I have a 11 week old Rat Terrier.  At 8 weeks we took her in for shots and she was dehydrated.  She ended up needing an IV bolus of fluids.  At 10 weeks again, needed more fluids and this time also had an ear infection.  She does eat at 3 feedings one small can of puppy Iams per mixed with dry food (1 can a day).  I can't seem to get her to drink any water though.  I have attempted to use bottled water (our city water has an odor) with no luck.  Does anyone have any ideas or do I just have a sickly pup???

Have you tried soaking her dried food?
:)

Yes and she refuses the dry food with or without being soaked.  She is preferring the moist canned food with the dry mixed throughout.

Try adding some glucose to the water.  The slightly sweet taste might encourage the puppy to drink it and it wont do any harm.  Or water down some milk I have found that encourages non drinkers.

Or cook a piece of chicken in lots of water and try that.

Try adding a pinch of slat to the water. For some reason dogs seem to like it!

Every dog i have had all prefer rain water from the garden, have you tried leaving a bucket of water in the garden,

Heidi

Or looking at it from a completly different perspective had you thought of raw feeding - my dogs drink very little water unless they have been exercising hard it it is very hot as they get a lot of natural fluid in the foods they eat.

If you don't like this idea then would she drink water that meat has been boiled in?  Does she have any swallowing or tongue problems that make drinking difficult?

Thank you for all of the great suggestions!  I will try and see what I can do.  I just worry that she has twice become so dehydrated that she needed an IV bolus of fluids.  When you are only 3 pounds, you can't afford to dry up!  :)  Thanks!!

Try mixing some honey with the water, use a little warm water to make sure its dissolved then top up with cold. My dogs love it & would drink gallons of it with honey mixed in if I let them. :)

Christine, Spain.

My puppy went through the same thing when we first got him- i think it was caused by the water tasting different to what he was used to. I was concerned he was dehydrated, so I gave him milk instead.

This did work so I then weened him onto water over a period of a couple of weeks by mixing milk and water- diluting the milk more and more.

He is now fine, and will drink water when given it.