# Very Thirsty at Night!



## lizlovesmasen (Jan 6, 2009)

Masen has been very thirsty at night - something that has been going on for about a month now. He always has fresh water available to him throughout the day, but he doesn't drink it as furiously as he does at night. 

I was taking it up about an hour after his dinner, around 8pm, but ever since he has been acting so thirsty - hanging around the bowl, panting, trying to drink out of the toilet even though the lid is down (he did that once and never forgot what was in there, lol!). 

This has started happening about the same time we started going to the dog park every day for an hour or so in the early evening, usually between 4-6pm. I always bring water to the dog park and he usually drinks about a 20oz bottle of water (give or take what a few other dogs are able to nab out of the bowl!)

The downfall to this is that since he's drinking an excessive amount of water at night now, he has to pee excessively, and taking him out 5 or 6 times between 7 and 10pm gets old really quick (it takes 5 minutes to get all the way across my building, across the street, and into the park). And they're never "little pees" (for lack of a better term), it's always a lot so I don't think it's because he can't hold it. He's just drinking THAT much water. 

So, I don't want to deprive him of water, but is there a way I can get him to balance out his water consumption???


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## Bock (Jun 23, 2008)

How old is Masen? If you get home from the dogpark around 6, he drinks a lot when he gets home, and pees 5 or 6 times between 7 and 10 than the timing is about right. Since he is peeing that much and that quick after drinking water I suspect Masen to be a puppy? If that is the case I don't know that there is much you can do except time it better. Perhaps crate Masen with only so much water? That way you know he is getting enough water, but not getting SO much water.


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## lizlovesmasen (Jan 6, 2009)

yep...Masen is 5 months old. Masen has a 12 oz water dish that I refill, it's not automatic or whatever. How much water should a puppy need? Does anyone have ounce per day estimates?


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## NuttinButGoldens (Jan 10, 2009)

I would at least call the vet.

This behavior, not only in dogs but in humans, can be an early sign of Diabetes.

Not saying that's what it is so don't panic  But it definitely warrants a call to the vet IMHO.

I am diabetic, so I know this one pretty well. At one point I had to get up every 90 min to go. Thankfully a medication has knocked that down to once a night.

And I am always, ALWAYS thirsty. I'm never anywhere without a Soda, Coffee or Water sitting there.



lizlovesmasen said:


> Masen has been very thirsty at night - something that has been going on for about a month now. He always has fresh water available to him throughout the day, but he doesn't drink it as furiously as he does at night.
> 
> I was taking it up about an hour after his dinner, around 8pm, but ever since he has been acting so thirsty - hanging around the bowl, panting, trying to drink out of the toilet even though the lid is down (he did that once and never forgot what was in there, lol!).
> 
> ...


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## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

NuttinButGoldens said:


> I would at least call the vet.
> 
> This behavior, not only in dogs but in humans, can be an early sign of Diabetes.
> 
> ...



Unfortunately, I was thinking along the same lines. If your dog is drinking all the contents of a 20oz water bottle, that is a LOT of water for one sitting! I would definitely check with the vet to make sure it's not a kidney or liver problem.

In terms of how much a dog should drink a day, I got this from a website (http://www.petplace.com/dogs/polydipsia-and-polyuria-in-dogs/page1.aspx):

"Dogs normally take in about 20 to 40 milliliters per pound of body weight per day, or about 3 to 4 cups of water per day for a 20 pound dog. Anything more than that, under normal environmental conditions, is considered polydipsia."

Hopefully he's just thirsty because of all the exercise he's getting!


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## lizlovesmasen (Jan 6, 2009)

Called my vet - he doesn't seem to think there's anything odd about it. He said he would be concerned if he was drinking a lot of water throughout the day, not just in the evening after he's had a lot of playtime outside. 

I guess I'll just monitor him and make sure he's acting okay everywhere else (which he is right now)!


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## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

lizlovesmasen said:


> Called my vet - he doesn't seem to think there's anything odd about it. He said he would be concerned if he was drinking a lot of water throughout the day, not just in the evening after he's had a lot of playtime outside.
> 
> I guess I'll just monitor him and make sure he's acting okay everywhere else (which he is right now)!


Oh, I misunderstood you. I thought you meant he was drinking that much all the time! It must just be the play time - what do you do, run him for hours?!  He sounds like he's got a fun life. :bowl:


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## lizlovesmasen (Jan 6, 2009)

He just gets to go outside to the park and play with the neighborhood dogs for an hour or so until he starts to get tuckered out  But he sure does have fun with his buddies!


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