Q. What’s the best way to get a dog to drink water? Our dog doesn’t drink much, and then gets constipated.
A. Dogs have a very accurate way of sense of whether they need to drink more water or not, so it’s very unusual for a dog to actually drink less water than he or she needs.
On the other hand, constipation is a fairly common problem in dogs, and is usually related to diet, not water intake. Add a small amount of canned pumpkin to your dog’s diet to relieve the constipation. Also, if you are not offering canned food, reduce the kibble you’re feeding and add some canned food. It will provide additional water to your dog’s diet.
In addition, you can sprinkle one to two teaspoons of Metamucil on your dog’s food once a day to help prevent constipation. It would be rare that you would have to go beyond these steps, but some dogs need an occasional suppository to relieve constipation, usually a pediatric glycerin capsule available over-the-counter.
Think about how much exercise your dog is getting as well. If he is mainly sedentary, two daily walks will help get his whole body, including his digestive tract, working better. But start slowly if he’s been a couch potato for a while.