Pete The Vet: How much water should your pet drink?

Even before considering measurements of how much water an animal is drinking, most owners have an innate sense that their pet may be too thirsty

If any animal is drinking more than 100ml per kilogram of body weight, then that’s too much, and needs to be investigated.

When caring for a pet, there are some key issues that owners should keep an eye on. From daily food intake, to digestive health to general levels of activity, the first sign of a significant illness of some kind is often a noticeable change from an animal’s norms.

One important parameter to include is the amount of water that your pet is drinking. In many illnesses, the first sign can be drinking more water than usual, or polydipsia, to use the technical term.