It may seem perfectly natural for an active dog to dash for the water bowl and engulf its contents in a thirst quenching frenzy after a hard day of play. Nevertheless, drinking too fast is not good for a dog’s health. Not only does the dog leave a slobbery mess around its bowl, it also risks suffering from indigestion, gastrointestinal cramps, coughing, wheezing, and even vomiting. Larger dogs face the added risks of stomach distension and bloating, potentially fatal conditions that can easily be avoided if steps are taken to slow down the dog’s water intake. Pet owners who wish to learn how to keep their dogs from drinking too fast have many options available to them in achieving this goal. One of the simplest methods is buying or making a water dish that slows the dog down.
For example, a raised water dish is a great way to keep your dog comfortable while preventing him from eating and drinking too fast. Since dogs have a tendency to dive for a bowl when it’s lower to the ground, it follows that they take a calmer, slower approach to drinking from a raised dish. For one thing, swallowing is easier for your dog when his neck is straightened out. When the bowl is on the ground and the dog must bend his neck to reach it, he has to gulp harder to get water to travel up his esophagus. With a raised bowl, your dog does not have to work against gravity to swallow and will gulp less energetically.
Another way to keep your dog from drinking too fast is by purchasing a bowl that has a floater inside of it. In this type of bowl, a small dish floats on top of the dog’s water and blocks the dog from gulping all of the water down at once. The floater has a small opening on the bottom that allows some water through but not all of it, thus limiting the amount of water your dog can drink at one time. The dog drinks the water more slowly since it is only released in gradual amounts.
If your dog only seems to gulp his water down too fast after intense exercise or a day in the sun, giving him ice water after play may be all that’s needed. This usually works well when your dog is worked up, hot, and so eager to drink that he will virtually inhale his water if given the chance. When your dog drinks ice water after play, the cold temperature of the water will ensure that your dog will be relieved and refreshed without needing to drink too much too fast. Allow him thirty minutes of rest before giving him more water.