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Dog drinks a lot of water, loss of bladder control and drink own urine

This forum is for dog lovers seeking everyday advice and suggestions on health-related issues. Remember, however, that advice on a public forum simply can't be a substitute for proper medical attention. Only your vet can say assuredly what is best for your dog.

  
Lucky

1285618		 
 
Barked: Wed Feb 13, '13 3:39am PST 
I have a 7 1/2yr old Golden Retriever (Hurricanes Katrina rescue) that for the past two (2) years has stumped 5 different Vet's and I'm desperate. The problem: our dog drinks a lot of water (we go to the dogpark and she will drink until we pull her from the bowls). she regularly looses bladder control and if lying down will urinate herself. she will urinate while stand next to me while playing! she is crate trained and i have caught her licking up her urine and confirmed if left alone this is what she does during the day. This is what we know: she has been tested several times and confirmed to have Addison disease she has been tested for diabetes - negative. She has chronic UTI's and ear infections. We have noticed her rear legs low muscle tone/mass. The rest of her blood work is normal as long as we keep the Addison in check. She is playful and enjoys our home with a second dog. I need help... Any thoughts? dog
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Mitchell- Rapp "Black- Ops"

1207085		 
 
Barked: Thu Feb 14, '13 9:04pm PST 
I would follow up on testing her for diabetes, such as a full day at the Vets drawing glucose tests all through out the day,this is called a glucose curve, one glucose test does not tell the entire picture, a glucose curve call tell soooo...much more.
I did not see if the Vets checked for cushings, there again just doing a chem panel sometimes does not show the entire picture. Did your Vet do a full endocrine panel to include T3-T4, TSH?
I would consider going to an internal specialist at this point to get some solid answers. Goldens are notorius for thyroid issues especially at her age.
If all comes back within normal limits then I would wonder if she is having some stress issues due to her tramatic background. Definately rule out everything else first.
The problem with some Vets is that they only do basic thyroid and glucose testing, get one answer and just chalk it up to a negative result. You have to dig further, insist on a full endocrine panel and a glucose curve.
I hope you get some answers soon.dog
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Member Since
10/29/2012		 
 
Barked: Sat Feb 16, '13 9:48am PST 
After reading your post, my first thought was, it probably doesn't help that your dog has chonic UTIs. Did you talk to your vet about doing anything to help manage this? I also did some research into Addison's in dogs, and found that dogs being treated for Addison's disease with glucocorticoid can sometimes have excessive drinking (polydipisia or pd) and urination (polyuria or pu) as a side-effect. If your dog is on that, I would suggest you ask your vet about using less medication, or using a different medication to manage the Addison's disease. Here is a quote from one article where I found this information:

"The most common adverse effect of therapy is PU/PD which is usually due to excessive glucocorticoid supplementation or the intrinsic glucocorticoid activity of fludrocortisone. In dogs with PU/PD the glucocorticoid dose should first be tapered or discontinued. If the problem persists, consideration should be given to switching to an alternative mineralocorticoid treatment (20)."
http://www.vetgrad.com/show10MinuteTopUp.php?type=&Entity=10 MinuteTopUps&ID=52

Edited by author Sat Feb 16, '13 9:49am PST

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Lucky

1285618		 
 
Barked: Tue Feb 19, '13 4:03am PST 
Thank you for the responses... I will follow up with my Vet and start looking for an internal medicine specialist.
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Member Since
02/25/2013		 
 
Barked: Mon Feb 25, '13 1:31pm PST 
If thyroid and all other panels are normal, you may consider Diabetes Insipidus, the third type of Diabetes (water diabetes). There are two types of DI and DI involves not making anti-diuretic hormone and the kidney's not concentrating the urine. Excessive drinking and urinating are symptoms. Treatment for both is the same, Desmopressin. If you vet does consider this diagnosis, don't let him do a water deprivation test - it is cruel and un-necessary. A simple test taking the oral form of Desmopressin will tell you. Then you can look into the other forms of Desmopressin as the tablet is expensive and not that effective.

Hopefully your other tests will turn up an answer and this post will be unneeded. Good Luck -
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Member Since
02/28/2013		 
 
Barked: Thu Feb 28, '13 3:07pm PST 
My dog (Belgian Malinois) is having some of the same symptoms, but everything started just a couple of months ago. She is drinking three times as much as she used to, and will also urinate herself when she is lying down. She had never done that before and she is 10 years old. We have also notice that her rear legs have lost a lot of muscle, but an additional symptom is that she is losing, quite rapidly, her eye sight. All test results came back normal. The vet just wants to give us medication to control her bladder. We'll keep testing her. Hope your dog gets better soon!
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Lucky

1285618		 
 
Barked: Sat Mar 2, '13 3:59am PST 
Update on Lucky; Thyroid panels are normal, or Vet has left the possibility for Diabetes Insipidus for last. He agrees this may be a hormonal problem or psychological. We went as suggested above to test 5 days treatment with Desmopressin. Results, improved urination but not completely. She still goes to the bathroom in the house but no longer tends to wet herself. 5 days after no changes she still is going crazy for water. Our Vet wants to try a water deprivation test but as stated below I think this is cruel. I am seeking a good internal medicine Vet in Miami, Fl.... Any recommendations welcomed (Vetenarian #6).
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