Owner concerned about dog’s obsession with water

Dear Cathy: We have a 4-year-old male mini-golden doodle who is obsessed with drinking water. He will drink from flowerpots, puddles, and a dripping garden hose reel. He reaches for the water dispenser, puts his nose in the sink, flies upstairs to the bathroom when he hears bathwater running, heads straight to the water dish at the dog park, and so on.

When we first got him we had him tested for diabetes, among other things. He passed all the tests. At this point we don’t know what we can do. I’m tired of petting a wet face. — Bob, Bayshore, New York

Dear Bob: Usually a dog who drinks that much water has a health problem. There are several underlying conditions besides diabetes that your veterinarian may need to consider.

Having said that, psychogenic polydipsia is a term used to describe excessive water drinking not related to illness or psychosis. It is considered a behavioral condition with a physical manifestation of excessive thirst. From what little I know about it, water-loving breeds, and sometimes bored puppies, drink a lot of water consistently. Have your veterinarian examine him again, but do not restrict his drinking unless under the instruction of a veterinarian.

Dear Cathy: We have two 5-year-old cats, Bailey and Jasmine. They are sisters, not declawed, and are inside cats (except for being out on a our screened-in patio). A few months ago, Bailey started attacking Jasmine. We finally figured out the cause. When Bailey sees another cat outside, she rushes from the patio into the house and attacks Jasmine. Jasmine hasn’t done anything to Bailey and can’t understand why Bailey is doing this to her.

We purchased pheromones, but so far, we haven’t seen that they are helping. How do we stop this behavior? — Maris, Coconut Creek, Florida

Dear Maris: This is a classic case of redirected aggression. Bailey gets upset when she sees another cat. Because she can’t get to that cat, Bailey takes it out on

Jasmine. The outside animals are the trigger.

Switch to pheromone collars for both of them, then look for ways to block Bailey’s view of cats in your yard. You might have to block her view with blinds or limit her access to the patio when you know other animals are in sight. You also can look for ways to discourage cats from coming into your yard, such as installing a motion-detection sprinkler.