Folks, We "rescued" ... a 2 year female lab from a gun dog breeder last year and have had her for about a year. She is almost 3 years old. She washed out of gun school that we believe that prompted for the breeder to offer her as a companion instead of a working dog. When we picked her up originally, the breeder had her in an outdoor kennel along with other dogs. Anyway....not sure what happened but.... if there is a water dish she will empty it. Then if she starts to do any exercise, play fetch - will throw it up. We add water to her food and on occasion she will eat fast and throw it up. Mostly because of the water. We have tried manage her water intake and do a pretty good job of it to keep from drinking too much. If I take her for a walk or let her out after a good rain she will start licking the concrete or find a puddle and start drinking what water. I have even caught her licking the grass while walking her in the AM. Has anyone else experienced this? It is almost like an obsessive compulsive behavior with water? We are just trying to figure out how help her so that she does not drink too much and throw it up. We know that is not good for her. Thanks in advance!
First of all welcome! Don’t excersise with a full tummy!!! Not with food, nor with water! It can cause bloat! A very serious condition where the stomach turns inside her body and most of the time die from it....Use a slow feeder! Or when it is too expensive you can put a brick in her feeding bowl, just to slow her down with eating. Most of the labs are fast eaters! Let her rest after eating. I let Finn rest for 2 hours. Licking grass doesn’t mean she is thirsty but probably a dog has been peeing and it smells delicious for her. Finn does this regularly. No obsessive compulsive disorder
Welcome from me, Hattie 10 years and our rescue boy Charlie 7 years. I wouldn't add water to her food if she drinks a lot of water anyway. Agree with @Anne123 it's dangerous to exercise a dog on a full stomach. You could scatter her kibble on the floor so that she can't gulp which could make her sick or use if for training treats spreading her meals throughout the day so that she isn't eating big meals. This might help her throwing up. My dogs lick grass it's nothing to worry about x
I would think it's worth getting the obsessive drinking checked out by the vet. Many years ago I had a lab who started to drink obsessively and it turned out that she had developed a condition called Diabetes Insipidus which occurred because her body had stopped producing anti diuretic hormone, the hormone that basically tells us to stop drinking because we're no longer thirsty. Although unusual in dogs, it was very easily treated with eye drops.
Has she been checked by a vet for any health issues? Does she get 1 or 2 meals a day? These things might have an impact as to what’s going on with her.
