These studies were undertaken to determine the effect of chronic chloride depletion metabolic alkalosis (Cl-DEP-MALK) on water intake, plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP) levels, and renal concentrating ability. Cl-DEP-MALK was induced by feeding a chloride-free diet to rats subjected to gastric drainage and to dogs treated with furosemide. All of the animals developed a urine concentrating defect, polydipsia, and a persistent reduction in plasma osmolality. However, AVP release was not suppressed. The results of osmotic loading experiments in dogs analyzed using either linear or log-linear models have shown that chronic Cl-DEP-MALK significantly alters the relation between plasma osmolality and plasma AVP. In the classic linear analysis the results suggest that Cl-DEP-MALK reduces the plasma osmolality at which plasma AVP can be detected, i.e., reduced "threshold," and increases the slope of the plasma osmolality-to-plasma AVP relation nearly twofold, i.e., increased "sensitivity." Finally, we provide evidence that the concentrating defect is not related to high water turnover or deficient endogenous AVP and is therefore nephrogenic.