Addies-mom
04-26-2008, 05:48 PM
Hi all, I'm new and this is my first post. I have a senior shep-mix named Addie (coincidentally, thats the name of today's Dog of the Day!)
I've had her since she was a tiny puppy, and she's now 13. She's been healthy her whole life and until recently, there have been no signs of anything other than laziness. She has no stiffness or soreness, just a tiny limp on her front paw that started this past week. Her eyes, teeth, ears look like a dog much younger than she is. Her senior lab work came back in perfect order. Only a few elevations, but the vet assured me it was nothing to worry about.
What's worrying me is that she's been drinking a LOT of water and asking to go potty a hundred times a day. My husband and I refill her bowl 6-8 times a day, whereas we used to do it twice a day, perhaps a third time in the full-heat of summer. She's started to have potty accidents inside the house at least once a day, when she never had an accident in the past 13 years! The accidents started in the past few weeks too. If we try to limit her intake at night (so to avoid a late night accident) she drinks from the toilet or tries to lap up shower droplets in the tub. Or whines for hours on end until someone relents and gives her free access to water. She sits next to her bowl all afternoon whining if the water is gone. Of course we refill it as soon as we notice its empty again.
My mom came to visit a month ago and said she was looking great. My mom came to visit again this morning and told me that Addie's looking really old all of the sudden. mom said this without me mentioning my worries.
I have a call into my vet, but she's in the Carribean for another week. I could see another vet in the same office but my vet knows my dog and has known her forever.
I'm worried its kidney disease. I was relieved when her labs came back in good order. I spoke to a coworker who shows dogs and she said it sounds like early renal failure; even though her blood work came back good that the only true way of diagnosing some types of kidney disease is by biopsy.
My poor Addie..... anyone have any ideas?
I've had her since she was a tiny puppy, and she's now 13. She's been healthy her whole life and until recently, there have been no signs of anything other than laziness. She has no stiffness or soreness, just a tiny limp on her front paw that started this past week. Her eyes, teeth, ears look like a dog much younger than she is. Her senior lab work came back in perfect order. Only a few elevations, but the vet assured me it was nothing to worry about.
What's worrying me is that she's been drinking a LOT of water and asking to go potty a hundred times a day. My husband and I refill her bowl 6-8 times a day, whereas we used to do it twice a day, perhaps a third time in the full-heat of summer. She's started to have potty accidents inside the house at least once a day, when she never had an accident in the past 13 years! The accidents started in the past few weeks too. If we try to limit her intake at night (so to avoid a late night accident) she drinks from the toilet or tries to lap up shower droplets in the tub. Or whines for hours on end until someone relents and gives her free access to water. She sits next to her bowl all afternoon whining if the water is gone. Of course we refill it as soon as we notice its empty again.
My mom came to visit a month ago and said she was looking great. My mom came to visit again this morning and told me that Addie's looking really old all of the sudden. mom said this without me mentioning my worries.
I have a call into my vet, but she's in the Carribean for another week. I could see another vet in the same office but my vet knows my dog and has known her forever.
I'm worried its kidney disease. I was relieved when her labs came back in good order. I spoke to a coworker who shows dogs and she said it sounds like early renal failure; even though her blood work came back good that the only true way of diagnosing some types of kidney disease is by biopsy.
My poor Addie..... anyone have any ideas?