[carrieandcricket]

I rescued my 5 year old chi, and for the past two days she did nothing but eat and drink. Well now she isn't drinking. She is eating, and sleeping, and eating, but not drinking as much. Can anyone tell my why? Or maybe something that will help me to get Cricket to drink more?

 

[michele]

What are you feeding ? dry kibble they seem to drink more

 

[Vampy Vera]

Put down a second bowl with water. You never know, it could be something little like that that does the trick. Worked for my cat!
Or, you could do what I did with my rescue chi, Monty: whenever I came into the room he was in, I'd offer the water bowl to him, and sometimes he would accept that. It was a little hampster bowl, so it was convenient, but I'd just fill it with fresh water and bring it to him in bed. I know there is a theory about getting them used to that, but where he was a rescue and quite frightened and shy, he would initially accept that, then started to go get it on his own.

 

[rokmurphy]

I had to force feed water to mine in a baby syringe for about 3 weeks. He didn't like it, and I did it every meal time just to make sure he didn't become dehydrated. Until I started putting warm water in his food. Then he would drink the water first and then eat his food. He now goes to his water bowl once a day and drinks freely only in the mornings. I guess that is all he wants/needs, so I am ok with that.

 

[carrieandcricket]

She won't eat the dry food, and when I mixed it with her wet food it made her have diarrhea. But she drank a little this morning. I guess she just doesn't need as much water. When we got her we had to have her nails clipped and get the flea stuff for her neck. Poor thing she has healed broken ribs. But she seems happy now, and content. Thank you for your help.

 

[flippedstars]

To tell if your pup is dehydrated or not at any given time, you can pinch the skin on the back of her neck (gently!), lift it up and let go, it should snap right back into place. If it kind of slides back into place more slowly chances are she needs some more water.

You definitely should consider soaking her kibble in water anyway before feeding her as it makes it so much easier on her internal organs to process