Mary Allen
Puppies are not only incredibly cuddly, they are also a lot of work. It’s understandable that you want to do everything right with your puppy – so your concern is more than justified.
If you’re worried that your puppy might not drink enough or you keep finding pee puddles, you’ve come to the right place.
Let’s talk about how much water puppies need in a day.
In a nutshell: Is it normal for a puppy to drink a lot?
It’s normal for your pup to drink a lot because they need the liquid to grow, build muscle and keep their digestive system working properly. As a result, their need for fluids is higher than that of adult dogs.
The rule of thumb for a puppy’s fluid requirements is 40 to 50 ml of water per kilogram of body weight per day. Make sure your puppy always has access to fresh water.
If, despite the rather cool weather, you notice that your puppy runs to the water bowl more than about every 2 hours and cannot hold his urine, he may have a bladder infection.
With this condition, you should see a veterinarian.
How much water does a puppy need?
Once your puppy is around 2 months old, you can expect to provide around 125ml of water every 2 hours.
Later you can count on up to 40 ml of water per kilogram of weight for a day. That would come to around 200ml of water a day for a 5kg puppy. So the need of your puppy is reduced.
Adult dogs usually need about 60 ml of water per kilogram of body weight per day. For an 8 kg dog, this corresponds to around 480 ml of water per day.
How often does a puppy need to drink?
The question could also be: How often will your puppy need to go outside? Puppies are like children – they are work.
A two-month-old puppy will typically need to be out of the house every two hours. Later, puppies can hold their urine longer.
At around three to six months, you can increase the time to three to four hours. In general, dogs should be given a chance to relieve themselves every five to six hours.
Tips for housebreaking if the puppy drinks a lot
It sounds a bit mean, but it’s true: Especially at night, you should take away your puppy’s water bowl.
Since you already know how long your puppy can hold, you can pick the bowl off the floor exactly two, three, or four hours before bedtime. So you can take one last lap with your puppy and don’t have to get up at night.
You can do a similar thing during the day. Only allow your dog to drink a certain amount of water – it is best to use a measuring cup and the quantities above.
By the way, for several puppies there are certain puppy bowls that offer space for several animals in one bowl.
Important:
On warm days or after heavy exertion, your puppy needs more water to regulate its body temperature!
When can puppies drink water?
From around the sixth to seventh week of life, a puppy is weaned from its mother’s milk. This is best done with a mixture of water and dry food.
This means that puppies should be drinking water as soon as you start removing their mother’s milk from the diet.
Conclusion
Puppies always drink a little more than adult dogs, partly because their bodies cannot store water for very long.
If you drink too much water, your puppy may have contracted a urinary tract infection. You can tell by the fact that he is almost permanently attached to the water bowl and wants to leave the apartment every few minutes.