My Old Dogs Drinking So Much Water What Should I Do?

Okay, so the other day, I noticed my old buddy, Max, my 10-year-old Labrador, was practically living at his water bowl. He's always been a good drinker, but this was different. He was draining it multiple times a day, way more than usual. It immediately got me thinking, and I started to worry a bit.

My First Steps: Observation

First thing I did was just watch him closely. I mean, really watch him. Was he eating normally? Still excited for walks? Any other weird behavior? He seemed mostly his usual self, maybe a little less energetic, but that could just be his age, right?

I also paid close attention to how much he was actually drinking. Instead of just topping off his bowl, I started measuring the water I put in. This way, I could get a rough idea of his daily intake. I just used a regular measuring cup from the kitchen – nothing fancy.

Gathering Some Data

I kept this up for a couple of days. I wrote down how much water I added to his bowl each time, and roughly what time of day it was. I also made a note of when he went outside to pee, because, well, that's connected, obviously. It felt a bit silly, like a science experiment, but I wanted to have some solid info before I freaked out too much.

• Day 1: Seemed like he drank about 8 cups. Lots of peeing.
• Day 2: Closer to 9 cups! Still peeing a ton.
• Day 3: 8.5 cups. Energy levels seemed a bit low.

Time to check some infomation

After I finished recording, I found that the data was indeed abnormal. I searched for the information. And this is what I've got.

Making the Call

After three days of my amateur detective work, and seeing those numbers, I decided it was time to call the vet. Even though Max seemed okay otherwise, the increased drinking was just too significant to ignore. Better to be safe than sorry, especially with an older dog. I described everything I'd observed to the vet, and we made an appointment for the next day. The whole situation was a good reminder that paying close attention to our furry friends, even the small things, can make a big difference.