Q: A few years ago, we rescued a racing greyhound that had been retired. She is now 11 years old and has been very healthy. However, lately in the middle of the night she asks to be let out to urinate. Sometimes, it happens two to three times a night. We normally let her out to do her business before we go to bed so this is completely new to us.
There have been no significant changes in her routine or her diet. She is completely house trained and appears healthy otherwise. Is this something to be concerned about? How do we get her to stop so that we can sleep through the night?
A: Your dog appears to have a condition referred to as nocturia, a term that is used when a pet has a need to urinate during the night. Nocturia is often due to an excessive intake of water, which then leads to excessive urination, a combination of symptoms referred to as "polydypsia and polyuria" in medical circles.
Nocturia can be associated with several medical conditions that have polyuria and polydypsia among their clinical signs. Some of these diseases include diabetes (a syndrome characterized by high blood sugar due to abnormally low insulin levels or resistance to the effects of insulin), Cushing's Disease (a disease that causes hyperadrenalcorticism resulting in excessive steroid production), and liver disease.
One of the more common reasons for nocturia can be a urinary tract infection (UTI). Dogs with UTI often need to urinate frequently and do so with a high degree of urgency. These dogs may also have poor bladder control and have a strong urge to urinate because of irritation and inflammation of the bladder. A urinalysis can easily rule out this possibility.
Another common reason for nocturia is kidney disease. Kidney disease occurs when the kidneys are no longer able to function properly. Kidney disease can have many causes including inflammation, infection, cancer, toxins, autoimmune diseases and trauma. In many cases, the kidneys start to fail simply because they are getting old and "worn out."
Besides nocturia, some other signs of kidney disease are polydypsia and polyuria, intermittent vomiting, lethargy, weight loss and loose stools or diarrhea.
Nocturia definitely warrants further investigation. Since your dog is 11 years old, there may be an underlying serious medical problem such as diabetes or kidney failure.
Ask your veterinarian to run a few simple tests such as a urinalysis and blood test to determine whether a medical problem is the basis for her nocturia.
Dr. Bernhard Pukay is an Ottawa veterinarian. Questions and comments are welcome. Address letters to Pet Care, Ottawa Citizen, Box 5020, Ottawa K2C 3M4.
source: ottawacitizen
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