Elderly dog - excessive drinking

[Lotobear]

Our 14 year old Lakeland Terrier bh has recently started to drink excessively and is peeing everywhere over night (fortunately we keep her in the utility area where sheet vinyl is fitted). It's getting to the stage where the room looks like there's been a flood in the morning and it's quite extraordinary how much pee she's producing for such a small dog.

We had here to the vet a few weeks ago and they took bloods and found no evidence of diabetes or kidney disfunction but I can't imagine how this is possibly normal and just part of her being old. They reckon she could have a bit of doggie dementia though and may simply be forgetting she has already had a drink. She's a good eater and still loves her food, likes walks still and worrying hedgehogs

It was suggested to us to buy a drinking fountain as they thought this might cause her to take just what she needs but it's actually caused her to drink even more so we've taken it back off her and reinstated the bowl.

She still has quality of life though she's slowed down a bit and tends to lie around during the day.

Any suggestions on what to consider/do - I really can't believe there's not an underlying issue but the vet says all is normal function wise?

[jmsgld]

Book an appointment with your vet.
Collect a urine sample on the day of the appointment (preferably the first one of the morning).

It is fairly straight forward to work up an elderly dog drinking more and passing urine over night.

[Lotobear]

We have already had a very recent consultation with our vet due to our concerns over the excessive urination - she took bloods and then declared that the dog is 'normal' but offered no obvious explanation for the excessive drinking and urination (I was until then convinced she had diabetes, but no)

She suggested it may be due to her having some dementia and simply forgetting that she had already had a drink.

Hence throwing it out on here to see if there are any other suggestions or folk who've had similar experiences.

[jmsgld]

It really doesn't sound like nothing, there are vastly more reasons for increased drinking and urination than diabetes mellitus and kidney disease.

Next step would be a urine sample, preferably the 1st one in the morning. It may just be a simple UTI, but also could be various other endocrine diseases etc.

House trained dogs really do not like to urinate in the house and can find it quite distressing. From your description it sounds likely a medical issue rather than just cognitive dysfunction. I'm afraid that the best thing for her is another trip to the vet.

[Lotobear]

jmsgld said:

It really doesn't sound like nothing, there are vastly more reasons for increased drinking and urination than diabetes mellitus and kidney disease.

Next step would be a urine sample, preferably the 1st one in the morning. It may just be a simple UTI, but also could be various other endocrine diseases etc.

House trained dogs really do not like to urinate in the house and can find it quite distressing. From your description it sounds likely a medical issue rather than just cognitive dysfunction. I'm afraid that the best thing for her is another trip to the vet.

Excellent, thanks for that - we'll make another appointment.

[rxe]

Our 11 year old German Shepherd started drinking copious quantities about a year ago. No diabetes, confirmed by sampling. We noticed a mass on her chest that was not right, and at about the same time, she started weeing in the house. The vet confirmed that the mass was not right, and an op was booked. We tried taking her out late at night to wee, which she did, but she still was somewhat incontinent by morning.

Op was done (triple mastectomy), and the weeing stopped - even when she was recovering, she returned to her usual cast iron bladder.

6 months on, we’ve just had a full blood work up to look for _everything_, nothing was found. She still drinks copious amounts, but remains continent.

IMO check for something else going on - the mass was nowhere near her bladder really, but it may have been pressing on nerves that did stuff in the nether regions.

[Lotobear]

Thanks RXE that an interesting thought and sounds very, very similar to what we've been experiencing. Vet appointment and will ask for a scan

[redback911]

Timely thread, we have a 14.5 year old lab that started becoming incontinent. She cannot go more than 2 hours without a wee if she had water, and needs to wee almost immediately after she eats. I am making a vets appointment for a checkup.

[jmsgld]

Any updates?

[Lotobear]

jmsgld said:

Any updates?

Thanks for your interest - we've just collected a wee catcher and bottle from the vet for the urine test. Just need to catch the little bugger in the act now!

She's fine, still eating well and taking reasonable interest in stuff that terriers do but has started wetting her bed at night now. The urine is very smelly, even when fresh if that indicates anything?

Will update further once the test is back

[BoggoStump]

Very slow going.. for a simple urine sample and test

[Lotobear]

Good news - it's a UTI and no bad 'markers' detected. We got a senior vet this time who seemed to be much more experienced.

Wife is going down to pick up anti biotics and anti inflammatories - I'm relieved as I was becoming convinced she had some sort of terminal condition. Our friend's Lakeland has just died at 17 so maybe she has a fews years left yet!

..will update on how she responds.

[Fermit]

We have similar with one of ours, a 17 year old cross of god knows what. We think he has Doggy Dementia too. He'll be let out, let back in, then two minutes later he's wanting to be let back out, forgetting he's been out. Peeing in the house most days too, younger he was always house clean.

All we've been able to do is ensure he's let out hourly, and take the water up after 8.

[Lotobear]

A fantastic response to the anti biotics - we noticed her picking up within 6 hours of her first dose yesterday

And a dry night last night - the first time in months!

The poor old girl must have been suffering for ages, it's just like having our old dog back now!

[anonymous-user]

Had similar with our gsd/collie who is nearly 15. He has liver cancer so we’re assuming the worst. Was a uti as yours had. Cleared up almost instantly with medication.

Incidentally we firstly had purchased a dog nappy off Amazon , didn’t realise there was such a thing! Very helpful if folks dogs have incontinence issues. Just looks like a wide fabric belt/wrap round the dog.

[BoggoStump]

Months ffs, least shes getting better now.

[rustyuk]

We had this with our Boxer, turned out to be cushions disease which can be misdiagnosed when the dogs are old.

[garythesign]

Lotobear said:

Thanks RXE that an interesting thought and sounds very, very similar to what we've been experiencing. Vet appointment and will ask for a scan

Any update Daniel

[redback911]

garythesign said:

Lotobear said:

Thanks RXE that an interesting thought and sounds very, very similar to what we've been experiencing. Vet appointment and will ask for a scan

Any update Daniel

Aha, yes. We took a urine sample and the vet did a few tests, checking for kidney problems and/or blood. They thought it might be a UTI so she started a course of antibiotics too. The labs have been eating apples constantly in the garden, so I've tried to manage that better too.

So far, so good. No indoor puddles. :-)

[Lotobear]

Bugger, it's returned.

We noticed the odd puddle after she finished the course of antibiotics but thought they were just old dog 'accidents'

However she's now leaking everywhere so clearly the infection is back.

Back to the vets it is.