How do we get Annie to drink more H20?

[Anniesmom]

Hi guys,

We are having some difficulty getting Annie to drink H20 more. She is eating/pooing well and will urinate but the urination can go up to 12 hours!
She is not sick, no vomiting, no listlessness, still sassy as ever.

Any thoughts? Do you think if we add some H20 to her dry dog food it would help any?
She is supposed to have one good urine stream per day...

Deb

[disraeli ears]

When Andy had issues with UTIs, the vet told me to put water in her food - so yes, that will help.

[CorgiMum]

I would soak 1/2 of Monty's food in water, and then add the other 1/2 dry and mix it. That seems to help her intake. I do the same for Dylan when he needs it.

[Jespah]

You can also give her a bowl of low-salt fat-free chicken broth - that will at least entice her with the taste. Or put it on her dry food.

[Anniesmom]

I know that we should relax, but, given the severity of her surgery, the fact that they told us she had to have one good stream per day, etc and the fact that this longevity in between times for urination being new we are both on pins and needles! :EEK:

[Jespah]

There's nothing wrong with being worried - you are doing a good job being diligent and monitoring her.

Have you tried bringing her a water bowl a couple of times a day? Maybe just the discomfort of moving is keeping her from getting up and getting a drink when she is thirsty?

[CorgiMum]

When I was really worried about Dylan not drinking enough when he wasn't well it was suggested that he drink some Ensure from the grocery. You could try that, he loved the vanilla flavouring.

http://ensure.com/products/

[Anniesmom]

Steve puts his finger tips into her water bowl and places it to her lips which she will lick...we bring her bowl to her, and Steve is also using ice cubes today. We just don't want her to get a UTI (which she had a few years ago) or become dehydrated.
She is healing so well from the surgery we just don't want a set back...she has been walking around the house on the carpeting without her sling and doing a fine job of it!

[Jespah]

When I was really worried about Dylan not drinking enough when he wasn't well it was suggested that he drink some Ensure from the grocery. You could try that, he loved the vanilla flavouring.

http://ensure.com/products/

Good idea Barbara,

Maybe even watering it down - so she gets more water than calories.

[CorgiMum]

Dylan wasn't interested in it when I tried to water it down, and I wasn't too concerned about a few extra calories for the day or two that he was drinking it.

Danny was happy to slurp up the watered down version though.:SMILE:

[LuvMy2Corgis]

Try giving her the bottled water Smart water. it has electolites like pedialyte has for kids.
Lori

[Bobbie]

I would ask your vet if you can put her on a prophylactic antibiotic dose until you are sure she is peeing normally. It is really easy to get a bladder infection if not all the urine is being voided or not often enough, and hard to get rid of. This is not a routine thing for vets to do but if it were me I'd ask anyway.

Otherwise the suggestions are good. Mixing yogurt in water also helps make it tasty, and soaking food so it soaks up water will increase her intake as well. Chicken broth is good.

[CorgiMum]

I've also diluted an OXO cube and made ice cube treats for the dogs.

[Anniesmom]

Well here's the new "game"...

We took about 5-6 pieces of her favorite Wellness kibbles (her regular Wellness reduced calorie hard dog food) and put into a bowl of water. She dove in and started drinking the water to get to the kibbles!! Then in true corgi fashion, had to return to the bowl and do some sipping to make sure that she got them all.:BIGGRIN"

End result, she wanted the water, and then urinated more regularly later in the day and then this morning. Whew! I don't think we are necessarily out of the woods but if this is going to get her to drink then I'm all for it!

You guys are all so smart!!!

Hugs,
Deb, Steve and Annie ^..^

[Jespah]

Excellent!! What a good idea! Silly Corgis - think they can outsmart us! Keep it up, I'm sure she'll get back to normal in no time! :BIGGRIN"

[CorgiMum]

Bobbing for Kibble!!

And excellent corgi game!

Glad that her water consumption has increased.:SMILE:

[disraeli ears]

What a fun game for Annie! :LAUGH: Great that it's working for her!

[dcole]

Bobbing for Kibble!!


:LAUGH: I'll remember this one if Trevor ever has any problems!

[MVons]

Chester even bobs for ice cubes. It becomes sad when they melt though.

[taflar]

Add a bit of lemon juice to her water. It's supposed to make them drink more and of course then urinate more too.

Peggy