Shy Sheltie doesn't drink water

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Sheltie4

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I have never seen my super shy Sheltie foster, Meghan, drink water.

When she first arrived, I crated her at night, and noticed that a little water was gone from that tiny cup that attaches to the door.

Since she is now house trained, I don't crate her and NEVER see her drink from the water bowls.

Meghan is fed Fresh Pet, which is a wet food, so she is getting a little moisture from it. And she seems to be healthy and active (she can run from me faster than a speeding bullet :uhoh:)

I even put a water bowl in her favorite safe spot when I go to work, but it is never touched.

I have an appt at the vet for her this Friday and will ask his opinion, but just wondering if any of you have a dog that doesn't drink water?

I have put buillion in water before to encourage my shy fosters to drink, but I have a feeling if I do that now, my chow hounds will drink it all before Meghan gets a chance at it.
 
Tully has a problem with not drinking enough water. I hadn't thought much of it but the orthovet did a test she said her urine was far too concentrate and it wasn't good for her kidneys (esp as she was on pain killers). I feed moist food (home cooked) so it wasn't enough to make a difference, even when I added a little water (if I added too much the poos were a bit runny). Nowadays I give her a drink of lactose free milk - 1x a day in winter and twice in summer. It's not a lot but it seems to do the job (her urine tests have come back fine) and it doesn't effect her poops or make her drink less.
 
How long has she been with you? Isn't it normal for dogs in a "new" place to not be interested in eating or drinking? Are you giving her water from the tap, or bottled.. maybe she thinks your tap water tastes funny.
 
Keep in mind what you are trying to have her drink from, some dogs are weird about what their water is in. If it's a metal bowl, try plastic instead. Sometimes dogs pay too much attention to their reflection/shadows at the bottom of a metal bowl.
 
How about running water? Like one of the water fountain dealies? We have one ad the dogs certainly drink more than before I got it.
 
It took Tinsel months to start feeling comfortable enough to go to the water dish when we were around. Because of his mouth issues, we can when he has a drink - it's like he is trying to bite the water into his mouth. Now he drinks whenever he wants. Watch the urine output. If it is small amounts or dark in colour, then it's time to get the vet involved.
 
Shelby isn't a big drinker either. She too has concentrated urine. We started adding 1/3 cup of water with her food. This seems to have done the trick and I have noticed that she does drink more now. Not a lot but more than before.

I also notice that she will drink right when I put fresh water in her bowl. Maybe she likes it cold? She also loves ice cubes so we let her eat them several times a day.

Shelby does not like to drink from bowls that other dogs drank from. So when we are at school she will not drink from the community water bowl. She waits until she gets home to drink. Hollie was the same way. But she has no issues lapping up the water from a mud hole in the yard LOL.
 
Thanks for all of your suggestions.

One of my dogs, Daisy, is afraid to drink water out of a metal bowl, so I do have a dark plastic bowl down, in addition to the two metal bowls full of water.

As far as urine output . . . I only see her pee in the yard in the morning. I swear this dog only pees and poops once a day in the yard. I am feeding her pumpkin too, as she came in quite constipated. (no wonder - if she isn't drinking water!

Since she potties in the yard, I have no clue as to what color it is.

Maybe I will start adding a little water to her food bowls at each feeding and increase it if she takes it.

Will try some bottled water too. Maybe some ice cubes? Or perhaps boullion flavored ice cubes? I don't even think I own an ice cube tray, but may go shopping for one tomorrow. I guess they still make them?

I had another foster who wouldn't drink water (coincidentally from the same breeder), and I ended up feeding water to her through a syringe . . .
 
Sheltie4 said:
Thanks for all of your suggestions.

One of my dogs, Daisy, is afraid to drink water out of a metal bowl, so I do have a dark plastic bowl down, in addition to the two metal bowls full of water.

As far as urine output . . . I only see her pee in the yard in the morning. I swear this dog only pees and poops once a day in the yard. I am feeding her pumpkin too, as she came in quite constipated. (no wonder - if she isn't drinking water!

Since she potties in the yard, I have no clue as to what color it is.

Maybe I will start adding a little water to her food bowls at each feeding and increase it if she takes it.

Will try some bottled water too. Maybe some ice cubes? Or perhaps boullion flavored ice cubes? I don't even think I own an ice cube tray, but may go shopping for one tomorrow. I guess they still make them?

I had another foster who wouldn't drink water (coincidentally from the same breeder), and I ended up feeding water to her through a syringe . . .
Click to expand...

Note: For ice cube trays, try at the dollar store. We have a Dollar Tree store that I saw them at recently. Also, I, too, add a little warm water to Mally's food to get more water into him.
 
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