Preventative Medicine: Water in's and out's

One of the important signs of disease to look for in your pet is drinking and urination. Vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, and sneezing are well known signs of disease. But excess drinking and urination are also important signs of disease that are not as well known. Do you have to constantly refill the water bowl? Are there accidents in the house? Most of the time, this problem is caused by an inability for the kidneys to reabsorb water properly. The kidneys filter several gallons of water per day and most of that water is reabsorbed. There are several diseases that cause this problem. Examples of some of these diseases are: kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes, thyroid disease, excess calcium, and excess Corticosteriods (from prescriptions or an adrenal gland problem). Sometimes we see the increased thirst and urination long before we see other symptoms and even before any blood work changes. If your pet is exhibiting these symptoms, please schedule an appointment. Besides a thorough examination, we will likely want to get a urine sample and blood work, so please don't let them urinate right before the appointment. In future newsletters, the specific diseases will be discussed.