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Q. I have a 1 1/2 yr old boxer (Riley). She has always loved water but has recently become excessively thirsty all the time. Our schnauzer loved water, but grew out of it after 6 months or so. Riley seems as though she is addicted to water. If she could, she would drink all the water in every toilet bowl and then eat every bit of snow outside until she vomits and then do it all over again. She forgets to go to the bathroom because she is too occupied in drinking, so she messes in the house. She doesn't like to eat, and if she does, it's maybe one meal every 3-4 days -- huge loss of appetite. She has lost 4 lbs in one month. I'm not sure if this is relevant, but approximately 6 months ago Riley was running at the park and fainted. It lasted about 1 minute and she was back to normal. Blood work was taken and everything was normal. This episode repeated about 2 months ago. The vet advised that the dog over worked itself and, as a result, fainted. Her lack of eating, increased drinking of water and weight loss worries me. Please help with any suggestions. Thank you. -- Gary G., Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada

A. This situation needs to be investigated more completely. There are many "diseases" that cause increased drinking but, with her young age, I do not believe it is anything too bad. The most common cause of this level of water obsession is called psychogenic polydipsia. Essentially, these dogs drink so much water that they "wash out" their kidneys' ability to retain water. Once this happens, it can become dangerous to simply restrict her intake. Now with anorexia, weight loss and "fainting," you need to have your Vet get more aggressive and diagnose the underlying problem before it is too late. Good Luck.

Mitchell Spindel, DVM, Animal Ark Veterinary Hospital

Dr. Spindel earned his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Oklahoma State University. He practiced in Syracuse, New York before he and his wife and children relocated to beautiful North Carolina. Dr. Spindel is a past President of the Forsyth County Veterinary Medical Association. He is the veterinarian for Sci-Works in Winston-Salem, NC and is active with the Forsyth Humane Society, Animal Adoption and Rescue Foundation and Greyhound Friends.

Animal Ark Veterinary Hospital

 

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