Hello all just a little query here which maybe you can throw some light on. Buddy my almost 21 month old Westie does not seem to drink very much. There is always fresh water for him which i change at least 2 sometimes 3 times a day. He looks and acts very healthy so i'm not worried about it but just wondered if any of you notice this in your dogs. I feed him naturediet lite and thought that he might be getting some fluid from the moisture content of the food. He will drink from puddles when were out (i don't like him doing this but there are times i just can't stop him). I'm not saying he never drinks from his water bowl but it is very infrequent. Someone once told me that white dogs drink less than dark haired dogs, has anyone noticed if this is true. Brothers black Scottie drinks loads, mind you she's a little ganet and would eat and drink all day long if left to it.
Budmag.

Hi Budmag,

Funny about the topic of this post, but I was just thinking the other day how infrequently I notice my Abby drink from her water bowl. Puddles, rain water in plant dishes outside are always appealing. :-) Generally Abby only seems to drink if her tongue is virtually hanging out of her mouth from a very long session of hurling her squeaky rubber chick across the room about a zillion times. Or this Summer, when it was ever so hot (but fresh hose water was her preference in that case.)

Abby is a Cairn and I feed her on Naturediet too, btw. Dogs on dry food do drink more than those on moist food. Moist food is about 70-75% moisture - eg, water by any other name.

I think it's nonsense about coat colour having anything to do with the amount of water a dog drinks. Regardless of the colour or type of food, I'd start to worry if a dog seemed to be drinking a lot. Drinking lots is more often a symptom of an underlying health problem.

Stacey

Our girl will go out to pee and you can bet your life she has her head in something containing rainwater.
Although she drinks plenty anyway but will never miss an opportunity (Perhaps sometimes you just don't see him).

Sarah

So long as you have an idea of how much is normal for him then you can see if his habbits change and might catch any health problems sooner rather than later, I wouldn't worry too much.

One of my kids drinks all of the time (almost literally) while the other has to be reminded to have a drink :rolleyes:

Oh and my theroy on the colour thing is that dark colours tend to absorb heat so in the summer darker dogs might get warmer and therefore thirstier... just a thought.

Yeh that was what i was told re the heat absorption and coat colour. I'm not worried about the amount he drinks cause he's healthy in every way. It was more of a wondering about others dogs and their drinking habits and whether the type of food they ate affected how much they drank etc.
Thanks for your replys. CD's is great for just being able to air little doggy niggles and woes, not to mention the great highs that comes with sharing your life with the little blighters.
Thanks,
Budmag.

I have had the same problem with Maisie, my Westie. When her vet tested her urine it was the most concentrated she had ever seen. However, she seems healthy enough so the vet said not to worry but to try to get her to drink and pee as much as possible - not easy !! :) So I started by mixing a tiny bit of goat's milk in with a little bit of water and she seemed happy to drink that. I also feed Naturediet!! I always put some water in with it when I feed her and she seems to drink that while she eats. I do occasionally see her drinking water now, but not often. We just have to try to outsmart them !!! :D