What this means
The amount of water varies with a dog's size, food and the weather, so what matters most is a change in your own dog. If your dog usually drank a certain amount and now the bowl stays almost untouched, that is worth writing down.
See whether your dog avoids drinking because of mouth pain: does it pull back from the bowl, drink carefully or lap with pauses? Also check whether it eats, vomits, has diarrhoea, or has less energy.
Dry gums, sticky saliva, sunken eyes or reduced skin springiness can show that your dog is losing fluid. Write down when you last saw your dog drinking and urinating.
Possible causes
These are things that can cause this sign. It is not a diagnosis, and they are not equally likely for your dog.
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Mouth pain
A sore tooth or inflamed gums can put a dog off drinking. It may pull back from the bowl or drink carefully.
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Nausea and a stomach upset
A nauseous dog may refuse both food and water. Drooling, vomiting or restlessness may appear.
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Kidney disease
In advanced kidney disease a dog can feel unwell and drink less. Greater thirst may have been seen earlier.
About the condition: Kidney disease -
A hormone disorder (Addison's disease)
This illness is marked by tiredness, lethargy and loss of appetite. A dog may stop drinking altogether and grow weak.
About the condition: Addison's disease -
Fever or general illness
Any illness with a temperature or tiredness can reduce the wish to drink. Watch for other signs too.
What else to watch for
These observations help your vet build the picture faster. Note down what you saw and when.
- How much your dog drank before and how much now
- Whether your dog pulls back from the bowl or drinks carefully
- Whether it eats, and whether it vomits
- Whether the gums are moist, or dry and sticky
- When it last urinated
- Whether your dog is lethargic or restless
When to book a routine visit
Book a visit if your dog drinks clearly less than usual for more than a day, or its appetite or energy has dropped as well. If your dog refuses all water, is vomiting, is very weak or has not urinated, go straight away.
Related conditions
Conditions whose entries mention this sign. The list is somewhere to read on, not a way to reach a diagnosis.
- Kidney disease Kidneys and bladder The kidneys filter the blood, remove waste from the body and help keep the balance of fluids and salts. When they are damaged suddenly, for example by poisoning or infection, or weaken gradually over a longer time, substances they should remove start to build up in the body. Long-term kidney changes can go unnoticed for a long time, because the healthy part of the kidneys takes over the work for a while.
- Dental and gum disease Digestion and liver Dental and gum disease starts with plaque that hardens over time into tartar, and the bacteria multiplying beneath it cause inflammation of the gums. Left alone, the inflammation can damage the tissues and bone that hold the tooth in place, so teeth loosen and fall out. A sore mouth troubles a dog every day, and infection in the mouth can affect other organs too.
- Addison's disease Hormones and metabolism Addison's disease is a condition in which the adrenal glands make too little of certain hormones that help the body cope with stress and keep its balance of salts and water. Its signs are vague and can come and go, so it is easy to miss. The condition can, however, suddenly worsen and become life-threatening, and then the dog needs a vet immediately.
Body systems: Kidneys and bladder Digestion and liver Hormones and metabolism