Dog drinking lots of water and incontinent problems

We have a yellow male lab who will be two in February. About six months ago we noticed that he would drink an unusual amount of water and urinate volumes. He is very active, loves to fetch and initially I chalked-up his large intake and output volumes to hot weather and activity. We then became aware that he would, at times, dribble urine and eventually had episodes of incontinence, both when awake and asleep. The first thing our vet did was test for a urine infection, which was negative. In spite of the test results, he thought it was worth treating him with a course of antibiotics to see if it made a difference. It didn't. We have had blood work done all of which came back within normal limits. (I can't remember exactly what tests but know it included blood sugar and think it included kidney function and thyroid. I would be happy to get that info if it would be helpful.) We have done several specific gravities, comparing samples from his last pee at night with the first one in the morning. There was little difference between them and the vet said his urine was like "distilled water". We had an ultrasound done to rule out any abnormalities. It was normal. We have tried a diet change from IAMS to Pedigree. (He is not given anything thing else to eat.) Approximately two or three weeks after the diet change and lasting for approximately four to six weeks, we noticed a significant decrease in intake and incontinence needless to say we were excited! I was supposed to take urine samples for a repeat of specific gravity, but for various reasons didn't get the samples to the vet. In the meantime his water intake and incontinence have increased dramatically, to the point where I would say it is worse than ever. We have limited his activity, especially in the afternoon and evening, but have not noticed a significant, if any, difference. Other than this he seems in good health - his coat is good, good weight. I am wondering lately, however, if he seems less energetic, but if he is, it's not pronounced enough that I could say with certainty. Our vet is puzzled and not sure where to go with this. He has mentioned various tests, but says that the results aren't always clear cut and definitive. We couldn't ask for a better dog and we love him to pieces, but the sad reality is that we can't afford to pursue every avenue and I thought it worth pursuing some other opinions to see if "fresh eyes" see something that we're missing. I appreciate your time and any suggestions you may have.

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Dog yawning and shivering

My puppy Apple (5mo dachshund female) has been doing something I find strange for about a week now. I only notice it when she is getting tired and relaxing. She yawns and then her bottom jaw shakes hard and her teeth chatter loudly. It is almost as if she is really cold or scared only she should be neither. She doesn't look upset but it happens over and over until she lays her head down and falls asleep. Also, I don't know if it is related but last night when I took her out to potty late , she was yelping when I lifted her up as if something was hurting her chest area and she was doing the jaw shaking thing at the same time. I put her back to bed and she slept fine. she seemed fine this morning. Is this something you have heard of before? is it normal or is something wrong?

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Color change in dog lips and nose

When we first got our dog Bella (2yo female neutered Beagle mix from the pound), her nose was mostly pink and she had black lips. A few months later, her nose turned all black. Now a few weeks ago, we noticed that her nose and lips have started turning pink again! She seems fine - eating well and happy and nothing's changed. Her mood and temperament are fine too. What can this be?

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Dog with problems walking

When I came home from work yesterday, Sparrow(6yo female neutered mix breed), who stays in my basement with access to the crawl space under the house, was having trouble going up the stairs. She seemed sick - hot nose & depressed. She has a knot midway up her tail about the size of a quarter. Her hindquarters are slightly swollen and tender. Her behind was dirty with dust, some fecal matter, and little black dots that looked like flea eggs (she doesn't have fleas - she's on med from the vet.) It seemed she had been dragging her bottom on the ground. My gut feeling is that she may have been bitten by a spider or god forbid a snake (in my basement?!!) but I'm also worried that she's hurt her back. She can still walk - even jump on the bed - but she is not moving correctly. She is still eating and drinking. She's not any worse this morning, but no better. She's not limping, but she acts stiff - is not moving her hind legs with ease, but I don't see where they look out of whack. For example, when she goes up steps, she just goes one step at a time, very slowly and carefully when she usually bounds & skips steps. It doesn't look like she's knuckling over, and her feet and legs look normal. Another thought after babying her this morning - she has had trouble in the past with her anal glands being blocked. Usually I try to massage & expel them when I bathe her. I haven't noticed her dragging her butt, which usually happens when her glands are filled and need expelling, but is it possible this could be the problem? Or constipation?

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Dog digging carpet

My dog (5yo female neutered Blue Heeler mix) is outside during the day and inside at night. I've only had her for 6 months- I got her from a friend. During the past month, she started scratching at our carpets ruining them. She only scratches them around the walls never in middle of the floor. Why is she doing this and what can I do to get her to stop?

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Dog circling and very shy

We have noticed that our westie (7mo male neutered) circles often before he comes in the house as well as in the house. Very often he shies away from us when we want to give him affection, and is very hesitant. Is this dog mentally challenged? He's only just joined our household ie we've had him for 2 months, we got him from the pet store.

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