Last updated on October 15th, 2021 at 01:59 am
Poodles come in three main varieties: Standard, Miniature, and Toy sizes. Compared to other dogs, poodles have a medium energy level range. The size of your poodle and its activity level are the two important factors that affect how much water your poodle needs.
As a responsible poodle parent, you might be wondering, how much water does your poodle need? Is your poodle drinking enough water? Is your poodle drinking too much water? How do you make sure that your poodle drinks enough water?
If your poodle drinks too much water than necessary, then your poodle will need to take too many bathroom breaks. This can be an inconvenience to you, especially if you have to take your poodle out for their bathroom breaks.
Your poodle may be drinking more water than usual due to the following factors:
- Change in its food (e.g. from wet food to dry food)
- Change in the weather (your poodle will drink more on hot summer days)
- Change in your poodle activity level (more exercise)
- An underlying medical condition such as diabetes (You might want to talk to your vet)
On the other hand, if your poodle is drinking too little water, then your poodle is at risk of dehydration, and the problems that come with dehydration.
Your poodle may be drinking less water than usual due to the following factors:
- Change in its food (e.g. from dry food to wet food)
- Change in its water source
- Change in the weather
- Change in your poodle`s activity level
- Your poodle is growing old
- Limited access to water
- Underlying health conditions (You might want to talk to your vet).
In this article, I will tell you how to estimate how much water your poodle (toy, miniature, standard) needs, based on your poodle`s weight, and activity level. I will give you tips to ensure that your poodle gets the right amount of water it needs if your poodle is drinking too much or too little water.
I have also included a calculator that you can use to determine the daily water needs of your poodle based on your poodle`s body weight and activity level. This poodle water calculator is based on the formula for calculating a dog`s water needs that the vet doctors at PetMD.com recommended.
Why Drinking Water Is Important to Your Poodle
Water is essential for the efficient metabolic process of your poodle. In fact, 70% of your poodle`s weight is water. If your poodle does not drink sufficient water daily, she will become dehydrated and weak. If this dehydration persists, more serious illnesses may follow.
However, if your poodle drinks too much water, she can also have some issues, including staggering, loss of coordination, dilated pupils, too frequent urination, and over salivation.
The bottom line is that your poodle needs to drink the right amount of water that is suitable for its age, size, and activity level.
How Much Water Your Poodle Should Drink in a Day (Toy, Standard Miniature)
The amount of water your poodle should drink in millimeters should be 50 times your poodle`s weight in kg.
To calculate how much water your poodle needs, first, you need to know how much your poodle weighs.
To recap poodle sizes, the average adult standard poodle stands about 24 to 27 inches tall and weighs between 40 to 70 pounds. The average adult miniature poodle stands at about 15 inches tall and weighs between 12 and 20 pounds. The average adult toy poodle stands at about 10 inches tall and weighs between 5 and 12 pounds.
Below are the steps you need to calculate the water needs of your poodle.
First, Measure the poodle`s weight in pounds, then convert this weight to kilograms. A pound is 0.45 kilogram.
Next, multiply your poodle`s weight in kilograms by 50. The result will be the volume of water your poodle should be drinking, in milliliters. You can then convert this value in milliliters to cups of water. 236.588 milliliters = 1 cup = 8 fluid ounces.
If you do not want to bother yourself with calculations, we have made a calculator to help you in calculating the water needs of your poodle. Simply enter the weight of your poodle in pounds and select its activity level, and our calculator will tell you how many cups of water our poodle needs daily.
This calculator is based on the recommendation by the vets at PedMD.com. In our calculator, a high-activity level poodle needs one and a half as much water as a medium-activity level poodle each day. A low-activity level poodle needs half the water a high activity-activity level poodle needs.
A healthy adult poodle is typically a medium-activity level dog. However, if your poodle is more laid-back than usual (due to age or other factors), then it is a low-activity level dog. If your poodle is usually hyper, then it is a high-activity level dog.
Poodle Water Calculator
1 cup = 8 fluid ounces = 236.588 milliliters
This calculator provides you general guidance on the daily water needs of your poodle. Of course, the amount of weather that your poodle needs will depend on other factors such as the weather, and the type of food your poodle eats.
How Much Water a Toy Poodle Should Drink
An adult toy poodle should drink 1 cup to 1.44 cups of water every day. Adult toy poodles weigh about 10 pounds, and 1 cup to 1.4 cups of water a day is the amount of water recommended for a 10-pound dog of low/medium activity level. Use our poodle water calculator to calculate the amount of water your toy poodle needs for your toy poodle`s exact weight and activity level.
How Much Water a Standard Poodle Should Drink
An adult standard poodle needs 5 to 8 cups of water a day. This is the amount of water that an adult standard poodle that weighs 55 pounds and of low/medium activity level needs daily. Your standard poodle may need more or less water than this depending on your standard poodle`s activity level and your standard poodle`s environmental temperature. Use our poodle water calculator to calculate the amount of water your standard poodle needs for your standard poodle`s exact weight and activity level.
How Much Water a Miniature Poodle Should Drink
Adult miniature poodles should drink 1.4 to 2 cups of water a day. This is the water need of an adult miniature poodle that weighs 15 pounds of low to medium activity level. Use our poodle water calculator to calculate the amount of water your miniature poodle needs for your miniature poodle`s exact weight and activity level.
Do Poodles Drink a Lot of Water?
The amount of water a poodle drink is proportional to a poodle`s body weight and activity level. Large-sized poodles drink a lot of water compared to small-sized poodles. Poodles that are not very active drink a lot less water than poodles that are very active. Also, poodles drink a lot of water in the hot summer months than in the cold winter months. To find how much water your poodle should be drinking, use our poodle water calculator.
How to Tell if Your Poodle is Drinking Too Much, Too Little or Enough Water
A simple way to check if your poodle is drinking too much, too little or enough water is to measure a large volume of water (many cups). Then, put this water in your poodle`s bowl at the start of the day so that your poodle can drink water without limit. Then, at the end of the day, measure the amount of water left in your poodle`s water bowl.
Subtract the amount of water left in the bowl in the evening from the initial amount of water that you put in the bowl in the morning. This will give you how much water your poodle has drank.
Check to see if how the amount of water your poodle has drunk compares with how much water your poodle should be drinking for its size and its activity level.
This will tell you if your poodle is drinking too much, too little, or just enough water.
Benefits of Water to Your Poodle
As you know, water is important for all life forms in general. Here are the additional reasons why drinking enough water is good for your poodle:
- Improved hydration level and health: Water is very essential for your poodle. Your poodle can go a few days without food; however, if she is water-starved even for a day, serious health consequences may result.
- Digestion: Water is an important factor for your poodle`s digestive tracts. If she eats and does not drink enough water, she may suffer constipation, blocked tract, kidney stone, and more.
- Better body metabolism: Your poodle needs to be sufficiently hydrated for excellent body metabolism. If she is not, she will become weak.
- Help with Exercise: Water helps with your poodle`s exercise because, during an exercise, your poodle`s activity level will be very high. Your poodle will need more than the usual amount of water to keep up. It would help if you always carried a water bottle and perhaps a clean bowl whenever you take your poodle for a long walk.
Water Needs of your Poodle based on its Activity Level
Low-activity Level Poodles
If your poodle is a low activity dog, she is a couch potato dog. A couch potato dog prefers to cuddle, stay indoors, sleep all day, does not play much, and likes to lay on the couch. Such a dog does not need much water. Being laid-back is not unusual for poodles because there are times when your poodle will simply prefer to take it slow.
However, low activity levels may also be due to age.
Irrespective of the cause of your poodle`s low activity, her water needs when living a life of low activity will be less compared to when she is very active and in high spirits.
Medium-activity Level Poodles
A medium-activity level dog is not as laid back as a low-activity dog; yet, she is not as fierce and playful as a high activity dog.
If your poodle is of medium-activity level, she will spend quite some time sleeping; however, she will always be ready to play. She, however, may not like to spend a lot of time outside the house. Medium-activity level poodles require one and a half as much water as low-activity level dogs.
High-activity Level Poodles
High-activity level poodles are a handful. They can become a nightmare if your activity level does not match theirs. A high activity poodle is always ready to play, jump, run, fetch. High-activity level poodles have a lot of stamina. If your poodle is of high activity, her water needs will be high. High-activity level poodles require two times the water needs of low-activity level poodles.
Is Your Poodle Thirsty? This is how to Tell
You can tell if your poodle is thirsty by checking for this symptoms of thirst in your poodle. These are:
- Dry nose
- Tacky gums
- Thick saliva
- Loss of appetite. Your poodle may refuse to each if she is thirsty.
If your poodle shows any of these symptoms, then give your poodle water because she may be thirsty.
How To Tell if Your Poodle is Dehydrated
If your poodle is thirsty all the time, and you do not give your poodle water, she may become dehydrated. Dehydration in poodles can have mild to severe consequences. Always be on the watch to prevent the accidental dehydration of your poodle.
Here are ways to know if your poodle is dehydrated:
- Check her gum: Press on her gum and release it; if it quickly becomes pink back, she is not dehydrated. If it remains white, she may be dehydrated.
- Watch the Water Bowl: A good test for how much your dog has drunk is the water bowl. Always put enough water in your poodle`s water bowl. If the water bowl is always full, for some reason, then your poodle is not drinking enough water, and she may become dehydrated.
- Weakness and low activity: A poodle should generally be active—especially when she is young; however, an underlying illness may make her drink lesser amounts of water. In turn, she will become weak and have low activity levels.
- Dry mouth: If your poodle`s mouth is dry or if she salivates less, then she may be dehydrated and need water.
- Loss of skin elasticity: You can check your poodle`s hydration level by pinching her skin. If her skin goes flat right away, that`s a sign that your poodle is properly hydrated. However, if it takes several seconds for your poodle`s skin to go flat, that could be a sign that your poodle is dehydrated.
Why Your Poodle is not Drinking Enough Water
Many factors can reduce your poodle`s desire for water. These factors include:
- Change of water source: If you change your poodle`s water source, your poodle might not like the new water, and will drink less water as a result.
- Change in meal type: If you feed your poodle kibbles, she will drink a lot of water; however, if you switch her meal to wet or canned food, you may notice that her water intake reduces. This is expected since the new wet food already contains water.
- Age: As your poodle grows older, she will become less active—and more mature, and in turn, her metabolic process will reduce, and she will drink less water.
- Underlying disease: If your poodle does not drink enough water, it may be a sign that she is sick. Observe her. If she shows other signs of being sick, you may have to take her to a vet doctor.
- Oral infection: Oral infection can cause your poodle to stop drinking water or eating. A common oral infection in poodles is gum infection. Tooth decay, gum decay, and broken tooth are other reasons your poodle may not drink enough water. Check to see if your poodle has terrible breath. If she does, she may have a mouth infection, and you need to get her to a veterinary doctor.
- Dirty water bowl: Clean water bowl may entice your poodle to drink more water. Do not leave your dog`s water bowl for weeks without washing it
- Location of Water Bowl: Some dogs prefer drinking at certain spots. Find such an area, and place your poodle`s water bowl there.
- Low activity Level: Your poodle is naturally an active dog. However, if you notice a considerable low activity level alongside her reduced water consumption, then she may be thoroughly sick, and you may need to get her to the vet. It`s great always to connect with your dog; that is, understand their body language. When your poodle is sick, she may play less, eat less, drink less, vomit more, and if you notice a difference in her sounds, take her to a veterinary doctor for an evaluation.
- Injury: If your poodle gets physically injured, she may lose her appetite for food and her desire for water. Is she limping? Perhaps, she has a sprained leg. Check her for body injuries on your poodle that could give you insight into why your poodle is not drinking water.
How to Ensure that your Poodle Drinks Enough Water
First, determine the reason or reasons she may not be drinking enough water. If you suspect an underlying medical issue, take her to a veterinary surgeon for a check-up. While she is being treated, you can entice her to drink more by adding sweeteners to her water bowl or mix her food with a little water.
If your poodle is a never-sit-in-one-place kind of dog, put water bowls in some of her favorite spots in the house. If she sees her water bowl more often, she will drink more often.
Here are other things you can do to make sure that your poodle drinks enough water
- Invest in a good water bowl (see our recommendations for poodle water bowls below)
- Use a water fountain to make sure that your poodle gets fresh water at all times. A water fountain will encourage and entice your poodle to drink water. Your poodle may be unwilling to drink water if the water has been standing around in her bowl for a long time. See our recommendation for good water fountains below.
- Clean her water bowl regularly. Dirty water bowls discourage poodles from drinking water
- Place her water bowl in a cool place
- Reward her with praises and treats when she drinks water
- Place bone broth or chicken broth in her water bowl.
- Give her cubes of ice. She may love to play around and chew ice cubes—and of course, ice will turn into water in her mouth.
- If your poodle is still not drinking enough water, talk to your poodle`s vet.
Best Water Bowls for Poodles
A good way to ensure that your poodle gets adequate water is to make sure they have good water bowls. A good water bowl setup will help you in providing your poodle the water it needs on a regular basis.
The factors that you should consider before choosing a water bowl for your poodle include:
- bowl size,
- ease of bowl rewash,
- spill prevention
- durability
You should also consider a raised stand to place your poodle`s water bowl. A good stand raised water bowl assembly is the PetZone adjustable dog bowl.
Below are two dog bowls that are perfect for your poodle.
Water Bowls for Standard Poodles
The cost of a water bowl is one of the cost associated with owing a standard poodle. Here is a a recommended water bowl for your standard poodle:
PEGGY11 No Spill Non-Skid Stainless Steel Deep
The recommended water bowl for standard poodle is the PEGGY11 No Spill Non-Skid Stainless Steel Deep Dog Bowls 66 Oz. This bowl has the following features:
- Non-slip stainless-steel
- Can hold up to 16 cups of water
- Can be used for water and food
- Dishwasher-safe
Water Bowls for Miniature and Toy Poodles
AsFrost Stainless Steel Dog Food and Water Bowl
AsFrost stainless steel bowl is a rust and corrosion-resistant, no-skid, no-spill, and easy-to-wash bowl. It`s great for your miniature and toy poodles due to its small size and extensive features:
- Stainless steel is rust-resistant and dishwasher friendly.
- The silicone base ensures that water is not spilled.
- Silicone base is dishwasher friendly.
- No skid
- The base is easily detachable from bowls, making it easy-to-carry.
- The bowl is available in twos. So, you can use one bowl for water and one bowl for food!
UPSKY Stainless Steel Silicone Base Dog Bowl
UPSKY Stainless Steel Dog Bowl is another dog bowl for small to medium-sized dogs like the mini poodles and the toy poodles. The key features of this bowl are:
- Rust-resistant stainless steel.
- The silicone base holds the stainless steel bowl firm and prevents it from skidding.
- Dishwasher friendly materials.
Best Water Fountains for Poodles
Water fountains are good for poodles because fountain keeps your dog`s water fresh and clean. If your poodle knows that her water is fresh, she won`t be reluctant to drink water whenever she is thirsty. This will ensure that your poodle gets enough water.
Water fountains are also great for dog parents because you can leave the water in the fountain for more than a day, and the water will be recycled, fresh, debris and dirt-free, and cool.
Here are the best water fountains for poodles
Water Fountains for Standard, Miniature, and Toy Poodles
PetSafe Drink Well Cat and Dog Water Fountain
Petsafe Drink Well Cat and Dog Water Fountain is a water fountain that I recommend that you get for your standard, mini poodle or toy poodle. This fountain comes in different sizes:
- 1/2 gallon size (recommended size for for toy poodles)
- 1 gallon size (recommended size for for mini poodles)
- 2 gallon size (recommended size for for standard poodles)
The key features of this water fountain are:
- Detachable and replaceable carbon filter excellent for removing dirt, debris from the water.
- Easy to clean and easy to use.
- The water flow will encourage your poodle to drink adequate water.
- Adjustable water flow: You can adjust the water flow. If your poodle is drinking too much water, you can reduce the flow and increase the flow if not drinking enough.
NautyPaws Cat and Dog Water Fountain
NautyPaws Cat and Dog Water fountain is another excellent water fountain for you poodle. From having 3 carbon filters for more efficient water cleaning and recycling to having a 2.5L water capacity that can last you for 2 weeks, this water fountain is a good choice. The key features of this water fountain are:
- Large 2.5L Water Capacity: NautyPaws water fountain has an impressive 2.5L water capacity capable of providing your poodle clean, refreshing, healthy, and recycled water for more than 2 weeks.
- Low energy consumption: The cat and dog water fountain has a 2 Watt energy consumption—which is low and saves on running costs.
- LED light and display: The water fountain has an LED light that allows easy display of the water level in the water-level window.
- Three carbon filters for cleaner, fresher, and healthier water: The three carbon filters give your poodle water cleaner than most other water fountains can provide. With the filters, the filtration system of the fountain has high efficiency.
- Easy to clean material: The fountain`s base material is food-grade stainless steel. Food grade stainless steel is easy to clean, odorless, and dishwasher friendly. The stainless steel is easily released from the BPA plastic host.
- 360-degree stream from four water flows: The fountain has a 360-degree water flow. With four different water flows evenly spread around the fountain, more than one pet can conveniently drink from the fountain.
Scheduled Water Drinking or Free Drinking?
Are you wondering if you should always leave water in your poodle`s bowl all the time so that your poodle can drink freely? Or should you give your poodle water at scheduled times? Well, it depends. If your poodle drinks too much water, you have to regulate her water consumption; however, if she takes too little, you must encourage her to drink more by putting water bowls in her favorite places in the house. My poodle drinks freely.
What If Your Poodle is Drinking Too Much Water?
Interestingly, some of the underlying medical conditions that may make your poodle not drink enough water can cause her to drink so much, drying up her water bowl and still yearning for more.
Excessive and unexplainable thirst in your dog is called Polydipsia. Ordinarily, when your dog drinks too much water for a day or two, there may be nothing to be worried about.. However, if this condition persists, you should see a veterinarian.
Final Thoughts
As with all life forms, water is a basic need of poodles. As a responsible poodle parent, you should keep an eye on your poodle`s water intake to make sure your poodle is getting the right amount of water that your poodle needs. To encourage your poodle to drink water, make sure that your poodle`s water bowls are always clean. Also, make sure that your poodle has access to clean water all the time. A good way to to ensure your poodle has clean water available to it is to invest in water fountains. If you think your poodle is drinking an unusual amount of water, do not hesitate to speak with a pet vet.
