Increased Thirst/urine Production (not Greyhound Related)

[Guest mrs]

Hi all. My greyhound is doing fine, but if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to ask a question regarding a doxie I'm fostering.

 

He's a 3-year-old who was on pred almost 2 months ago for a slight back issue. He recovered nicely and is having no problems related to that. About a month ago he started drinking large quantities of water and urinating extremely large amounts. Sometimes he'll make a large pee and then 20 minutes later make another large pee. In the last couple of days he has started to leave puddles where he is sitting (not all the time though). So far I've done urinalysis and blood work, all of which have been normal. We just got a clean urine sample (they inserted a needle into his bladder to get a sample) and I'm awaiting the results of that. I honestly can't believe how much urine he produces....and except for his morning one it's clear and odorless.

 

Just wondering if anyone else ever had an issue like this. All of the research I have found on the internet talks about diabetes, infections, or kidney problems, but all of his workup has been normal. It's getting extremely difficult to manage the problem now that he has started leaking. At least before I could just take him out every hour or so. Besides this issue, he is doing fine. Eats well, plays, loves to go for walks, etc.

 

Thanks for reading this.

[Guest Energy11]

Pred causes an increase in drinking and peeing. When Curfew was on it, that is ALL he did! Could very well be the Pred. Hopefully, you can get him weaned off it soon.

 

I might consult your vet about this, just to be sure, too. Good Luck with the little guy!

[RobinM]

When my Beau was on high doses of pred, he would pee for literally 3-5 minutes straight and every 3 hours round the clock. it's the pred.

Edited November 15, 2009 by RobinM

[CaliforniaGreys]

Did I mis-read or was he on Pred past tense.

[RobinM]

When my Beau was on high doses of pred, he would pee for literally 3-5 minutes straight and every 3 hours round the clock. it's the pred.

 

You are right! Was on pred.

 

 

[Beckylpa]

When checking his urine did they check specific gravity? That would be a problem related to diabetes insipidus. My four year old male grey was diagnosed with diabetes insipidus due to the same symptoms along with a very low specific gravity. He pees extremely large amounts of urine that is clear. He has been on desmopressin, which helps him concentrate his urine and not drink quite as much. He also went through several months of leaking/dripping urine but that resolved itself for whatever reason.

 

Hope you can find some answers.

[Trudy]

How long ago did he come off pred?

 

We have a dog door because of how often Ryan pees, but his is med related. He can go out every 30 mins and pee a good long time each time as well. If he pees on walks, we stand there a good 2-3 minutes while he leaves his river/lake of pee.

[rycezmom]

Going thru the same thing with my 9 y/o Miss Rose right now. Have just finished 3 week regimen abx for a bladder infection and am sending another UA with micro and c & s to make sure we have cleared it up. Still leaking tho. Next comes the fasting SMAC/CBC etc. No prednisone in use here so I will haunt this thread hoping for some insight.

[Guest mrs]

Thanks for the replies. He came off pred about 2 months ago and the urinating didn't start until about a month after he was off it. He's in the process of being worked up, and I'm hoping to hear on Monday about more test results. For some reason, I can't find anything on the internet that deals with increased thirst/urination but normal blood work. Poor little guy...he's such a good dog but I can't get him adopted out until this gets under control.

[Batmom]

Increased thirst/urination but normal bloodwork and normal urinalysis (other than low specific gravity) can be "diabetes insipidus" (Google that and you'll get some hits). There isn't a good test for it; if it's suspected, you basically try the med for it and see if that helps.

 

Other things that might not show up in or might not be real obvious in bloodwork include high blood pressure or low thyroid.

 

Last thing I can think of is The Strange Case Of My Zema. If I feed her commercial food -- any kind, including prescription food -- in the late afternoon and early evening, she drinks like a fish, has to go out and pee a million times (3-4 times in the space of an hour), and leaks. If I feed her homecooked low-salt food consisting primarily of beef, she doesn't. Any port in a storm.

 

Best luck to you and your pup!

[GreyPoopon]

And then there's The Strange Case of My Piper, who has been known to have drinking/peeing issues. Nothing wrong with blood work. Nothing on the x-rays. Nothing in the urinalysis. Antibiotics help. Although...we just went through two rounds of this when our usual antibiotic didn't work, and the second did, but made her sick. She too is currently eating beef because that's the only thing she would eat while on the antibiotics, and I want to get some weight on her before I try her food again since she has also been known to get a UTI after a food change.

 

ETA: She also leaks a lot more when she's having her drinking/peeing bouts. She's slightly incontinent (spotting) anyway; she's far worse when she drinks too much.

 

I hope the urinalysis provides some answers for you and your foster.

Edited November 15, 2009 by GreyPoopon