Is it okay to withhold water from a dog at night

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated September 16, 2024

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Why Withholding Water from Your Dog at Night is Dangerous

Does your dog have a lot of peeing accidents in the middle of night? One tactic you may have read online is to take away your dogs water bowl not long before you go to bed. The idea behind this is to prevent your dogs bladder from getting full while you are asleep. We, however, wouldnt recommend this unless it was specific instructions from a vet or other certified animal professionals.

One of the reasons why we wouldnt recommend withholding water from your dog is due to the fact that peeing accidents can happen for a wide variety of reasons. It could, for example, be due to a medical problem that your dog has developed. Diseases or infections like urinary tract infections (UTI) can cause dogs to urinate excessively. If your dog is suddenly having a lot of pee accidents at night then one recommendation would be to take your dog for a vet check up.

Dogs can also have inappropriate peeing incidents at night due to their diet. For example, dogs that are given a lot of salty treats or salty foods are likely to drink more throughout the day and subsequently need to pee more often. Withholding water from them a few hours before bedtime wont resolve the issue in such cases.

Potty training is not easy and while it might make sense to withhold water from your pet at night, its not the first and only approach you should go with as the peeing accidents may be a result of something that isnt directly tied to your dogs drinking behavior.

Disclaimer: The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional veterinarian advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a veterinarian when in doubt.

Is Withholding Water from a Dog at Night a Sensible Choice?

As a dog mother to several dogs, I have seen dogs as cute potatoes right out of mothers womb growing into old fellows with flappy skin. Over this time, a dog must have an ample supply of food and water. I mean why take away water access from someone? However, in certain situations restricting water to a dog at night is actually a sensible choice, What are those situations? Why is withholding water from dogs at night okay in some situations?

Let us have a look.

How much water do dogs need?

Water is a necessity. Believe me or not water plays part in a dogs both physical and mental wellbeing.

In general, dogs need one ounce of water for every pound of body weight every single day. But water intake also depends on age, size, activity, weather and diet. How?

Size and age- Very young puppies need no water, the water content in milk is enough to fulfill their water needs. However, when they start weaning and consuming solid food, half-cup water should be given every two hours.

Older puppies who have now weaned, need one ounce of water per pound of their body weight. Example, a dog weighs twenty five pounds, he should take twenty five ounces of water.

On the other side, middle-aged dogs dont consume much water. They can hold their bladder for 7-11 hours easily.

But by the time dogs need old age, they need water every few minutes. Many of them develop diseases that increase the water intake and excretion rate, for example Diabetes Mellitus.

Activity level- If you take your dog for exercise hell return home thirsty and greedily lick every bit of moisture from the water bowl.Growing puppies that are full of energy consume extra water, they require it for their growing needs and increased activity levels.

Weather On a hot day, a dog needs more water to regulate his body temperature. Remember dogs practice panting to cool down themselves. Thus, theyll be needing extra water for rehydrating themselves.

Diet Any dog who is on some dry food diet will lack moisture in his meals. Its very important to keep such canine friends fully hydrated through ample water supply with meals and without meals.

Generally, dogs consume twice as much water as the food. For example, if a doggo takes three bowls of food per say he is most likely to take six cups of water.

Why do owners withhold water from dogs at night?

Some dog-moms tend to control the water intake of dogs and puppies. During the day they let the fluffy boy enjoy as much water as he wants, but a few hours before bedtime youd see them put a ban on water supply to the dog. Why do they withhold water from the dog at night?

Housetraining

As you bring a puppy home, the first rule is to teach him housetraining. Do you want him peeing around the house and spoiling your expensive furniture? Never!

Owners withhold water from dogs at night for their potty training. Since the growing puppies are not trained, if they have water around theyll drink and urinate frequently. Thus, owners give puppies water throughout the day and take them out but hide it at night. This is to be followed for under-trained puppies normally before 12 weeks.

Its best to take away the water bowl two to three hours before bedtime at a fixed time. For example, if you turn off the light by 12, make sure your dog is done eating and drinking by 9-10 pm. After this, you can take him one last time to defecate.

In this process, the owner needs to be consistent.

Now you may lock the door and sleep in peace.

Besides, most puppies can stay without urinating for 7 hours. Take them out in the morning and then offer fresh water for intake. This way youll make up a routine without dehydrating them. In short, establish good toilet habits and a healthy body for your growing doggo.

To avoid Mid-night Toilet breaks

Dogs would bark and wake you up at 2 am just to go pee outside. You wake up from deep sleep to fulfill their toilet needs, which can be controlled without any harm.

Another problem is that most dogs sleep in crates, to move them out to pee at night is a real struggle.

What to do now? To avoid such inconvenience, many dog owners restrict the water to dogs at night, mostly an hour before sleeping. Nobody wants to get disturbed at night, right?

As soon as the sun rises the owner places the water supplies and opens the gate for the dog to walk out.

Besides, If your dog wakes you up because he is thirsty, give him ice cubes.

Overhydration

Yes, unfortunately, some dogs over-hydrate themselves, this phenomenon is also known as water intoxication.

The dogs high on the water can sometimes show signs of lethargy, vomiting, dilated pupils with loss of coordination, and bloating. Immediately reach a doctor if you observe such signs.

Before a surgical procedure

Sometimes upon vet requests, owners start to limit the intake of water for dogs. This may be because the vet has to give some treatment or run a procedure for which the bladder must be empty.

Why do some people disagree with withholding water from dogs at night?

Many people believe everyone including a dog should have a right to clean water at any time of the day, to withhold water even at night is inhuman.

Adult dogs have good bladder control

Dogs are pretty good at self-hydrating themselves and usually dont under-drink or overdrink.

Moreover, dogs can hold urine in the bladder for up to 11 hours so taking away water access is not a great idea for any dog.

Dehydration

Sometimes we dont realize but less water intake can lead to dehydration. Dehydration clearly shows behavioral changes in most dogs. Theyll go crazy at the sight of water and practice resource guarding according to Dr. Johnson. They may also try drinking water from toilets, puddles, or unhealthy sites which causes worm infestation in the gut.

Moreover, the dogs become lethargic, stop eating, get dry-looking eyes, nose and gums and this is a medical emergency!

Urinary Tract Infections

Have you felt a burning sensation while urinating? Did the doctor tell you to increase your intake of water? Just like men UTI is common in dogs.

According to research, more than half the dogs with water restriction develop UTI symptoms that would later lead to kidney stones and even sepsis.

Systemic Diseases

Some older dogs particularly those above 10 years of age develop the generic disease with time. Diseases such as Diabetes Mellitus, Cushings Syndrome, Kidney Disease, Hepatic insufficiency, and Diabetes Insipidus increase the thirst and urination of any affected dog. Its quite insensitive to say but Dogs turn into pee factories.

Thus, these dogs need to drink and excrete very often. Withholding water from dogs only makes the symptoms worse.

Conclusion

Dog Food Advisor says, never to leave the dog without a water supply as it could be a risk of dehydration.

If you want to withhold water from a dog at night, add enough moisture in the meal so he doesnt feel dehydrated or thirsty. Also, make sure to give uninterrupted supply throughout the day.

In a nutshell, it can be concluded that withholding water from a healthy dog or sick dog isnt right. However, if your puppy is under training, you may restrict the water supply but follow a couple of hydrating advice.

I hope we have all your water-related queries resolved by now!

Can You Withhold Water From A Dog At Night? (Answered!)

Water is an integral part of a dogs life and it needs an ample amount to stay healthy. This is why a lot of dog owners remain organized when it comes to how much water a dog is given and when it is available to them.

This is also going to make you wonder, can you start withholding water from dog at night?

You should start withholding water 2-3 hours before a dogs bedtime at night. This ensures they are fully hydrated and do not have to go for a potty break in the middle of the night when youre sleeping.

It is not wrong to withhold water from a dog at night.

They will get used to this schedule and its going to be easier for you over the long haul. Keep this in mind as you start figuring out what is safe for your dog and what is not.

This article will take a look at whether or not it is smart to start withholding water from dog at night along with what to consider during the process.

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Tips For Withholding Water From A Dog At Night

1. Start 2-3 Hours Before Bedtime

You will want to withhold water 2-3 hours before a dogs bedtime.

This will ensure the dog doesnt get dehydrated before going to bed and will still have the opportunity to avoid potty breaks at random hours of the night. This will take a bit of getting used to as it is common for dogs to want a good amount of water.

Dog owners can start worrying when it comes to their dog. It is naturally assumed that dogs should always have water at their disposal but this is untrue.

They dont require water all the time as long as you are keeping them safe indoors and they are getting enough water during the day.

If that is the case, you are going to be good to go by removing the water bowl 2-3 hours before the dogs bedtime. In a lot of situations, dogs will need a week or so to adjust to this change.

They will get used to it and that is when you are going to be good to go.

For the average dog owner, its recommended to start this early on in the dogs life so they get used to it quickly.

2. Create a Schedule

You should take the time to create a schedule as that is going to be easier for the dog as time goes on.

You dont want them to struggle with different schedules where you are making water available at night on some days. This will frustrate the dog and they wont know what to do. It is also going to ruin their bathroom schedule right away.

You have to be meticulous about this and ensure you are focusing on specific hours of the day to remove the water bowl.

Dogs should have a schedule when it comes to both their food and water. This will make it easier for them to adjust.

If you dont do this, the dog is going to get confused.

This can lead to urine all over the house because the dog doesnt know what to do. This is the last thing you are going to want especially with a younger dog at home.

3. Maintain Safe Temperature Indoors

How hot is it in the house?

You dont want a situation where the dog is starting to burn indoors and needs water. This is going to be incredibly uncomfortable for them due to their fur.

You have to be mindful of this when it comes to water availability for dogs.

Dogs that start breathing heavily indoors might be getting too hot and that will lead to natural dehydration.

If it is too hot then there should be water available for the dog at night. It is simply unsafe for the dog not to have water as a way to cool down a bit.

If it is cool indoors and the AC is on, you should continue with the schedule as listed above.

Final Thoughts

Follow these tips when it comes to withholding water from dog at night.

Its best to take the time to implement this advice and make sure you are working towards a safer situation for your dog.

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