Water consumption

Q: My new puppy does not drink much water. Should I feed water through a syringe?

A: If your puppy is eating well, feels good and has normal bowel movements you probably do not need to be concerned about water consumption. Almost without exception if a puppy is eating he is drinking enough. Just like with us fluid requirement is influenced by many factors a few of those are ambient temperature, activity level, food type, sodium intake and body weight. Typical fluid requirement would be about 1-2 oz of fluid per pound of body weight per day. But as an example, can food is approximately 70% water so a large part of the puppies daily fluid requirement is fulfilled by the fluid in his food. If your puppy consistently consumes double or more of his daily requirement for several days it could be a sign of a problem.