Water Bottle or Bowl

Q: My puppy does not drink from the water bottle at all. Is this common ?

A: Questions about water consumption especially from new owners of small breed puppies are frequent. For the most part if your puppy eats well and feels good you can be comfortable that she is drinking enough. If a puppy is having trouble they will usually stop eating before they stop drinking. Any type of moist food i.e. canned food, baby food or even chicken or other meats can be as much as 70% water so if your puppy is on any of that type of food the need for other water is minimal. The maintenance requirement for water is about 1 ounce per pound of body weight per day. So, for example, a 2lb puppy may only need about 1/4 cup water total. The only reason for suggesting a sipper bottle rather than a dish is to reduce spillage, you can certainly use a water dish if you prefer.