Why is my German Shepherd always thirsty?

If your German Shepherd is always thirsty then you’re probably wondering why and what you can do about it.

This post will show you a number of reasons why your German Shepherd might get thirsty a lot and a number of things that you can do.

So, why is my German Shepherd always thirsty? Possible causes can include illness, medication, the foods that it eats, heat and being very active. If you are unsure of why your German Shepherd drinks a lot the best option would be to take it to a vet.

There are a number of possible causes of your German Shepherd drinking a lot and there are a number of things to consider.

Why your German Shepherd is always thirsty

There are a number of reasons why your German Shepherd might always be thirsty and they can come with some clues.

Below, I will mention why your German Shepherd might always be thirsty and the signs to look for.

Illness

Illnesses such as diabetes can cause dogs to need to drink more. This could be why your German Shepherd has been thirsty a lot.

This would be more likely if your German Shepherd didn’t use to drink a lot in the past but it suddenly started to be thirsty, all the time, recently.

If your German Shepherd has become a lot more thirsty all of a sudden then the best option for you would be to take it to a vet to see what they have to say.

Medication

If your German Shepherd is on medication it could be the cause of its excessive water drinking. This would, of course, be more likely if it suddenly started drinking more after having just started taking medication.

If your German Shepherd is on medication it would help to consult with your vet to see if increased thirst is an expected side effect.

Heat

Being hot is also something that can cause a German Shepherd to become more thirsty since it will need to hydrate itself more and to cool itself down.

This would be more likely to be the reason why your German Shepherd has been thirsty a lot if it became hotter when your German Shepherd started to drink more.

It’s highly active

Another possible reason why your German Shepherd might always be thirsty is that it is highly active.

If your German Shepherd is highly active then it will wear itself out more and become thirstier as a result.

The food that it is eating

Dry foods and foods that are high in sodium will tend to make your dog drink more (source). This means that it would help to avoid allowing your German Shepherd to have access to salty foods.

It would also help to make sure that the foods that you are giving your German Shepherd are appropriate. You can look at this page to see what you should and should not be feeding your German Shepherd.

If you are unsure of what food to get for your German Shepherd, consider getting dog food designed specifically for German Shepherds. You can get a GSD specific dog food on Amazon here and one for GSD puppies on Chewy here. 

Things to consider

When trying to figure out why your German Shepherd is always thirsty there are a number of things that you can consider that I will mention below.

If it has suddenly started to drink more than usual

If your German Shepherd has always been thirsty a lot then it would be more likely that it just naturally drinks a lot.

However, it could still be the case that something is wrong. If your German Shepherd has always drunk excessively, it would still help to see what a vet has to say.

If your German Shepherd didn’t always drink so much then it would make it more likely that something has changed that is causing it to become more thirsty.

It would help to consider what else changed at around the time that your German Shepherd became more thirsty when trying to figure out why.

Things that you could think about could include:

• If its diet changed
• If the weather has become hotter
• If it has been doing more exercise lately

The timing of when it tends to drink more

Another thing that you could consider is when it tends to become thirsty.

If you notice that it tends to become thirsty shortly after eating then it would be a sign that it has something to do with its diet.

Whereas, if you notice that it tends to become thirsty at midday then it would suggest that it is due to the hot weather.

What can you do about your German Shepherd drinking a lot?

Take it to a vet

If you are unsure of what is causing your German Shepherd being thirsty all the time then the best option for you would be to take it to a vet to see what they have to say after doing some tests.

Give it access to cool and shaded areas

German Shepherds have thick double coats that are designed to help it in cold environments.

If your German Shepherd lives in a hot area or it is summer, one thing that you can do to reduce how thirsty your German Shepherd becomes is to give it access to cool and shaded areas whenever possible.

Walk it when it is cooler outside

Since it tends to become hotter at around midday, one option you have would be to try and walk it early in the morning or in the evening.

By doing so you will be able to help your German Shepherd avoid being outside during the hottest hours.

Allow it to continue to have access to water

If your German Shepherd is always thirsty then it might be tempting for you to give it less water. However, this is a bad idea. It would be better to allow your German Shepherd to have access to water whenever it wants to have it otherwise you will run the risk of it becoming dehydrated.