Reasons Why A Dog Drinks Excess Water

There are several reasons why dogs can drink excess water, but it is mainly due to their ineffective perspiration system, although the type of diet, the time of year, the size of the dog or the exercise performed also influence.

Dogs are the faithful companions of men. Therefore, any behavior that is outside the norm or that is strange can cause concern. This can be concerning if it is related to health, such as when a dog drinks water excessively.

How do dogs sweat?

First of all, it must be taken into account that the dog has a different perspiration system than the human being and, therefore, they sweat in a different way. Perspiration is the system that animals use to cool themselves.

While humans have sweat glands all over the skin, dogs do not. There are two methods of perspiration for dogs: by the tongue and by breathing. Dogs only have sweat glands on the truffle and footpads. 

It is also often said that dogs ‘sweat from their tongues’. What actually happens is that when your body temperature increases, you pump heated blood into your mouth, where you have salivary glands.

A veterinarian explained it as “the dog sticks its tongue out and the hot water vapor that comes from the lungs condenses when it touches the colder mucous membranes of the mouth and tongue.”

Through these glands, it is able to reduce the increase in temperature. It releases the heat in the form of water vapor through the mouth, which when condensing falls dripping to the ground.

In addition, it has also been observed that the dog can release heat from the head and ears. This occurs because natural cooling causes the veins in the head and ears to dilate. Thus, when the ambient heat is not excessive, the temperature of the can is lowered.

Reasons why a dog drinks water excessively

Taking into account that dogs have a worse cooling system, the causes for which the dog drinks a lot of water can be the following:

Extra hydration

Dogs are animals that drink a lot, especially in times when temperatures are higher. For this reason, it is advisable to leave fresh water, put the air conditioning or leave windows open so that there is current. 

Intense physical exercise

The perspiration system is activated in an important way the moment the dog begins to move. For this reason, when facing long walks or intense exercise, dogs need to drink a lot of water.

Another example is when he plays with other dogs. Perspiration rises compared to perspiration that occurs when you are calm. Therefore, it is advisable to have water on hand so that the dog can be satisfied.

Feeding

In some cases, the type of diet the dog eats can influence the amount of water it ingests. Within the wide variety of existing feeds, a few contain a high sodium content, that is, a large amount of salt.

Due to this, the dog has the need to drink more water than normal, to combat the increase in sodium in the blood. A veterinarian should be consulted about whether the diet should be changed to avoid long-term health problems.

Health problems

One of the objectives of the owners of different animals is that their pets are healthy. However, sometimes they can suffer from diseases, such as diabetes or kidney failure. And one trait that can warn about this is the amount of water ingested.

Despite this, you should always go to a professional and comment on the changes that have been observed in the animal. Thus, he will decide the necessary tests to check if the pet is sick or not.

In short, the dog does not have the same perspiration or cooling capacity as a human being. For this reason, it should be taken into account that its cooling is less efficient and that possible heat strokes are avoided.

In addition, it must be taken into account that the size of the can also influences the cooling. Although larger dogs generate a greater amount of heat, they sweat less than small dogs.