Getting hot dog to drink water

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He's doing his best to keep cool, has a cooling mat which he sleeps on or part on but I've noticed he's not been drinking much.

He's not panting or anything so I'm guessing he's coping- but I do worry.

I've got an old calpol syringe which I've loaded with water and have gently given him a few loads of water that way which he's accepted so all good I suppose.

I've left a few bowls of water around the house so there is plenty available.

A dog doesn't necessarily need to be coaxed to drink water. They will drink, when they need to. When it's hot, our dog loves an ice cube. She licks it and plays with it and will crunch it up. That's what we do, when it's hot.

I read somewhere yesterday that if you put a spoonful of milk in with the water it encourages them. Not a dog owner myself, so no idea if it works!

Try some water rich food. Plain Yogurt, watermelon.
One of mine two never seems to drink enough, he will eat yogurt though.

He’ll drink if he needs to. The amount of water you’ll get into him by dribbling a syringe in is probably minimal and unnecessary. If he’s at home in the shade and you’re not razzing him around the park I’m sure you don’t have too much to worry about!

A friend of mine put a post from a vet. It said you should never give a dog ice cold water/ice cubes/ice lollies in hot weather, the thermodynamic system in dogs registers they are cold, consequently the body heats up and they just had a dog die. I've got 2 both long haired and the trundle round finding cool spots and shade, one drinks a lot, the other not much BUT he will come and find you,walk to the bowl in the kitchen and stare at the bowl and then me! He does have moist food.

Both dogs have cold "soup" for breakfast and dinner in this weather. I mix their kibble with their meds, a tablespoon or two of cheapo wet food for flavour and usually warm water for a porridge consistency, but I've loaded them both up with cold water for the last few days.

Both are drinking very little otherwise.

I’ve been putting small chunks of fruit and veg in the water, they go for that and inevitable get some water as well.

I’ve got two dogs here atm and neither are drinking much. They’ve got an electric fan each and don’t seem bothered. They’ve both chosen to stay indoors rather than go outside.
I saw advice online about spritzing them with water but the dog I’m looking after looked scared when I went near him with the plant mister., so I’ve left him to his fan. 😀

I chopped up some cocktail sausage and dropped it in water bowl and she fished around for them and so drank some water then but she doesn't drink much generally either except after a walk or after eating. I have added a drop of milk before too and she drank it but gave her a bit of an upset tummy!

Let them be.
Dogs have different drinking habits. And don't compare your dog with others as they may well be different in their needs.
Make sure there's plenty of water available throughout the house/garden.
I forgot why but apparently ice cold water is not good for them.
Leave some cold wet towels around and encourage them to lie on them but don't expect them to do it.
They'll drink when they feel like it.
If you start adding various tasty things to water, they could easily end up drinking more than they need, then be sick and end up dehydrated. Or who knows what else.
Dogs are perfectly capable of knowing what they need.

I have some chicken stock on the freezer ( just water in which I boiled some chicken for treats for him and I add that to water if he’s not drinking much - doggie squash 😂

do not use commercial stock / cubes - way salty

We have a water bowl in the shade in the garden and another in little corridor where he sleeps.

I have also taken him out and hosed him down he spent ages chasing the water and catching it so that should help.

The ‘don’t give dogs ice’ has been debunked www.thekennelclub.org.uk/health-and-dog-care/health/health-and-care/a-z-of-health-and-care-issues/can-my-dog-eat-ice-cubes/ , just make sure the ice is appropriately sized for you dog, and take it out of the freezer a few minutes before you give it to your hound.

I give my lads frozen banana & frozen strawberries (thawed a little first) and freeze canned dog food mixed with water in an ice cube tray for a treat. I also add water to their breakfast & evening meals.

One of mine is a water bear & drinks loads, he has his own 2m x 30cm dog pool (he’s damp from about May until late September), he even has his own solar fountain (because I’m loopy). The other stares at me as if I’ve killed his first born if I even mention the word ‘bath’. Stinky swamp water though? Adores it.

Am in Australia & my dogs enjoy watermelon & cool baths when it's hot

If you have an area with tiles instead of carpet give them access to that space

If they're not panting & seem alert they sound OK

Stay cool

Oh, I forgot to mention we bought some cooling fruit slices mats from B & M a couple of years ago, they’re great, and at the weekend we bought a raised dog bed with a canopy from the middle of Lidl on Friday (£19.99), so our old bear can lounge in the shade. Both are long haired doods in their short summer clips, and both have flooped on the concrete of my utility room right now with a fan on!

I gave my pup a bowl of actimel earlier and he's now laying on the bedroom floor under a damp towel. He's not panting although it's really hot here so I guess he's fine.

If he's not panting or struggling then I really wouldn't worry about it.

However, if it does get to that point, you could add a bit of milk to his water, or encourage water-based activities like treat bobbing, or give him frozen kongs or doggy iced lollies :)

Yes, we've been giving our dog ice cubes when it's hot, for years. She's 12 now and doing well.

I wouldnt actualy go to The Kennel Clb for advice, being as their criteria for dogs looking a particular way, flat faces, back problems in German Shepherds, appears to take priority over health issues

WL ignore the KC and listen to the vets who say ice is fine for healthy dogs, as long as it's not a choking size piece.

Mine loves chilled watermelon on hot days

Surely it would make the bun soggy?

😑

(Sorry)

I've been making ice cubes with little chunks of cheese in which ddog loves!

My daughter put a dessert spoonful of milk in our dogs water bowl yesterday and he drank it all.

I've taken away my wee one's cooling mat. I read the other day that a dog chewed through one and swallowed some of what was inside it and died. They say its something like antifreeze that's inside. (Although I don't always believe everything I read but thought that one made sense)

My dog loves goats milk (they can’t digest cows milk). She’ll have a bowl of that when we get back from our morning walk.

I’ve made her ice cubes using gravy and adding some peas/carrots in. I use the long stick type ice trays so they hold a fair bit of liquid.

she prefers drinking from a metal bowl filled up and left in the garden. She’ll always choose to drink from that one instead of the ceramic/plastic ones she has in the house. Maybe try different types of bowls and see if your dog has a preference?