink out of human mugs and glasses when they ignore their own bowls - same water, same dishwasher, same temperature ... but MY water is obviously better! They drink far less than when eating dry kibble, obviously, and prefer to drink from rivers and streams whenever possible, but I've found having several bowls - including one in the room we sit in during the evening - helps to reassure me they are getting enough.

Does he like ice cubes?


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## JE-UK (Mar 10, 2010)

Ditto fjm's query about ice cubes ... I taught mine from a pup to come running when I open the freezer. He loves to play with ice cubes. Added bonus that you can drop one in a water bowl, and in the course of trying to get it out, the dog will inevitably drink (AND make a mess :smile.


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## schnauzerpoodle (Apr 21, 2010)

Thank you for all the ideas. I will try adding an extra water bowl and ice cubes. Let's see how Sir Nickel likes it.


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