Presley is thirteen and peeing excessively
 

Please help, my forever puppy - seems off - he pees at night like this 5x at night from 9-5 am never did this till about a year ago started to pee at night. He is 13 . He is a good dog and seems ok. Barks at mailman, eats I do see him drinking more. Snores at night , sometimes makes hacking sounds.. but I am getting worried ( plus me sleeping is a no no for the last 6 mths. 😳😳) I am at a loss .. dr. Says old age - but that does not sit well with me 😞 please help me

Did you have him checked for UTI.

So sorry to hear about your sweet Presley.

I do not think this is 'old age' related, at least not unless that has been diagnosed by exclusion.

With just increased peeing alone (ie, urgency and frequency, but not necessarily increased volume), you'd absolutely want a urinalysis. But with increased drinking and peeing - you should get blood chems (you want to see kidney function), glucose (can be diabetes related), and consider the other symptoms of Cushings. If Cushings is suspected - then the very first test you run just as a screening on whether to proceed further to actual diagnosis is the Cortisol-Creatinine Ratio Urine test.

Symptoms (entire article here)

Some dogs with Cushing’s disease show the classic symptoms, while other show only a few vague symptoms. The classic symptoms are:

--Polyuria/polydipsia (PU/PD)- This is excess urinating and excess drinking of water. It is one of the first signs of the disease, and usually precedes the other symptoms by a significant period of time. Several other important diseases cause these symptoms also, notably liver disease, kidney disease pyometra, and diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes).

--Pot bellied abdomen to the point a dog might look pregnant. It is due to hepatomegaly and abdominal muscle weakness (the mechanism of which was described above in the physiology section).

--Thin skin and usually symmetrical hair loss along the trunk. The hair might grow in lighter in color or lose its luster. It might not grow in well at all. Calcium deposits under the skin, called calcinosis cutis, occur on occasion. Secondary skin infections called pyoderma are common also. The skin might also be hyperpigmented.

--Muscle wasting over the head, shoulders, thighs, and pelvis.
Polyphagia- excess appetite. This is often interpreted by clients as being healthy, since most people think of a sick pet as not eating well. In this case your pet is over-eating, which is consistent with Cushing’s.

--Other occasional symptoms include:

Pruritis (itchy skin)- due to secondary bacterial, fungal, or parasitic infections of the skin
Panting- due to affects on the lungs or the respiratory center in the brain
Obesity
Anorexia (poor appetite)
Straining to urinate or blood in urine due to urinary tract infection or bladder stone
Weakness
Depression
Aggression
Lethargy
Corneal plaques
Irregular heat cycles in female dogs
Testicular atrophy in males and clitoral enlargement in females
Emesis (vomiting) due to pancreatitis
Ataxia (incoordination), blindness, circling, and seizures due to a large pituitary tumor or spread of a malignant adrenal tumor
Lameness due to a ruptured cruciate ligament
Intra-abdominal bleeding near the kidneys (retroperitoneal space) resulting in anemia, weakness, and abdominal pain

I would have him checked for a UTI and diabetes and if those both are negative I would look at Cushings. Callie know has to pee in the middle of the night since turning 11 but it’s only once.

So sorry you're having these issues with Presley. Know you are very worried but tests are probably the only thing to do right now to determine the problem. Hopefully it isn't as serious as it could be. Keep us posted. We all know how heartbreaking and frustrating it is when our little ones are not doing well.

Thank you for responding, Presley does not have Cushings, the symptoms he has is at night and during the day excessively pees- and he eats normal . Sleeps a lot . I love him dearly and I know to me he is my forever puppy , my baby dog.. but reality is he is older .. and I think i will return to his vet and check for uti. He is a good dog- but house broken is no longer part of his language 😳.. I may get him a diaper ( a cute one) for home to try to keep my house not a giant pee pee paper . He can not be crated anymore bc he will literally cry for hours and when he gets out he is panting and extremely thirsty so I block of an area so he can be kept safe and limited when I have to go out... my heart is heavy bc something inside me says he is a little old man :( and I just can’t believe my jumpy playful fur baby is 13... his vet returns from vacation next week. I will make appt then. Thank you all . Any advice is always welcomed ❤️
Presley’s Mommy

I would be extremely careful with diapers. They can get urine scald, rashes and if they poo it will mash into their hair. I also want to add some dogs might only show one symptom of Cushings.