My small dog won't drink water. How can I keep her hydrated?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Female | spayed | 4 years and 4 months old | 12 lbs
I have a 4 year old, 12-lb maltese/yorkie mix who does not drink water. She eats Royal Canin prescription food for gastrointestinal issues and I've recently changed her from the dry kibble to canned food because she will not drink water. I've tried flavoring water with chicken/beef broth and even Pediolyte but to no avail. I recently started adding a few ounces of water to the soft food. Any ideas on how to get her to drink; or is adding water to canned food giving her enough?
4 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on July 18th, 2018
Hello and thank you very much for your question. Changing the food to a canned diet is a good idea if you are concerned with in adequate water consumption. You can add a lot of water to the canned food to make it a gruel based diet. I do have a few suggestions on what may help her consume more water. First, you may want to invest in a waterfall or water movement type of water bowl. These types of watering devices can help mimic a running faucet and studies have shown that animals will drink more from this type of device. Second, you could perhaps change the water you are giving. So for instance, if you are giving your pet well water, you would switch to city water or filtered water. Or if you are giving city water, you may want to switch to filtered water for just a while to see if that helps drink more. I hope I have been of some help. Have a great day.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on July 29th, 2017
She should be drinking approximately 3 cups of water a day. If she is eating canned food then it will be less than that. You can add water to her dry food, continue to add chicken broth to water or start offering small amounts of canned food with water in it. Some dogs prefer certain water bowls so you may try to switch the bowls. Some me dogs prefer cold water so you could try keeping a gallon of water in the fridge for her. Finally, some dogs prefer the water fountains that help keep the water moving and fresh. I hope this helps!
3Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on January 25th, 2018
The amount of water a dog needs depends on several factors, including the activity level, and the type of food the dog eats. For example, if your dog eats wet food, then she may drink less water because canned food has a higher water content than dry food. In any case, you can always check your dog's hydration level by pinching her skin. If it goes flat right away, that's a sign that she's properly hydrated. However, if it takes several seconds, that could be a sign that she's dehydrated. That said, the best way to make sure is to have your dog examined by your veterinarian. Finally, you should always make sure your dog's water is fresh and clean. Also, keep in mind that some dogs will drink more out of fountain type bowls, so you could try that too.
435Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on August 8th, 2019
Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You have a few options here. What you can do is feed him canned food which already has a considerable amount of water already in it. Another option is adding a bit of chicken broth to his water which may make it more enjoyable. Another option is adding ice to the water which he may enjoy more. Best of luck!
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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