My dog is drinking a lot of water and won't eat, should I worry or take him to a vet? Pet's info: Dog | Weimaraner | Male | unneutered | 40 lbs

Drinking more without urinating more indicates that he is losing water somehow. This can be due to diarrhea, vomiting, an increase in activity, or panting (usually due to heat, which I understand is not a factor here). Discovering how much more water is being drank and where the water is being lost is an important first step. It's best to have a veterinarian evaluate Dudley, because an increase in thirst can indicate a serious problem with the kidneys, liver, or intestines. The vet can help narrow-down the cause of this and at- least be able to determine if there is a serious problem. I wouldn't worry too much if Dudley is otherwise acting normal, because if he did have a serious problem, then he would have an obvious decrease in activity and other signs of illness. In either case it's best to get him checked to be safe. I hope that helps and all is well with Dudley.

Hi, and thanks for your question. These signs could be compatible with an inflammation infection of the gastrointestinal system and surrounding organs (like pancreas and liver). A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is immediately essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics and possibly further investigations (like abdominal imaging as ultrasound or radiographs) may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

There could be a medical reason behind Buster drinking a lot of water such as diabetes and kidney disease. This is something that needs to be checked out by a vet, and I would give his vet a call today to make him an appointment. Best of luck.

I would not be concerned just yet. It is a bit preliminary with this unusual behavior happening only for 2-3 days, to think that anything seriously wrong is occurring. So continue to monitor Toby to see if this behavior continues for a solid week or longer. If so, then you can have him evaluated by your vet for some possible underlying causes, especially if any other symptoms develop. However just an increase in water intake doesn't typically mean that there is anything serious going on. Because even disorders that can cause an increase in drinking, will be accompanied by other symptoms like increased urination, increased eating, weight loss or gain, etc.

My dog drinks excessive water and won't eat. Is a vet visit urgent?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Weimaraner | Male | unneutered | 40 lbs

My dog is drinking a lot of water and won't eat, should I worry or take him to a vet?

5 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Megan, DVM, CVA 145

Veterinarian

Published on June 15th, 2017

Poor Max. I would recommend to take him to your vet. It is not normal for them to drink excessive amounts of water and have a lack of appetite. There are several things that can cause these symptoms including certain bacterial infections, diabetes. viral infections, toxins and more. Your vet will likely want to start by running some blood work to help rule out different causes of the increased water intake and then treat accordingly. I hope Max starts to feel better!

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My dog drinks excessive water and won't eat. Is a vet visit urgent?

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