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The Danger of Water Intoxication
Swimming dogs are at risk of ingesting too much water
Last week a friend’s dog had a close call with water intoxication. Her crew was playing in a local river when one of her Border Collies emerged staggering and vomiting liquid. Symptoms quickly worsened on the way to the vet, but after a few harrowing days, the dog was fortunate to make a full recovery. Apparently the poor pup ingested too much water while repeatedly diving into the river, mouth open, trying to catch a ball. Drinking too much causes electrolyte levels to drop, thinning blood plasma and leading to swelling of the brain and other organs. Before I learned about water intoxication, I thought that playing in the lake was safe if your dog was a strong swimmer. But now I know to be mindful of how my guys interact with the water and to force them to take ample breaks. Dogs can even drink too much water from playing with a lawn sprinkler. Unfortunately water intoxication progresses quickly. Now that summer is officially here, it’s important to review the signs so you can get an affected dog to the vet as soon as possible. Symptoms include lack of coordination, lethargy, nausea, bloating, vomiting, dilated pupils, glazed eyes, light gum color, and excessive salivation. Advanced symptoms include difficulty breathing, collapsing, loss of consciousness, and seizures. As the weather gets warmer, stay safe. Water intoxication can affect both people and our pups. |
Photo by sharper65/flickr.
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This is good to know as my dog loves to bite the hose and gets lots of water in his mouth. Now I will be more careful.
Interesting article, since our labradors are in the water every day playing and doing retriever training. We have never had this problem. I have taken action photos of the dogs as they enter the water, and it is amazing to see how they hold their heads up (mouths closed) as they hit the water. I liked jerseycaptain's response. This is probably a rare occurance. The dogs would be more likely to get ill from bacteria or algae in the water than too much water. We are careful where we train, but certainly will continue to let our labs enjoy the water!
There are better articles that explain the science behind water intoxication, part of the problem is that the electrolytes get diluted and cause cells to swell. This can be caused by all water, even bottled.
Please research and do not take this lightly. Water intoxication can also happen in humans and 1-2 athletes die of this yearly.
This can also happen in humans! That is why it's not good to just drink water, you need the electrolytes in tea, juice, etc.
Polydipsia is so extrememly rare to happen in humans merely drinking normal amounts of liquids. An inconceivable amount of water has to be imbibed and the body would naturally start by throwing it up. In one documented case report the 37 y.o. male patient had a "...several month history of excess fluid intake, drinking 8–10 litres of diet coke a day, 15–20 cups of coffee and several cups of water every few minutes." So drink the basic 8-10 8oz glasses of water a day doesn't qualify as polydipsia.
Polydipsia is excessive thirst. It has nothing to do with water intoxication. Nice "big word" though.
Our Cockapoo does not hold his mouth closed in the water at all. We had him in the pool last summer with a life jacket on. His inclination was to leave his mouth wide open and scoop in water as he swam. Not good! It's important to know your dog, watch him closely and make the best choices you can in the moment. Tanner did not seem to enjoy the water at all, so it could have been a stress response too.
Interesting article, since our labradors are in the water every day playing and doing retriever training. We have never had this problem. I have taken action photos of the dogs as they enter the water, and it is amazing to see how they hold their heads up (mouths closed) as they hit the water. I liked jerseycaptain's response. This is probably a rare occurance. The dogs would be more likely to get ill from bacteria or algae in the water than too much water. We are careful where we train, but certainly will continue to let our labs enjoy the water!
Your dogs probably are less likely to experience this as well since they are naturally water dogs and instinctually may know how to keep their head and mouth out of water a little better. Just a thought?
Yes, I have had 2 Labs and I think they do instinctively keep head and open mouth out of the water. Maybe not so with other breeds.
My dog will drink to much water & cause it self to vomit! I have to keep a close eye on him & only allow him small amounts at a time or he over drinks an vomits every time. He will also over eat his food. I have to feed him small amounts at a time thru out the day.. I do not know what causes this. But his father did the same thing & he died from it B4 I figured out what was going on.. Any one know what causes this? My Pit Bull :0)U
could have been Megaesophagus
Could be Cushings syndrome
Diagnosis
Signalment
Canine Cushing's syndrome occurs most commonly in middle-aged to older dogs, though it can occur at any age.
Incidence/prevalence
Cushing's syndrome is one of the most common endocrine (hormonal) disorders of dogs.
Geographic distribution
Canine Cushing's syndrome occurs worldwide.
Clinical signs (primary, most to least frequent, scientific term, synonyms)
Increased thirst (polydipsia), Increased urination (polyuria), Increased appetite (polyphagia), Hair loss (alopecia), Blackheads (comedones), Potbelly (abdominal distension), Panting, Muscle weakness.
Clinical signs (secondary, most to least frequent, scientific term, synonyms)
Decreased libido, Respiratory distress (dyspnea) can occur due to pulmonary thromboembolism (blood clot in the lungs). Neurological signs such as seizures, behavior changes, blindness, circling and disorientation can occur.
How about you take your dog to a vet. Don't attempt to (very inaccurately) diagnose a condition online.
You can't type random stuff into a search engine, and have it come close to a competent veterinary diagnosis. And your search engine also can not treat the dog and potentially save it's life...just a thought.
If you feed dry food- it swells when it hits the liquids in the stomach creating too large mass causing the dog to vomit. Soak food first & note how much more there is after. Dogs (& cats) are designed to gorge on food, as hunting is not productive daily. Add competion for resources...
pica?
My gsd does the same thing. He goes crazy!
In my case, one of my two Australian Shepherd dogs does enjoy going into lakes, creeks and even into the waves on the beach to play. And he will occasionally take a few laps of water. However, he has never shown any ill effects other than a little loose stool from drinking salt water. (The case of those two Border Collies could also just as easily have been them tossing up water from gulping it too fast. That is not an indication of poisoning...it's just the body ejecting a mass of rapidly ingested water...especially if it enters the windpipe...that's something humans and other animals experience too...and it is not, in of itself, an indication of overt danger).
Now, anyone worth their salt (if you'll forgive the pun, lol) knows that imbibing excessive amounts of salt water can cause brain damage and a dangerous physical condition. Fortunately, I keep a close eye on him, and he has never done more than take a few laps. My other Aussie never approaches ocean water, and only rarely goes near fresh water. But neither have ever shown any ill effects, fortunately...other than what I mentioned above.
I think the case mentioned has more to do with an owner not keeping watch on their dogs, and allowing them to drink large quantities of it. Or else from actively tossing a ball or toy into the water, and the dogs taking in large gulps while grabbing the toys from the water. That's on the owner for not being more careful.
I think the smart thing to always do is to be proactive and mindful, not worrisome. If we all go around expecting something like this is always going to happen, we're going to keep our dogs from having fun and we are going to make ourselves unduly stressed. I'd also point out that you just never know whether or not the particular body of water mentioned in this story was tainted in some way. Personally I am not going to go forward at this point keeping my dogs clear of any body of water out of fear that every droplet might be poisonous or otherwise tainted. I will just continue to be mindful, proactive and involved with my dogs in their fun. THAT'S the smart thing to do.
I think it's pretty easy to start finger-pointing and accusing the owner of being negligent, when I doubt she was. I doubt that she was even aware that something like this can happen - I don't think most people are. The full intent of the article was to make dog owners aware of what the possible repercussions of consuming large quantities of water over a short period of time could be. Thank goodness people like this are willing to share their experiences so other dogs can be spared having to suffer the same fate.
Gosh, if we all start finger pointing then how are we to learn and share our experiences with others. I for one think bringing up this subject is very valuable as not many people would be aware of the dangers that dogs can suffer from consuming to much water. Thank you for bring this subject up.
Agree with you there.I think far too many people think they know everything there is to know.I have had 6 dogs now and am still learning new things.I did know that drinking seawater can kill a dog very quickly but i hadn't heard of this so thank you.Lyme disease is also something dogs and humans can pick up in inland water and it can be fatal.
Thank you, exactly what you said, my 11 year old blk.lab acting funny after a swim at the lake, I neve heard of this, and he's always been just fine, called vet and going to take him in, also the info on Cushings Syndrome, very scary but real...life is about learning, sharing what we learn is good thanks so much..to everybody...please say a prayer for my Shadow-boy
Agree with this post. I never heard of this before, but I have heard that blue-green algae is toxic and can be in the water without any visible sign. We have decided to let our Goldens enjoy the lake in our yard that they live for. More frightening than this is the water moccasins in our lake.
In my case, one of my two Australian Shepherd dogs does enjoy going into lakes, creeks and even into the waves on the beach to play. And he will occasionally take a few laps of water. However, he has never shown any ill effects other than a little loose stool from drinking salt water. (The case of those two Border Collies could also just as easily have been them tossing up water from gulping it too fast. That is not an indication of poisoning...it's just the body ejecting a mass of rapidly ingested water...especially if it enters the windpipe...that's something humans and other animals experience too...and it is not, in of itself, an indication of overt danger).
Now, anyone worth their salt (if you'll forgive the pun, lol) knows that imbibing excessive amounts of salt water can cause brain damage and a dangerous physical condition. Fortunately, I keep a close eye on him, and he has never done more than take a few laps. My other Aussie never approaches ocean water, and only rarely goes near fresh water. But neither have ever shown any ill effects, fortunately...other than what I mentioned above.
I think the case mentioned has more to do with an owner not keeping watch on their dogs, and allowing them to drink large quantities of it. Or else from actively tossing a ball or toy into the water, and the dogs taking in large gulps while grabbing the toys from the water. That's on the owner for not being more careful.
I think the smart thing to always do is to be proactive and mindful, not worrisome. If we all go around expecting something like this is always going to happen, we're going to keep our dogs from having fun and we are going to make ourselves unduly stressed. I'd also point out that you just never know whether or not the particular body of water mentioned in this story was tainted in some way. Personally I am not going to go forward at this point keeping my dogs clear of any body of water out of fear that every droplet might be poisonous or otherwise tainted. I will just continue to be mindful, proactive and involved with my dogs in their fun. THAT'S the smart thing to do.
Having been hospitalized for this myself, it's serious business. Thanks for posting. My dog never met a puddle she didn't love, so this is a good heads up!
That's why I use a Water Loopie Sport toy for my dog. She can grab it above the water line, minimizing water intake (especially important in the ocean!).
http://www.loopiestoys.com/products/water-loopies/
This article should include more info including details on how to avoid the condition....
"But now I know to be mindful of how my guys interact with the water and to force them to take ample breaks."
Just because our dogs will do something over and over for an extended time does not mean they should. Retrieving in water should be fun and varied with retrieving on land to dry off or warm up. Ten minutes or until the dog is breathing heavily, which ever comes FIRST is plenty. Then you can do it again after a rest session. Dogs CAN get heat exhaustion even in the water and never put a hot, wet dog in a closed environment like a kennel or car. They can suffocate.
Thanks for taking the time to post this warning. I have a foster dog that loves to drink from the sprinkler. He's my 1st experience of this kind so now I know to restrict his sprinkler water consumption.
i have a question ~ does this also constitute dogs that get wobbly in the bath like they are "drunk" or falling asleep? not drinking water but just so relaxed. i find it happens in red dogs and blonde dogs. i kninda give them loving pats "wake up" to bring them back. can someone elaborate?
thanks
question about this...does this also apply to dogs that are being bathed and become wobbly, unstable, drunk-like? almost like they are falling asleep while bathed? i see this alot in the red dogs and blonde dogs. not drinking water just so relaxed they stagger and fall if you dont catch them? please someone elaborate on this that knows what exactly causes this.
thanks
No, what you describe is not water intoxication. It is most likely due to the bath water being too warm.
Can happen to people too...with the same symptoms
Very interesting, thanks for sharing. However, does this still apply to water fowl retrieving breeds? Where they're built for this sole function?
YES this applies to any and ALL breeds!!!
Thank you for sharing this....one of my dog loves attacking the water spraying out of the hose....I had to put hose away last week before completing my watering, because she was starting to choke and would not stop regardless....like children you have to set limits for some pets as well....she was gung-ho!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My 8 month puppy is staying overnight at the vets tonight because he injested too much lake water. He just absolutely LOVES the water! I thought I was doing him a favor by letting him swim his little puppy heart out! He looked like he wanted to swallow the entire lake! It was funny! However, when I brought him home after our swim, he went from puppy mode to almost a death look in his eyes. I think we saved him by bringing him right away to the hospital. His symptoms were as mentioned avove in this article: lethargy, nausea, vomiting foam, dilated pupils, glazed eyes. The Vet told us that his potasium levels were 3.0 and was supposed to be between 3.5-5.0. So nonetheless, my puppy Jagger is staying overnight at the clinic with them monitoring his potasium levels all night... I never thought that too much water could cause this! Be very careful pet owners and cautious when it comes to letting your dog swim! It could turn out to be life threatening! The good thing is that my puppy is now in good hands, THANK GOD!
My best friends dog died from this today. I feel horrible for her. Died at the ER.
If this info saves 1 dog...it's been worth it!...shared across facebook...thanks for the headsup
I was a lorry driver during that hot summer of 1976 or 7. I too, drank too much water over a short period of time one day and I was seriously ill. My electrolyte levels were way down and I was vomiting and dizzy yet still wanting to drink more water as the thirst was still there. Not nice at all. Little and often is the answer.
Drinking too much water is more common than drinking too little,in humans, and I imagine the consequences are exactly the same. In very hot weather, carrying an isotonic drink may be a good shout to quench thirst (tho obvs doesnt stop issue described above,ingesting water while swimming-half flat coke mixed with water is pretty close to the electrolyte balance needed . (Not for all the time obviously as we'd be surrounded by even more rotund dogs!) So glad the affected dog was ok in the end.
This happened to my friend's dog - they had a fun day at the dogpark that had a lake and she didn't notice that every time he went in the lake he was taking some sips of water.....well...she noticed, but didn't think much of it because she, like most people out there, had never even heard of such a thing happening. When she got him home she noticed he wasn't right... He ended up in the ER and almost died - thank goodness she got him there and they were able to help him and he didn't suffer any lasting consequences, but it sure was scary.
THANK YOU FOR THIS VALUABLE INFO. THOUGHT NEVER ENTERED MY MIND THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN.
My daughters Jack Russel had the same problem when we took her to the beach, she continued to gulp a lot of water while getting the ball so I decided to stop, luckily no problems arose from it but we would never take her to the beach again..
i would like to point out that humans can also do this, drinking large amounts of water has the same effects on humans. sounds strange but true.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication
Interesting to say the least. Having been involved in Water Resuce training with Newfoundland Dogs. I have never seen a case of a Newfoundland having this. I've seen hundreds of Newfies training in the water and they have never had this problem. Wonder if some dog breeds are less likely to develop this problem due to their make-up?
I will now be watchful of this, BUT I've trained Labs and other retrievers for 20 years and have never seen any of these symptoms. Perhaps they are more likely to close their mouths when diving in....? They are consistently diving into water for bumpers, ducks and such. So I think it's good to be aware and watchful, but I'm not losing sleep over it. Foxtails on land are a bigger problem. Tlc
I have to watch my border/jack all the time, after 5 minutes she has to come out and just run around on land because her stomach will start to bloat up if I am not watching. So she gets a couple throws in the water and then some on land and this keeps her fit but also does not let her ingest to much water all at once.
Was glad to read this article. I have a blue heeler/austrailian shepherd mix that will fetch a ball or frisbee until you make you him stop. He will take breaks and gulps down water when it's hot out. The other day he vomitted all of the water he drank and just lay there. I had no idea what happened to him. He eventually perked back up so I did not have to take him to a vet, but I have since only put a little bit of water down for him at a time so I could monitor that. I figured it was from drinking too fast, but maybe it is also from drinking so much. I didn't know there was a name for this. I will definitely be tweaking out playing and break time habits a bit.
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