Drinking by dogs during and after running.

Abstract

1. Drinking by dogs has been studied during and after running on a treadmill, and compared with the drinking produced by NaCl given by stomach tube or intravenously. 2. When water was offered with a delay of more than 5 min after the end of a run producing loss of 30-90 g water by panting, the drinking was similar to that produced by NaCl, assuming that loss of 100 g water produces the same increase in plasma sodium as 15 m-mole NaCl. It is thus possible to explain drinking with a delay after the run as due to loss of water. 3. When water was offered immediately after a run or during pauses in the running there was drinking which cannot be explained as due to loss of water. Although the immediate stimulus to drinking is small, it may cause repeated small drinks by which the evaporative loss of water during running is matched by water intake. 4. Water (10-20 ml./kg body wt.) given by stomach tube before the run reduced or abolished drinking during running. Doses of water sufficient to stop drinking did not cause an increase in urine volume. 5. From these results a figure is produced placing in order mechanisms which may contribute to the control of water balance.