Why is my senior Westie drinking excessive water and has bad breath?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I recommend giving Shilo free access to water as she may have something going on internally that requires water. I recommend taking her to a vet for blood work to rule out diabetes, Cushings, or kidney disease. These are all illnesses that cause increased thirst and she may need treatment. Good luck and kisses to Shilo!

This sounds very frustrating both for you and Missy! I'm glad to hear that you have already taken her to the vet to rule out some of the more common causes of excessive drinking and urination. Age isn't a disease and drinking excessively is not normal at any age. If she has not yet had a urinalysis performed, this could rule out a urinary tract infection and also provide additional information regarding kidney function. In some cases, dogs can experience psychogenic increases in their drinking which do not have a direct medical cause. However, these cases are not terribly common and all other conditions causing excessive drinking must be ruled out to reach this diagnosis. At this point, I would discuss a urinalysis and abdominal ultrasound (looking for changes in the adrenal gland, liver and kidneys in particular) with Missy's vet.

I would have Molly seen by a vet as soon as possible. It sounds like she has a few things going on at the moment that need to be diagnosed and treated medically . The problems using her back legs could be due to arthritis, or problems with her hips, spine, and/or joints. Drinking a lot more and peeing a lot more can be due to diabetes or kidney disease. That would also cause weight loss. The bad breath could be caused by diabetes and dental disease. Finally, peeing her in sleep could be caused by incontinence. She needs a physical exam, geriatric blood panel, and urinalysis to diagnose what is causing all of her symptoms. Once a cause is found, the vet can discuss treatment options with you.

Hi there. There are quite a few different things that can cause increased water intake in middle-aged and older dogs, including diabetes, Cushing's disease, or chronic kidney disease. I would recommend taking Hailey to the vet for an exam when you are able to. He/she can do blood work and a urinalysis to help diagnose the problem and get her started on appropriate treatment depending on what is found.

You might want to check back in with your vet and see if there are any other tests they would recommend. Increased urination and thirst (polyuria/polydipsia) can be caused by a number of diseases, and if screening lab work looks normal some of the other tests to consider include a urinalysis, test for leptospirosis, test for Cushing's disease, abdominal ultrasound, or even a modified water deprivation test or medication trial for central diabetes insipidus. If your veterinarian is not receptive to running more tests you may want to ask about referral to an internal medicine specialist.

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am glad that Winter seems to be acting fine. If she isn't very active she may not need much water. If she is playing or the weather is hot she will drink more. I would try different water bowls, fresh water dog fountain, adding water gradually to her dry food to a level she will tolerate, try adding ice cubes to her water or try adding low sodium chicken broth to her water. Most animals that are eating and not losing fluid from vomit and diarrhea are probably hydrated and are okay. Causes of bad breath are: dental disease, diet (gas), foreign body in the mouth, matted fur around the mouth, skin infection around the mouth or kidney disease. I wish you the best!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Excessive water intake can be seen with conditions such as urinary tract infections, and metabolic conditions such as Cushing's disease to name a few. Given that Chico is also showing signs of being hungry, it is possible that he has something called Cushing's disease which is a metabolic condition which at times requires treatment. I recommend that you have him evaluated by your veterinarian who can test for that if it makes sense based on further history and physical examination. Good luck!