It’s may be hard to believe but dogs can suffer from water intoxication as a result of consuming excess amounts of water. Cases often occur after dogs play in the pool or from biting on the garden hose. Excessive water consumption can lead to the body’s depletion of sodium and chloride which are essential for body function. The dog can suffer from hyponatremia or too low sodium levels in the blood. They symptoms exhibited by affected dogs depend to a large extent on several factors such as how much water was consumed, the size and health status of the dog, and the time that elapsed since drinking. The most common symptoms to look out for include vomiting, wobbling, lethargy, and convulsions. Aside from hyponatremia, water intoxication can also lead to diluted blood, swelling of the liver and brain tissue, flooding of the gastrointestinal tract, and loss of certain essential minerals through the urine. Without proper treatment large dogs might die within 7-8 hours, while it’s about 3-4 hours in small dogs. If your worried that your dog is not acting quite right and may be suffering from water intoxication, call your veterinarian Galena, MD right away.
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