Health
The bowl is still full from this morning. Sometimes it is wet food or cold weather, sometimes the first sign of nausea, pain or illness. His gums and skin tell you which.
Caution. Not drinking at all for more than 24 hours (12 for puppies, small or older dogs), not drinking plus vomiting or diarrhoea, dry tacky gums, skin slow to settle back, no wee for 12 hours: ring your vet today.
Do not look for the answer in a Facebook group, on TikTok or on a forum. Look for someone trained for this: your dog's own veterinarian, the only person who can examine, investigate and treat them.
Use this page to know what to observe, what to note and what to ask at the appointment, not to treat at home. If you still have doubts after a consultation, ask another vet or a specialist (dermatologist, internist) for a second opinion, not a group. And if you do not have a regular vet yet, find one now, while your dog is healthy: how to choose a veterinary clinic.
It is evening and the bowl is as full as it was this morning. You changed the water, moved the bowl, called him over. Your dog looked, sniffed once and walked off. Maybe you moved house a week ago and since then he drinks like a cat. Maybe it is winter, he has switched to wet food and you never catch him at the bowl any more. Sometimes "he's not drinking" is just an impression. Sometimes it is the first sign that something is wrong, and you can tell which in a few minutes if you know where to look: how much he should drink, how to check for dehydration, what to try at home and when to ring your vet.
A healthy adult dog can drink less for a day and come to no harm. Do not wait, though, in any of these situations; ring today:
Puppies dehydrate fast. A two-month-old puppy with diarrhoea who is not drinking does not wait until tomorrow.
Most people underestimate it, because dogs drink when nobody is watching. For two days, put a measured amount in the bowl each morning using a measuring jug, note everything you top up and measure what is left in the evening. On average a healthy dog drinks around 50 ml per kilo per day. For a 10 kg dog that is roughly half a litre.
The figure varies a lot between dogs. Wet food is 70 to 80% water, so a dog fed on it may drink half as much from the bowl and be perfectly well hydrated. He drinks more in summer and after exercise. Less in winter.
They take 30 seconds and you can do them on the sofa. Do them once now, while he is well, so you know what his gums and skin feel like when everything is fine.
New food? A new bowl, a moved bowl, one made of different material? Have you switched from tap water to bottled, or the other way round? A new house, another dog or a cat near the bowl, a new baby? Colder weather? A vaccination or vet visit yesterday? A new medication?
Does he look at the water as if he wants it and still not drink? Chew on one side, drop food, drool, have bad breath? A broken tooth, a sore in the mouth or a foreign body, such as a stick wedged between the back teeth, can make drinking painful.
Older dogs feel thirst less and sometimes simply forget the bowl. A dog with arthritis or a sore neck drinks less often because bending down hurts. A raised bowl at chest height, placed near where he sleeps, often sorts it out. In dogs with kidney disease, heart disease or diabetes, tell your vet about any change in thirst, because the treatment sometimes needs adjusting.
Is he vomiting? Any diarrhoea, coughing, limping? A temperature? Very warm ears and tummy are no substitute for a thermometer, but write them down. Has he stopped bending down to the bowl, as though his neck hurts?
| Cause | What else you see | How urgent |
|---|---|---|
| Wet food, cold weather, less exercise | Nothing else; normal wees, moist gums | Normal |
| Bowl, water or spot changed | Started with the change | Not urgent; try the ideas below |
| Stress (moving house, visits, guests) | Eats less too, hides | Watch for 24 hours |
| Nausea (stomach, liver, kidneys, new medication) | Lip licking, drooling, refusing food too | Today if it lasts more than a day or he vomits |
| Pain in the mouth, teeth or throat | Wants to drink then stops, water dribbles out | Vet within 1 to 2 days; today if he is not drinking at all |
| Neck or back pain | Will not bend down, holds himself stiffly | Vet the same day |
| Fever, infection | Flat, off his food | Today |
| After a vaccination | Sleepy for a day | Normal for a day; if it lasts longer, ring |
Take your notes on the measured water, a list of what has changed in the last few days and, if you can manage it, a morning urine sample.
If he seems well and is weeing normally, try the tricks that win over a lot of fussy drinkers. A ceramic or glass bowl instead of the metal one that clangs every time he touches it. Fresh water twice a day. A second bowl in another room, away from his food and from the busy route through the house. A pet water fountain, since some dogs prefer running water. A few ice cubes in summer. A splash of lukewarm water over dry food.
Out on the trail we always carry a bottle and a collapsible bowl, and plenty of dogs drink better from their handler's cupped hand than from any bowl. If after a day of trying he still drinks nothing at all, or any of the warning signs above appear, ring your vet.
What dog owners search for most often on the internet about this problem, with the short answer. The answers are a guide only: the decision belongs to your dog's own vet, after an examination.
A healthy adult dog on a cool day can drink very little for a day without coming to harm. But dehydration starts to affect him within 24 hours and turns dangerous quickly, especially in the heat, after exercise, or with vomiting or diarrhoea. For puppies and older dogs, do not wait more than 12 hours. Do not test his limits: if he is drinking nothing at all, ring.
Most often because he gets water from his food: wet food is 70 to 80% water. Cold weather, less exercise, a new or moved bowl and different water are other common reasons. If he eats, plays, wees normally and has moist gums, it is usually nothing to worry about. Measure what he drinks for two days to be sure.
Touch his gums: they should be wet and slippery, not tacky. Gently lift the skin on the back of his neck: it should drop straight back, not stay up like a tent. Check his eyes for a sunken, dull look and his wee for small amounts of dark urine. If you see any of these, especially with vomiting or lethargy, take him to the vet.
For a healthy dog, try a ceramic or glass bowl, fresh water twice a day, a second bowl in another room, a pet water fountain, a splash of lukewarm water over dry food, ice cubes in summer. Change one thing at a time so you can see what works. Do not hold his muzzle in the bowl or squirt water in with a syringe.
A day of sleepiness and drinking less after a jab is fairly common and passes on its own. If he still is not drinking after 24 hours, or he vomits, has a swollen face, struggles to breathe or is very flat, ring the vet who vaccinated him. Serious allergic reactions usually show in the first few hours and are emergencies.
The information on this page is educational and does not replace an examination. For full details and a diagnosis, consult your dog's own veterinarian.
They often come together: the same causes, plans that complement each other.
He sniffed the bowl and walked off, twice running, yet he's drinking and wagging. With a bright adult you can wait a day. With a puppy or an old dog, you can't.
White foam on the floor, yellow bile on an empty stomach, or four bouts overnight and a chin on the floor. Not equally serious, and none is treated from the cupboard.
Hot ears, a warm dry nose, a dog who will not get up for his walk. The nose tells you nothing. A thermometer tells you everything in under a minute.
He drinks more, wees more and slowly loses weight. Chronic kidney disease shows late, acute failure is an emergency measured in hours. Tests reveal both.
We work with your dog's behaviour, not its health. For any sign described here, book an appointment with your own vet; the related services page explains how to choose a clinic.