I'm sure the vet thinks I'm crazy.
The results are all perfect. His kidney values are fine (this was my worry, and we just lost our Theeps to renal failure so I completely admit I'm over the top paranoid right now). So it's official. He's not sick - he's just water obsessed. Our adult sheepie (90 or so pounds) drinks 9 to 10 glasses (approximately two and a half litres) of water a day. Hudson is 23 pounds now, so should he logically be drinking less than a third of that? Does anyone know what's considered normal? Our vet did give us a formula a long time ago of how much a dog should drink by the pound of body weight, but I've lost it, and don't want to call right back (I'm starting to worry that I look like a flake...although to be fair...I've NEVER been wrong in the past when I thought something was up.) I remember that, by the calculation in the past, Portage's water intake was on the low side of normal, but then he's a complete couch potato and doesn't really do much that would work up a thirst. Any advice for easing Hudson off this water obsession? Just withholding water and doling it out gradually isn't working all that well as it results in hysterical behaviour (which I'm sure only makes him thirstier). We're going to try ice cubes tomorrow. If anyone has any other ideas we're open to it. Thanks in advance. Tracie |
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| Is he just drinking out of habit, for comfort. Can you try and play with him to distract him. Is he getting too hot and then thirsty? |
| Remember, he's growing so metabolism is doing double duty.
Water is also a cooling mechanism. Or he just has an oral fixation, how about chew toys or other items to keep his mouth busy. |
| Was thyroid tests done? They have to be sent to a special lab.
Mary in NY |
| He seems most determined to drink when he's confined, so I'm thinking it might be a fixation, although we didn't talk about thyroid issues. What's the deal with thyroid and water consumption? Portage (our big dog) actually takes thyroid meds for an underactive thyroid. His only symptom was a weird swallowing sound and an inconclusive test result. Once he went on the meds Portage's choking/swallowing sound completely resolved and his levels fell right at normal.
Might thyroid issues also account for Hudson's small stature? I'm okay with the idea that he may grow up to be a smallish sheepie - if it's a natural, healthy thing. I'm just so worried that he might be so tiny due to something we are overlooking. I'd hate to think something's going untreated. He's a big chewer too, but seems to not like anything that is his. He pulled a roll of wrapping paper out from under a bed today so I traded it for a cookie and then offered him a rope. No interest. I offered him his favourite squeaky toy, Cedric, and no interest. I offered him a dental chewie thing (plastic) with a slight swipe of peanut butter brushed over it. Again, no interest. He then walked over to a set of small barbells (plastic) on a stand in the corner, grabbed the two pound weight and ran away. That he attacked voraciously and wanted to chew. Later he decided the leg of the coffee table looked yummy too. Sigh. Puppies. |
| I had to search for this post because I knew I had the water formula somewhere. We had a similar problem with Clyde as a puppy and also put him through the full battery of tests as I was also worried he had JRD. He got insane about the water and threw what I'd consider tantrums to get to the water, too. Our vet at the time told us that dogs require around 90 ml of water per kg of body weight so we could use that as a general guide so we didn't have to worry if he wasn't getting enough.
To give you hope for Hudson's future, Clyde grew out of it by the time he was about 5 1/2 - 6 months old and we never had a problem again |
| I've never heard of size being associated with thryoid. Pituitary, yes, thyroid no. |
| Allie had thyroid problems and drank a lot of water. It was one of her symptoms. She was normal size, but had weird hair.
Mary in NY |
| All of my sheepies have been huge water drinkers by comparison to other breeds that I have shared my life with. These clowns will drink the bowl dry and then prance at the sink till someone understands that they want more water in their bowl. |
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