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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